Looking after your Rosacea skin

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes reddened skin and a rash, usually on the nose and cheeks. It can be flushing or persistent redness with visible dilated blood vessels. In addition to the redness some sufferers will get spots or as we call them pustules and papules which can often be mistaken for acne. It is a medical condition that needs to be diagnosed by a doctor. As aesthetician's we can help alleviate some of the symptoms with the correct skincare.

Rosacea is called “The Curse of the Celts” as it typically affects the pale Irish skin or if you want to be more technical skin that falls on the Fitzpatrick scale at 1 and 2. It generally affects people between the ages of 30 - 50 and generally more women than men.

To date there is no exact cause as to where this condition stems from or why but there are many factors that affect it.

i) Acne Rosacea and ii) Broken blood vessels that won't go away

What triggers a Rosacea flare up?

Common triggers that affect rosacea are alcohol, spicy food, hot drinks, being out in the sun, temperature changes, exercise and being stressed. As a sufferer you have probably found out what your triggers are and try to avoid it or them if at all possible!

How to look after your skin?

Medical treatment should come first so getting a diagnoses from the doctor would be the first step. Following that skincare products and skin specific supplements would greatly help in reducing the signs and symptoms and lead to long term results.

• PROTECTING FROM THE SUN
  As sun exposure it often a trigger, you need to use a broad spectrum SPF. We would recommend SPF 50. This needs to be applied and re-applied throughout the day.

• STRENGTHENING THE SKINS BARRIER
  Strengthening the skin will lesson external factors from triggering a flare up. Excellent barrier strengthening ingredients are Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramides (fats) and essential fatty acids (oily fish) and Vitamin C to strengthen blood vessels and reduce redness. We would also suggest taking a probiotic to increase the good bacteria in your gut as Microbiome has been connected to many skin conditions.
  
• REDUCING INFLAMMATION
  Rosacea is an inflammatory condition so we want to reduce the inflammation in the skin, we can do this internally with supplements and topically with products. Using a 2 pronged approach by treating the skin internally and topically would ensue a much quicker result than using one or the other. Skin supplements also treat all your skin, so the skin from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes gets the benefit from a skin supplement!

Ingredients that are known for reducing inflammation are:

Omegas 3
Niacinamide (B3)
Chamomile
Licorice Root Extract

Ideally you want to avoid anything harsh on the skin. The aim is to reinforce the skin's barrier and protect it. Think gentle, calming, soothing and protecting when it comes to your daily skincare routine.

If you are looking for a regime for your Rosacea, we would recommend getting in touch with us and having a skin consultation so we can chat about your skin, have a look and feel of the skin also. The consultation also includes an introductory facial which is a great way to introduce your skin to the products. It also gives you are starting block so you can correctly treat your skin and further down the line add in facial treatments once the skin has calmed down and inflammation that reduced.

Here are some products that we love and believe in as they are backed by science and can be used on Rosacea skin. They are all available in our online store.

Cleansing AM + PM: Gentle Cleansing Gel and Gentle Eye Make Up Remover - Gently lather the products with your hands onto the face, neck and decollete and massage for 1 minute. Remove with the deluxe facial cloth.

Serums: Super B Complex (Hydrates, strengthens barrier, antioxidants to fight free radical damage) and Super C Serum (Anti-inflammatory, UV protection, powerful antioxidant to fight free radicals that could irritate the skin)

SPF: 50+ Hydrating Defence (Broad spectrum protection that also aids in hydrating, fighting free radical damage and calming redness)

Supplements: Clear Skin Biome (Build Immunity), Skin Vit C (Strengthens the capillary walls, anti-inflammatory, photo protective ) and Skin Moisture Lock (Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid to build skin's immunity to protect from free radical damage. Reduce inflammation)

At Illuminated Skin Aesthetics Clinic, we want to pass on our skin knowledge to you, so you can look after your skin correctly. We want to help you to understand what ingredients to look out for, why you are using them and how to use them.

We have a range of facial treatments in our clinic and another one coming soon that would be ideal for Rosacea skin, so stayed tuned!

If you have any questions, drop us a DM.
Alternatively email us at hello@illuminatedskin.ie or WhatsApp 0877820662

We look forward to hearing from you and adding you to the Illuminated Skin family.

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