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Have Acne Rosacea? 7 Things You Can Do For It
Rosacea is a long-term inflammatory skin condition with a few different subtypes, one of which is acne rosacea, or papulopustular rosacea. The second-most common form of rosacea, acne rosacea gets its name from how its symptoms are so similar to that of acne. Pimples and breakouts are common occurrences, with the skin often feeling very tender and warm.
Whether your acne rosacea flare-ups tend to be erratic or you experience them very frequently, read on as OROGOLD talks you through seven things that you can do to keep your skin feeling calm, soothed, and happy.
1. Make Sure That Acne Rosacea is What You’re Dealing With
First and foremost, make sure that your acne rosacea has been properly diagnosed. It’s so easy to mistake acne for acne rosacea. However, with both conditions requiring very different treatments, getting things wrong at this stage will only make matters worse for your skin.
With acne rosacea, the breakouts that you’ll get consist of small bumps and pimples, with some containing pus. You may experience the same with acne too but pimples will be larger and will also often be accompanied by whiteheads or blackheads. Acne can also occur all over the body whereas rosacea tends to be concentrated to the face.
Those who have acne rosacea tend to also suffer from flushing. This usually occurs after exposure to a trigger. It can take a while to identify these triggers because they could be anything from alcohol and hot drinks to windy weather, UV rays, and certain skincare products. Plus, it’s more than likely that you’ll have a few different triggers. Figuring these out should always be a priority because being able to avoid your triggers in the future will reduce your chances of dealing with another flare-up.
If you’re on the fence about which condition you’re suffering from, a visit to a professional would be wise. As mentioned, trying to treat the wrong skin condition will only exacerbate your acne or rosacea. A professional will also be able to determine whether or not your symptoms are severe enough to require medication.
2. Cleanse Daily…But Be Gentle
With the acne rosacea causing the skin to feel so irritated, it’s common for people to be tempted to skip their daily cleanse. However, this will only do more harm than good. Regularly cleansing your skin will help to remove any environmental impurities from your skin’s surface, which can often help to soothe the feeling of a flare-up.
However, when cleansing skin that’s prone to acne rosacea, you need to be extremely gentle. Irritating your skin in any way will only cause more redness and sensitivities.
So, start by finding yourself a gentle cleanser. The OROGOLD 24K Mousse Cleanser would be a great choice. It lathers up into a satisfying foam yet, unlike true foaming cleansers, it boasts a moisturizing, sulfate-free formula that will leave your skin feeling supple and super relaxed.
How you apply your cleanser is important too. Avoid using washcloths or anything abrasive on your face while you cleanse. A loofah is a definite no-no! Instead, cleanse with your fingertips, placing only a very light amount of pressure on your skin. Don’t rub or tug at your skin at any point in your skincare routine as this will only lead to additional irritation.
3. Keep Your Skin Moisturized
If you have acne rosacea, then you need to keep your skin safe from environmental irritants. With your skin barrier already being compromised, it’s so easy for those irritants to enter your skin and worsen your symptoms.
One of the best ways to give your skin an extra barrier against the outside world is to moisturize it. Moisturizers form a thin film over the surface of the skin. The main purpose of this is for moisture retention – the barrier stops moisture from evaporating. However, at the same time, that barrier also prevents quite as many irritants from coming into direct contact with the skin.
A moisturizer will also help to soothe the feeling of the burning, stinging, and irritation that often occurs during an acne rosacea flare-up.
With that said, you need to be very careful when choosing a moisturizer. Some skincare ingredients can trigger acne rosacea symptoms. What makes this worse is that everyone’s skincare triggers will be different, making it harder to decipher what yours are. Still, some ingredients are known for being common triggers, with fragrances being one of them.
Ideally, moisturize your skin with a fragrance-free formula, such as the OROGOLD 24K Golden Dew Serum-in-Cream. This moisturizer is lightweight, so won’t leave your skin feeling heavy or greasy. At the same time, it also contains a number of ingredients that have been proven to lower the feeling of inflammation in the skin. From darutoside to niacinamide, this cream is loaded with ingredients that your irritated skin will love.
4. Shield Your Skin From Sun Exposure
Did you know that for 81% of people who suffer from rosacea, sun exposure is a big trigger? This is down to how UV rays stimulate the production of growth factors for blood vessels. As the blood vessels grow, they cause flushing, redness, breakouts, and other rosacea symptoms. The more sun exposure you subject your skin to, the worse your flare-ups will be.
Therefore, it goes without saying that protecting your skin from the sun will go a long way in reducing the appearance of acne rosacea.
To do this, find yourself a good sunscreen. A minimum SPF of 30 is a must, although if your skin is particularly sensitive to UV rays, you’ll probably need something a little higher. If SPF 30 is sufficient for you, check out the OROGOLD 24K Skin Tone SPF 30. It’s a two-in-one moisturizer and sunscreen. This means that not only will it keep your skin feeling safe from environmental irritants but it will also effectively shield your skin from the sun.
Remember to keep your skin covered with SPF throughout the year. Although the summer sun may cause the most havoc for your skin because of how they’re combined with heat, UV rays will affect your skin in the winter months too. Wearing sun-protecting accessories, such as a hat and a pair of sunglasses, will provide some important additional protection.
5. Be Careful When Exfoliating
Do you need to exfoliate if you have acne rosacea? Absolutely. The bad news is that you may end up dealing with a few additional flare-ups while you try to find an exfoliant that works well for your skin.
Why is this? Because, as we mentioned earlier, any form of irritation can make your sensitivities worse. So many of the exfoliants out there are notorious for being too abrasive or too acidic. Your skin won’t appreciate any of this – it will likely thank you with a flare-up!
At this stage, you may be tempted to skip exfoliation altogether. However, that wouldn’t be a wise move either, unless your rosacea happens to be extremely severe. Exfoliation will help to reduce the appearance of the breakouts associated with acne rosacea while also soothing the look of overall redness.
The key is to find a gentle exfoliant, just like OROGOLD’s 24K Multi-Vitamin Deep Peeling + Mandelic Acid. Although mandelic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid, it’s much milder than the other AHAs out there. This is due to its larger molecular size. As a result, it’s not able to penetrate the skin to the same extent. This makes it far less likely to irritate the skin and trigger your symptoms.
6. Use Skincare Products That Will Soothe Your Complexion
In order to keep your acne rosacea symptoms to a minimum, it’s vital to ensure that your skin feels calm at all times. Avoiding your triggers will help with this to an extent but there are also certain skincare ingredients out there that are revered for how they soothe the complexion.
Aloe vera is one, which is why it’s a go-to when people are dealing with UV-induced inflammation. Whether you slather pure aloe vera gel over your skin or you use a skincare product infused with the ingredient, such as the OROGOLD 24K Purifying Toner, it’s an ingredient well worth adding to your skincare routine.
Speaking of our toner, this formula also contains cucumber fruit extract. This is another ingredient that can help to soothe the feeling of inflammation in the skin. Like aloe vera extract, it also feels very refreshing and cooling. This is ideal when you’re dealing with an acne rosacea flare-up.
7. Stay Away From Heat
We’ve already talked about how UV rays are a common trigger for acne rosacea. Well, heat is another one. When people prone to rosacea are exposed to high temperatures in any form, they usually experience a flare-up.
What can you do about this?
For starters, if the weather is hot, make an effort to keep your skin cool. Stay in the shade, make the most of air conditioning, or even physically fan your face to cool it down. Either way, do what it takes to prevent your skin from heating up too much.
It goes without saying that hot water should also be avoided at all costs. While a hot shower or bath may feel satisfying at first, it will only end up irritating your skin. Plus, hot water is also infamous for how it strips away the skin’s natural protective barrier. If you suffer from rosacea, then your barrier already has enough problems to deal with. You definitely don’t want to weaken it further each time you languish under a hot jet of water! Keep this in mind when cleansing your face each day too – lukewarm is the way to go!
Of course, let’s not forget about hot beverages either. If you find that your skin starts to itch or tingle after you’ve consumed a hot drink, then this is another trigger that you’ll need to avoid.
Summary
There’s no denying that acne rosacea can be a difficult condition to treat, especially since it’s often triggered by such a vast array of different factors. Trying to identify your triggers should always be your very first move in order to prevent future flare-ups. However, follow the tips above at the same time and you’ll be able to ensure that your complexion remains calm, soothed, and healthy.
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