Flushing, redness, red bumps, and dilated blood vessels around the nose and cheeks are typical indicators of rosacea. This skin condition affects over 16 million Americans and over 415 million adults worldwide. Failure to manage or treat the condition can lead to permanent complications or damage. That’s why people need to take action and get ahead of symptoms as soon as they notice them.
What Is Rosacea?
Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that affects the face. People with fair skin, especially middle-aged fair-skinned women, are most at risk for developing rosacea. Some people think that it’s a vascular disorder related to an increase in blood flow, but the exact cause is not entirely clear. More often than not, symptoms are triggered by stress, extreme cold or heat, sun exposure, strenuous exercise, and spicy foods or alcohol.
According to experts, there is no cure for the condition, but there are ways to manage most of the symptoms. Below, you’ll find a list of remedies that are natural alternatives to traditional medications.
Avoid Triggers
This may not seem like a natural remedy, but avoiding triggers of rosacea will help enhance the efficacy of the following remedies. Many foods or lifestyle habits can trigger flare-ups, making the natural remedies ineffective. Common triggers include sun exposure, emotional stress, hot and spicy foods, smoking, and alcohol. The best way to document triggers is to keep a journal or diary. Notice reactions if you consume certain foods or perform certain activities. When you identify the triggers, it’s much easier to take steps to avoid them.
Chamomile Compress
Many herbs exhibit powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help to soothe the skin. According to dermatologists, chamomile is an effective treatment for moderate rosacea symptoms. It contains many active compounds that work to reduce inflammation. In order to make a chamomile compress, steep two bags of chamomile tea in warm – not hot – water for about 30 seconds. Pat them dry to get rid of excess moisture before placing each bag on the affected areas for 10 minutes.
Change Your Pillowcase
The oils, dead skin cells, and dirt from your face can accumulate on your pillowcase. When you lay your head to rest every night on the same pillow, it’s possible for all of that accumulated grime to clog your pores. This commonly results in the bumps and pimples of rosacea. To help avoid this, change your pillowcase every other day to minimize dirt and oil collection on your pillow. After slipping on a clean case, sleep on one side the first night, and the other side the second night. Repeat this process with new cases, and try to make sure the pillowcases are cotton, not synthetic.
Comfrey
The use of comfrey for its medicinal properties dates back hundreds of years. Many people used it to help soothe muscle pain and joint complications. For people with rosacea, comfrey is an excellent natural remedy because it contains allantoin and rosmarinic acid, two compounds that exhibit soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. Several studies found that both of these compounds are excellent for calming swollen or inflamed skin.
Green Tea
Sun exposure is a primary trigger for flare-ups, but green tea may help the skin in this regard. New research concluded that green tea can reduce rosacea symptoms when applied topically to the affected areas. The anti-inflammatory compounds in green tea work to reduce the skin’s reaction to ultraviolet light. In doing so, this reduces the severity of flare-ups from sun exposure. A study from 2010 found that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), green tea’s primary polyphenol, helped prevent papules on the faces of people with rosacea.
Oats
Oats are a classic breakfast staple for many people, but they happen to work wonders on the skin. People commonly use oats to soothe itchiness or dry skin, but these same properties enhance the skin’s natural ability to protect itself from inflammatory attacks like rosacea. Researchers attribute this ability to avenanthramides, which are phenolic compounds that have powerful anti-itch and anti-inflammatory properties.
