If you are like many rosacea patients who struggle to manage their condition, you may have tried everything under the sun in an attempt to find skin care products that soothe rather than aggravate your condition, playing an endless guessing game. If your beauty cabinet is starting to resemble a department store aisle, perhaps it's time for a cosmetics and skin care products detox. Here’s some advice that might help you get you on the right track.

Know What You Are Using

Start by taking inventory of all the skin care products and cosmetics you have used over the last year and check the labels. Do they include some of the most irritating ingredients commonly reported by rosacea patients, such as fragrance and alcohol? Are you experiencing flare-ups from certain ingredients? Your flare-ups of signs and symptoms may be a response to what you are putting on your face. Eliminating those offenders and sticking with a consistent skin care program may help you see better results.

Less Is More

Famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was talking about design when he philosophized, “Less is more,” but the same can apply to your skin care and beauty regimen. If all the products you’ve used in the last six months can fill a box, or you use more than five in a single day, it may be possible that your beauty cabinet is causing further irritation. Consider pairing down and using products with multiple functions, or seek the help of a dermatologist.

Maintain Medical Therapy

While the signs and symptoms of rosacea may look like an aesthetic problem, many may forget or don’t realize that it is a chronic medical disorder that may recur and become progressively worse without medical therapy. Clinical studies have demonstrated that patients who continue to use their prescribed medical therapy are substantially less likely to experience a recurrence of symptoms. A study published in the Archives of Dermatology found that 77 percent of patients who maintained long-term medical therapy for rosacea remained in remission, while 42 percent of those who stopped therapy relapsed. Additionally, advances in medical research have recently brought new treatments to the market that may be effective on your condition.

Talk With Your Doctor

A cabinet full of skin care products may be a sign that you are off track, so make it a point to schedule an appointment with your dermatologist to review all of your products and therapy in person. Your doctor’s goal is to help you find a skin care and medical therapy regimen that works for your individual case. Having an open dialogue may provide insights that will help them fully understand your needs and get you on the path to successful management.