Skin Care for Rosacea
Proper, consistent skin care is an important measure to calm skin with rosacea and help minimize redness and irritation. Here's what you can do to help take care of your skin.
Moisturizer
According to many dermatologists, moisturizer is a key for preventing the burning, stinging, itching and irritation associated with rosacea. It's important to build a strong moisture barrier to help keep out impurities and irritants that may aggravate sensitive skin.
Facial moisturizers have now been developed specifically for signs and symptoms experienced by many people with rosacea. They are specially formulated with ingredients intended to calm and soothe facial skin and to help prevent redness from irritation, and may also contain sheer green color neutralizers to correct the appearance of redness.
Sunscreen
A sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher should be used
the year round.
Daily sun protection is a must for any skin type, but anyone with rosacea should be especially vigilant. Sun exposure was named a top trigger for rosacea flare-ups by 81 percent of patients in a National Rosacea Society survey, and is also linked to the visible blood vessels (telangiectasia) and severe redness often associated with rosacea.
Find the right formula. There are two types of damaging rays: UVA rays age skin, UVB rays burn it. Surprisingly, not all sunscreens protect against both. Look for non-chemical sunscreens that contain zinc or titanium dioxide and deliver UVA/UVB protection with an SPF of 15 or higher. A formula designed for sensitive skin can help reduce the possibility of irritation.
Be smart — wear it every day. Apply sunscreen daily year-round, whether it's sunny or cloudy — the incidental exposure you get walking to your car or running errands can be just as damaging to skin over time as a day at the beach. There are also UVA/UVB sunscreens available that are designed for redness-prone skin. These convenient, multi-function products may contain a green tint, so you can protect skin from the sun and help minimize visible redness, too. They also work well as a makeup primer.
For intense sun exposure — a day spent outdoors, at the beach or by the pool — use an ounce of sunscreen (about a shot glass full) to cover the body. Apply it 30 minutes before going outside so it has time to absorb into the skin, and reapply it every two hours after swimming or sweating. Ideally, limit your sun exposure, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun is strongest. And take note: high altitude, snow, water and even eyeglasses can increase the effect of ultraviolet rays, so protect skin throughout the year whenever you're outdoors.
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