What is rosacea?

Rosacea is redness in the skin that comes and goes, and it can have various triggers. More about rosacea triggers later. When redness occurs, you will experience a warm, itchy sensation in the skin. Many small irritations occur in the tiny blood vessels in the skin, causing them to appear as small spider veins and can even swell, leading to more or less chronic redness. In medical terms, these are called telangiectasias.

Commonly, the redness does not disappear when you are no longer embarrassed but remains in the skin and can cause an itchy or burning sensation.

The cause of this condition is not yet fully understood, but all research points to these factors having a significant influence:

- Weakened immune system
- Increased number of microorganisms in the skin, e.g., hair follicle mites
- Increased bacterial presence, especially Staphylococcus
- Weakened blood vessels due to e.g., sun damage or adrenal creams
- Sometimes all of the above."

What does rosacea look like?
Traditionally, rosacea has been divided into four groups, or four types, each with its own appearance.

Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR)
The most common type, and the one most people suffer from. This type has only moderate to no skin thickening and appears only as redness and warmth.

Papulopustular rosacea (PPR)
The second most common type of rosacea. This type of rosacea is accompanied by pustules (pimples) or skin thickening that can develop into sores.

Phymatous rosacea
Also known as "rhino rosacea." The reason for this name is a significant thickening of the skin around the nose. It is rare and, in reddened cases, can resemble a large red port-wine stain, affecting mostly men. This condition should always be treated by a doctor.

Ocular rosacea
This type of rosacea affects your eye area and the eye itself. It is rare and should be treated by your doctor.

How do I treat rosacea?

If you have rosacea, you likely also have very sensitive skin. It is therefore important that you care for and treat your skin as gently as possible, both between and during rosacea flare-ups.

Minerals and vitamins can soothe irritated skin, and emollients can suppress bacteria. And if you can also find something that can hydrate the skin well, it is essential for your treatment. Raz Skincare offers a treatment that covers everything your skin needs to combat rosacea. I have compiled all of it at the bottom of this article.

Is rosacea a disease?
The Patient Handbook states: Rosacea is a chronic inflammation of the skin on the face. The disease begins with redness in the center of the face and a stinging and tingling sensation in the skin. The skin on the cheeks, forehead, and nose becomes slightly thickened with small dilated blood vessels. Bumps and pimples are part of the disease, but there are no blackheads as in acne.

Is rosacea hereditary?
Yes, it has been shown that if your mother or father suffers from rosacea, you will be more predisposed to also be affected by this condition.

Study:

233 pairs were identical twins and 42 pairs were fraternal twins. All were between 18 and 80 years old.

All answered questions about their lifestyle and medical history and underwent a skin examination that allowed researchers to grade their rosacea condition from none to severe rosacea.

The results showed that genetics seemed to contribute 46 percent of the rosacea risk.

The rest of the observed risk was attributed to greater sun exposure (UV radiation), higher age, a higher BMI (an indicator of obesity), smoking, alcohol, medication, and heart disease.

The associations with obesity/overweight and rosacea were a surprise, say the researchers, who have had their study published in the journal of the American Medical Association.

What should I avoid in my skincare? What are triggers for rosacea?

Several things can worsen your redness, and if you suffer from rosacea, you probably already know most of them. It is a myth that they are all triggers; many people tolerate several of the items on the list without triggering rosacea. If you suffer from rosacea, you need to calmly find your own triggers.

One thing, however, is common to all types of rosacea: sunlight, whether it's cloudy or not.
The following list is also fairly certain to be a trigger for your rosacea:

-Sunbathing
-Products with a high content of perfumes
-Cleansing wipes – (read: the devil's work)
-Cleansing products with soap and/or alcohol
-Makeup that is difficult to remove or contains a high amount of perfumes
-Stress
-Dairy products
-Extreme temperature changes
-Coffee / black tea
-Sugar
-Strongly spiced food
-It is a myth that alcohol always causes redness, but for some, it can trigger rosacea
-Foods high in histamines such as cheese, spinach, soy sauce, chocolate, tuna, etc.

Should I use a cream for my rosacea?
You should always use a face cream with sunscreen if you suffer from rosacea, even if it's cloudy or winter. Just always sunscreen. If you can even find a face cream with a green color spectrum or a green pigment, you will find that the green color cancels out the redness in the skin. Raz Skincare Face Cream Calm, has a green color spectrum and SPF 30

The doctor can give you various creams with antibacterial agents and various A-vitamins that reduce scar tissue and the formation of pustules. Active ingredients such as tetracycline or erythromycin and subsequent treatment with metronidazole, azelaic acid, brimonidine, or ivermectin.

These should never be used alone; you really need to protect yourself from the sun. So if you get a cream from your doctor that should be used during the day, you should apply Raz Skincare Face Cream Calm with SPF 30 on top of it.

Are there any good dietary tips for rosacea?
Since rosacea is an inflammatory bacterial condition, I treat it as such. I often start treatment with nature's own antibiotics, for example, garlic, ginger, and horseradish, to improve the body's immune system. Use plenty of the aforementioned in your daily diet. The best medicine is still your food, and the immune system is formed in your gut.

Healthy diet with few histamines and many anti-histamines. For example, nettle, which is very potent and can be used in soups, salads, smoothies, etc. Remember gloves when picking them; once they are heated or put in a smoothie, they no longer sting. But also carrots, garlic, lemons (some may experience that certain citrus fruits cause outbreaks), tomatoes, dark grapes, broccoli, and so on. Over-the-counter antihistamines for hay fever can also help.

Can I use makeup if I have rosacea?

Yes, you absolutely can use plenty of makeup on rosacea-prone skin. Mineral makeup is often a good choice for skin with rosacea, as it typically does not contain potentially irritating ingredients such as perfumes, which are probably the biggest irritant for rosacea. If you use Raz Skincare Face Cream Calm, it is rich enough for a mineral powder to adhere easily and help cover your redness.

What is most important in the fight against rosacea?
Sun protection is the most important factor in the fight against rosacea. Use Raz Skincare Face Cream Calm every single day. It has SPF 30, and the green spectrum filter will make the skin less red.

UV light increases inflammation and skin breakdown, also known as oxidative stress. This leads to more defects in the small blood vessels in the skin, causing them to appear as small spider veins, chronic redness that can also swell and become warm. In technical terms, these are called telangiectasias. So remember SPF30 every single day.

Rosacea treatment – these are the products you need to use

Morning Routine – order and use

1. Raz Skincare Powder to Mousse
As a gentle cleanser for approx. 30 sec. Use cool baths and cool water during your face cleansing/washing.
Gentle washing is extremely important, and vitamins and minerals will help your skin to regain balance.

2. Raz Skincare Hh, 3-5 drops
Provides natural moisture and binds water to the skin, which can reduce visible blood vessels and relieve tightness. This is only for moisture, so a cream should always be used afterwards. Not everyone needs this product, so it is only included as a 3ml test to see if it helps you before you buy the full size.

3. Raz Skincare Mdh
Apply Mdh. It is good for your rosacea, as it contains, among other things, soothing lactic acid. Possibly apply again after your Calm Face Cream. I also have it in a smaller version that is easy to carry in your bag if you experience a flush that you want to calm down.
With rosacea, it is important to be careful – but try adding a few drops to your day cream, or apply Mdh in a thin layer mixed with water on the skin after gentle cleansing (e.g., with Cleansing Mask). Remember to listen to your skin, as it will probably say yes or no.

4. Raz Skincare Calm Face Cream
Distribute Raz Skincare Calm over the entire face and massage it in so that the green tone disappears into the skin. This cream also has SPF30, so you protect your skin from the sun's harmful UV rays all day.

Evening Routine – order and use

1. Raz Skincare Powder to Mousse
As a gentle cleanser for approx. 30 seconds. Use cool showers and cool water during your face cleansing/washing.

2. Raz Skincare Hh
Provides natural moisture and binds water to the skin, which can reduce visible blood vessels and relieve tightness. This is only for moisture, so a cream should always be used afterwards. Not everyone needs this product, so it is only included as a 3ml test to see if it helps you before you buy the full size.

3. Raz Skincare Mdh
Apply Mdh. It is good for your rosacea, as it contains, among other things, soothing lactic acid. Possibly apply again after your Calm Face Cream.
With rosacea, it is important to be careful – but try adding a few drops to your day cream, or apply Mdh in a thin layer mixed with water on the skin after gentle cleansing (e.g., with Cleansing Mask). Remember to listen to your skin, as it will probably say yes or no.

4. Raz Skincare A-retinoid
Apply A-retinoid. It is good as a "night mask" for rosacea outbreaks that cause impurities or thickening of the skin. Since not all forms of rosacea cause acne, this is not included in the package but must be purchased separately.

5. Raz Skincare Repair Salve
Sleep with Repair Salve on – especially if your skin feels tight and dry. If you find it too greasy, feel free to use Calm Face Cream instead – but I recommend Repair for the best results. It comes in a 15ml. version so you can try it out and see if it suits you and your skin.

Other treatment

Raz Skincare Cp – Chemical Peel
For tendencies towards dead skin cells and acne, I recommend a gentle peel like Raz Skincare Cp. Be gentle and careful, cover the face with the peel and leave on for up to 10 minutes. Remove sooner if uncomfortable. 1-3 times a week, but it is important to listen to your skin, perhaps gradually increasing frequency. Not everyone needs this product, so it is not included in the package.

When will I see improvements in my rosacea?

You should see improvements in your skin quite quickly when you care for it properly. Already after a week, you should experience that your outbreaks are smaller.

I have gathered most of the products you simply must have into a package, and given you a good price.

In severe cases – always consult a doctor

Hugs, Raz

If you want to read more, or see where I get my knowledge from, here are some of the articles I find most informative.
Anti-irritating rosacea treatment
Rosacea and cardiovascular risk factors
Helicobacter pylori and its eradication in rosacea
The significance of Demodex folliculorum density in rosacea
Interventions for rosacea