5 Tips for Dealing with Acne Rosacea

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I have to make a confession: I am suffering from a form of rosacea (subtype 2 – Papulopustular Rosacea) that manifests itself through a very inflamed acne all over my cheeks. I discovered it once I went to see a dermatologist, approximately one month after it started and after trying to solve the problem with acne targeted products. Which was wrong. Very wrong and it made things worse.

So, for all those who are suffering from this, I thought to write an article that could help you tackle this issue and give you a few tips that work for me. And remember, this is a key statement, they work for me at this particular moment. They could help you too if you are dealing with a similar problem but might as well not work at all.

So here we go, the 5 tips for those suffering from subtype 2 rosacea, that manifests itself with bumps and pimples:

1. The most important thing to do is see a specialist. The best would be a dermatologist that can easily diagnose our condition and could prescribe the right form of treatment for your specific needs. I followed a topical treatment for two months, then I had a month where I used an antibiotic and azelaic acid and now I am just using azelaic acid twice a day. Do not try to self-treat this: my biggest mistake when this condition began to manifest itself was that I wrongly assumed that it is actually acne vulgaris and used targeted products for this problem. Although I never suffered from acne, which should have been an enough warning to just go and see my dermatologist, I assumed I knew what to do and bought around 10 different creams for treating acne. And I only made my face worse, because most of the products were irritating and stimulating my rosacea.
2. Azelaic acid is one of the great inventions of mankind for those suffering from Papulopustular Rosacea. It improves the appearance of the skin and help the scars disappear faster. But is should only be used as the physician prescribed it.
3. You must stay away from any cosmetics that have fragrance or essential oils and other irritating ingredients. The best would be to choose dermato-cosmetics that are specifically formulated for rosacea skin (like Bioderma Sensibio AR range) or ultra-sensitive skin. Make-up should follow the same pattern especially foundation or BB creams. The Bioderma AR BB Cream is a dream but unfortunately their light-colored version is way too dark for my skin tone. La Roche Posay and Clinique are the ones that work for me now, but I am searching for alternatives.
4. Also, there are other environmental and lifestyle triggers that could stimulate rosacea and therefore favorize the appearance of acne: alcohol, spicy food, hot food, heavy exercise, extreme weather conditions: cold, wind, hot weather. You will find a complete list here.
5. And finally, you will need to find the best combination of things that works for you. It is a trial and error process, but once you reach a balance this problem will not be as bad as it seems in the beginning.

To give you an idea about my routine:

• Every morning and evening, regardless if I use makeup or not, I clean my face with the Bioderma AR micellar solution. Sometimes (about three times a week) I use a gentle cleanser, I prefer the Bioderma DS.
• I use the topical treatment (azelaic acid) and then I apply a serum (Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Repairing Serum) and then a cream (Bioderma AR hydrating cream in the evening and Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Mineral Moisturizer SPF30 in the morning).
• I follow with makeup if it is the case and I am not too lazy, I use the La Roche Posay Toleraine Fluid or the Clinique Superbalanced Makeup. Once a week I apply an clay mask (white or pink clay) – I mix clay with water or a calming herbal infusion.
• I try to avoid really hot baths or steam rooms, I avoid alcohol during flares, I prefer yoga and pilates to cardio workouts and try and to hide my face in a really big scarf during windy or freezing days. Plus I wear SPF daily.
• I never use cosmetics that contain: alcohol, witch hazel, fragrance, menthol or any acids (I am still mourning the fact that I can no longer use my AHA exfoliant) or mechanical exfoliants on my face.

I am still exploring and trying to find the best combination that works for me and this is the winter routine, maybe I will need to adapt it in summer, but I will keep you updated.

I hope this was useful and if you have any questions or even suggestions for me, don’t hesitate to use the comments section below.

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