I wish I had a miracle pill for you to swallow. The sad truth is, there isn’t a cure for rosacea – yet. But, there are a couple things you can do to keep it under control:

1. AVOID KNOWN TRIGGERS

Here are the main culprits:

• Spicy foods
• Alcohol and caffeine
• Hot drinks
• Stress
• Unprotected sun exposure
• Strenuous exercise

2. USE A PRESCRIPTION PRODUCT

The best ones are:

• Finacea: It contains azelaic acid, which helps reduce redness and bumps.
• MetroCream: It contains metranidazole, an antibiotic that can kill demodex folliculorum and other microorganisms that can play a role in the development of rosacea.
• Mirvaso Gel: This can help treat chronic redness, but shouldn’t be taken if you have any problems with your circulatory system.

For more tips on how to treat rosacea + my fave OTC skincare products that will keep it in check,

Facial Redness Cause #2: Allergic Contact Dermatitis

When you touch something you’re allergic to, your body sounds the alarm, turning your skin bright red. It makes your face itch and swell, too.

There’s only one thing to do here. Avoid the trigger. If you don’t know what it is, go to the doctor and have patch tests done. You can’t avoid the enemy if you can’t even name it!

Want to know what ingredients you really need to avoid in your skincare products? Sign up to the newsletter below to receive the “Skincare Ingredients To Avoid” cheatsheet:

Facial Redness Cause #3: Over-Exfoliation

Exfoliation is one of the pillars of good skincare. It removes the dead cells on the surface of the skin, making it look smoother and brighter – instantly.

But when you overdo it and remove ALL your dead cells, you’ll expose the raw skin underneath that wasn’t ready to come to the surface just yet. Ouch! Now your face is red. It hurts, too.

The key here is moderation. You should totally exfoliate, but NOT daily as some magazines and brands tell you to. That’s overboard for everyone.

So how often should you exfoliate? It depends on your skin type:

• Combination skin: Use Salicylic Acid (BHA) 2/3 nights a week.
• Dry skin: Use Glycolic Acid 2/3 nights a week.
• Normal skin: Use Glycolic Acid once or twice a week.
• Oily skin: Use Salicylic Acid (BHA) every other night.
• Sensitive skin: Use Lactic Acid once or twice a week.

Best Picks:

• Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum ($68.40): available at Cult Beauty, Sephora and SpaceNK
• Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment With 5% AHA ($33.00): available at Paula’s Choice and Selfridges
• Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid ($29.00): available at Dermstore, Look Fantastic and Paula’s Choice
• The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2% (£5.50): available at Cult Beauty and Feel Unique

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Drunk Elephant

The Ordinary

Facial Redness Cause #4: Excessive Sun Exposure