8 ways to calm Rosacea redness this winter
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Fairface Podcast transcript / show notes
Introduction
Hello! It's nice to get to spend some time with you again today. I want to talk to you about something that affects those of us with Rosacea - especially at this time of year, when the weather is colder, and the temperatures are lower and how we can protect our skin from the redness that seems to plague those of us with Rosacea.
Rosacea during a cold power outage
The wind, I tell you, was literally like something out of the Wizard of Oz. I wondered several times through the night if our roof was going to rip off or if our house, just cave in, or if our house was going to crack in half and fall over. I am not kidding, I haven't felt wind gusts that strong against our house before, and it was very unsettling in the black of night, as the rain pelted the windows.
We were without power from Tuesday night at midnight, the 2nd time the power went out, until Thursday morning at around 10:30am. So even though it didn't last a really long time, thankfully, being in the dark and cold was a very sobering experience to the things we take for granted like heat and light. My husband joked with me that we might not have made very good pioneers if we couldn't hack this. And I kind of agreed.
Let me tell you, the air got very cold in our house, our house is usually pretty cold anyway, but it felt very cold without any heat. And the darkness got very dark. Every night, and I mean it was 2 nights, but it felt like an eternity, when the sun started to set, a sinking feeling came over me thinking, "Oh no, night has begun again"... and I knew that it was about to get even darker and colder...and that, my friends, was only at 4:30pm...so yah, it did feel like an eternity.
So I wore wool socks, a fleece robe over my clothes (sometimes a couple layers of clothes), and a fleece hat or at one point a wool scarf over my head. And this was while I was in the house during the day.
And at night, I pretty much just doubled up or added on to whatever I had been wearing during the day. I layered on blankets and wore that scarf over my head the whole night and it took the edge off the frigid temperatures, but my face was still cold the whole time and bright rosy pink.
It's the kind of cold that almost has a smell to it, if you even know what I mean, and it almost hurts. So even though I kept my body warm for the most part, my face was persistently cold and red - there really was no way to balance the temperature. Even when I got into my car to blast the heat to take the edge off, because I was freezing, my face would then end up just getting hot and even more red because of the extreme temperatures.
So, it wasn't just the extremes in temperatures, which most people's skin can handle, it really was also my Rosacea.
How temperature and weather effects Rosacea
For those of us with Rosacea, weather can be tricky to manage. In the summer it's trying not to get too hot, and in the winter it's kind of a double-whammy, because we're trying not to get too cold, but also trying not to get too hot in order to combat the cold.
When we get too hot, our face can flush from the heat.
When we get too cold, our face can get red from the cold and then flush even harder from warming up - going from one extreme temperature to the next.
I remember when I used to go skiing, my face would be exposed to the cold and the sun all day. And then when I would come in from the day of skiing, my face would go from red and frozen to really red and hot. I just figured it happened to everyone and my extra rosy cheeks were just proof of my day on the slopes...and yet no one else's face looked as cherry red as mine but I also have fair skin, so I figured maybe their redness just wasn't as noticeable as mine.
Well, I know that was kind of a dramatic introduction, but this has been a dramatic week. That is real.
I have Rosacea - why does my face get so flushed and red?
Many people with rosacea have often had a tendency to blush and flush throughout their lives. Yep, I'm raising my hand, that is also me.
I didn't know that easily blushing and flushing was one of the earliest signs of Rosacea. I knew it happened to me as a child, teen, young adult...basically always, and just figured it was more noticeable on me because of my fair skin.
But here's the thing, while the average person may blush or flush, it tends to go away rather quickly, but with Rosacea, once our face gets flushed and sometimes really flushed (I look like a tomato when I exercise) it tends to take a lot longer for that redness to go away.
What I learned from the American Academy of Dermatology, is that
- without treatment for Rosacea, this flushed redness to the skin can begin to stay a little longer and a little longer each time it occurs
- and may start to appear on even more of your skin
- This facial redness can become permanent, along with things like visible blood vessels on the face, and thickening of skin, all of which can become more difficult to treat over time.
The key for keeping Rosacea calm in the winter (and honestly, you can apply this to any and all seasons - because it is always relevant any time of the year), is to try to keep your flushing as infrequent as possible.
Now because we know temperature differences have such an impact on the skin, in the winter, it's about trying to keep your temperature as even as possible, during these colder months, meaning you're trying not to get yourself too cold, and you're trying not to get too hot, to make up for that difference.
AND keeping your flushing to a minimum really goes beyond just temperature, because we know flushing can be caused by different triggers, specific to each of us- like emotional stress, alcohol, spicy foods, whatever you know your triggers to be that can cause your skin to get flushed and red...which can then lead to a flare including welts and bumps, the pustules and papules and all that fun stuff. Which is not fun. It's really not fun at all, that's the truth.
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| 8 Tips to prevent and calm your Rosacea redness |
8 Tips to help calm your Rosacea and prevent flushing and Flares
So I wanted to share some tips with you today to help you keep your Rosacea skin calm and try to prevent those flushes and flares, especially right now during the winter months. So I'm going to go through those with you right now.
1. WARM UP SLOWLY
We've covered this a lot. Just avoid the temptation to blast the heat when you are cold, and don't be the first to sit in front of the roaring fire because your face is going to get too hot. I find my face gets hot before my body does. So avoid the temptation to blast the heat in the car, to sit next to the heater, to turn it up to 80, just try to warm up slowly so your whole body and your face can just come up to a better temperature more slowly, instead of an extreme.
2. KEEP YOUR SHOWER WATER COMFORTABLE
Avoid cranking up the hot water. Again, any blasting source of heat can cause major flushing.
3. DRESS IN LAYERS
I love dressing in layers so I can add on something or take off something as needed if I'm feeling too warm or too cool. My mom and I like to bake together and I know that when we're going to have double-ovens on in her kitchen, it's going to be warmer. I often will wear a t-shirt with a cardigan so in case I start getting really hot, I can take the cardigan off and still be comfortable and maintain my body temperature.
4. WEAR WOOL SOCKS to regulate your body temperature.
Did you know wool is a great temperature regulator? I happen to love the wool trail socks from Costco. They are just the right weight for different shoes. I get some of these new wool socks every year and wear them pretty much every day. I love these socks and wool socks are the way to go if you're trying to regulate your temperature so you don't get too hot and you don't get too cold.
5. WEAR A SCARF
Bringing a scarf to place over your face and head when you are outside (beyond pandemic face mask wearing) can help protect your skin from the elements. Just like I wrapped my head and face with my scarf that I had been wearing the last few days, it helps to keep your temperature regulated. It also can help against windburn (ouch, that sounds horrible). So, it can protect your face from wind and cold temperatures so you can put it up against your face and wrap it around your head if you want to, or you can pull it away if you're starting to feel a bit warm.
Wearing a scarf is a really versatile way of helping to manage and block the wind and the cold from your face, especially if you have to be outside...mainly if you have to be outside. I think it would be weird if you were sitting inside, well, unless you were like me in the dark and the cold, in a power outage...but it would be odd to be putting a scarf over your face... well, you know what? I take that back because we're in a pandemic so it wouldn't be weird at all! Do whatever you're going to do with that scarf! Ha! That's what I have to say.
6. LIMIT YOUR TIME OUTSIDE
The truth is, you are the only one who knows your skin the very best, so you can decide how much exposure your skin can handle. And just judge according to that.
7. AVOID YOUR KNOWN TRIGGERS
With Rosacea discussions, you hear triggers a lot and triggers are anything that makes you flush or can bring on a Rosacea flare. Triggers are very personal. There are some that are very common to a lot of people, but then there are some that are just more individual to each person.
Beyond heat and cold, things like alcohol, hot drinks, salsa, stress, whatever your triggers are that can cause you to flush, which can lead to worsening symptoms, just try to avoid them and it will keep your skin more even.
This is one of the most important things you can do for Rosacea:
8. KEEP YOUR SKIN BARRIER HEALTHY
Your skin barrier, meaning the outer layer of your skin. If your skin barrier is healthy, you can bare these different extremes that much better. Dry, red, cracked skin will be in much worse condition to face these additional challenges, like temperature, and other triggers, than well maintained, nourished, moisturized skin.
To keep your Rosacea-prone skin barrier healthy, follow a GENTLE CLEANSING AND MOISTURIZING ROUTINE that ALWAYS INCLUDES SUNSCREEN 365 days a year. And yes, a lot of those words are in all CAPS. You know I'm obsessed with sunscreen, but all of these things are so important to keep your skin barrier healthy.
The products we recommend for Rosacea and sensitive skin types include:
GENTLE FACE CLOTHS
Fairface Delicate Washcloths with soothing, soft, double-sided flannel - there's nothing abrasive. These cloths are all I use on my Rosacea. And they don't irritate my skin. They are soft and gentle. Think of it as a step beyond using your fingertips.
These are great face cloths that I 100% recommend. They are gentle enough for Rosacea and sensitive skin. That's why I made them in the first place and I use them every day for myself.
Along with that, you need a gentle face wash.
GENTLE FACE WASH
Gentle is the key word here. Nothing with fragrance or irritants. I recommend wholeheartedly, Vanicream gentle cleanser, it doesn't have any fragrance or any irritants. I use this every day and night and love it. My sister was having trouble with her skin, feeling really dry and sensitive, and I told her to try Vanicream gentle cleanser and she is now a believer. She uses it every day too. She didn't have sensitive skin before she started having trouble, her whole life she didn't have sensitive skin, but her skin had become more sensitive and more irritated.
If you're having trouble with your skin, I would suggest trying Vanicream gentle cleanser and the soft Fairface Delicate washcloths and I think you will very quickly see how much better your skin looks and feels after getting rid of the things that have been irritating your skin that you've been using before.
The next thing you need for sure after washing your face gently, is a
GENTLE MOISTURIZER
I've learned a lot about moisturizers the last month as I've looked into what ingredients are good for the skin.
CeraVe moisturizing cream, is amazing and I've started using that recently. It comes in a tub, I take a scoop, and slather it on my face at night and it feels amazing. It's nice and thick, but not heavy. Sometimes for day moisturizer I've been using Vanicream's Lite Lotion, but sometimes, maybe it's just the winter months, but sometimes the Vanicream Lite Lotion doesn't give me quite enough moisturizing, and so I have reached for the CeraVe and I love it. So if you want to try using the CeraVe moisturizing cream both day and night, you could definitely try that. That is a moisturizer that I would definitely recommend. It has ceramides that can help in the maintenance and the health of your skin barrier, so definitely try that.
And always, always...
ALWAYS WEAR SUNSCREEN
Even though it's winter, even on the dark days, even if it's snowing, even if it's raining, even if it's cloudy. Literally, this is something that every dermatologist that I've ever heard anywhere, or speeches that I've read or articles that I've read, everyone always says how important it is to wear sunscreen, every single day of the year. Just make it a habit, and that is something that I have done.
I've been using Eucerin Daily SPF 30 on my face for many years now and that works for me. I know that dermatologists recommend a bunch of different types of sunscreens that would be appropriate for Rosacea and sensitive skin. This is the one that I use and it happens to be ok on my skin and doesn't irritate it. I do think I am going to start trying a couple of different face SPF's just to see what the difference is, since I've been using this one for so long. This does work for me and I use it every day on my face religiously.
The last thing I recommend as far as keeping your skin barrier healthy, is to
CONTINUE TO USE YOUR TOPICAL MEDICATIONS
if they have been prescribed for you. Now is not the time to stray from your normal routine, as far as stopping topical medications on your face. I still use the generic Metro Gel every morning. I was told by my dermatologist in my last virtual visit, I asked her if I could ever stop using the medication and she said Rosacea is a chronic condition so don't stop using the medication.
I'm sure some people have different views about medication. Some people don't choose to use topical medications and that is totally fine. I have no judgement and I hope you don't have judgement towards me, that's just what I choose to do and it works for me, so I continue it.
Like I said, if you have been given a medication, whether it's topical or ingested, if your dermatologist has given you a medication, just continue on that routine. If you are having trouble, you can go back and see them and make sure they're ok if you go off of it, or need to adjust it.
There is no need to suffer through troubled skin. I highly recommend reaching out to a skin care professional, whether it's a licensed esthetician or a licensed dermatologist, just getting the help you need, because there really is no need to suffer.
That brings us to the end, of this discussion. I really hope you learned some helpful tips to help you manage your Rosacea and the redness during this colder time of year.
Like I said, these tips really apply to all seasons. With Rosacea, we are always trying to adapt and protect our skin at the same time, every day of the year.
If you have any of your own tips or favorite products to share, I would love to hear from you, please let me know!
To shop the products I've mentioned:
Try Fairface Washcloths by shopping our website: https://www.fairfacewashcloths.com
or Etsy shop, FairfaceWashcloths.etsy.com
I have found the Vanicream cleanser and Lite lotion, CeraVe moisturizing cream and Euerin SPF 30 at stores like Target, Walgreens and Bartell Drugs. So whatever stores like that are closer to you, you could reach out and see if they carry those items.
That's it for today, I hope you have a great week, and I hope your weather stays nice and nobody has a blackout, like us! But things are back to normal and honestly, I feel SO grateful. The minute the power came back on was like, you just realize I know that I had been taking these things for granted and the deep gratitude that I have for the heat and the light, for all the blessings that electricity brings into our lives, I'm feeling the gratitude!
So, take care of yourselves, take good care of your skin and I will see you next time!
