Excel V Laser before & after for rosacea—The brutal truth!

The brutal truth about my experience with the Excel V Laser for rosacea

[*before and after photos included]

**Includes Amazon links at the end of this post. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn a small commission on products purchased through my links.

The last straw

I finally broke down and decided to have the Excel V Laser treatment to get rid of the visible capillaries on my cheeks, due to my rosacea. I was so tired of meticulously trying to cover them up each day with make-up. As each line got darker and more difficult to conceal, I finally decided it was time for the Excel V Laser treatment to zap those pesky capillaries away for good. 

Consultation & Cost for Excel V Treatment

The price was almost a deal-breaker. It's not cheap. The esthetician in my Dermatologist's office quoted me a jaw dropping $550.00 to eliminate the visible capillaries on my cheeks, forehead, nose and chin, (aka the "whole face" treatment), with a lesser option, cheeks and nose only, for $250.00. 

Although the deep capillary threads on my cheek were of most concern, I opted for the "whole face" treatment, hoping to make all my dreams come true by zapping away visible capillaries, cherry spots and any other noticeable red blemishes to give me the cleanest results I could.

Day of Excel V Laser Treatment

I'll admit, I pictured the treatment going differently, more like a spa day post on Instagram, with a fuzzy robe, tranquil music and a deliciously smelling diffuser puffing away in the background. There was none of that. 

The esthetician had me lay way back on a treatment chair, fully clothed (no fuzzy robe), in a plain dermatology treatment room and covered my eyes with pieces of tape. Had they run out of those cute little sunglasses?  It was much less "zen" than I thought it would be. Zero pampering.

Next, she smothered my skin with a cool gel and began zapping away.

The Pain Factor: Better or worse than I thought it would be?

They tell you it will feel like a rubber band snap. I don't know who made that up, it's not like any rubber band I've ever seen unless it was also attached to barbed wire.

Every pulse of the laser actually felt like being stabbed in the face with a tiny needle. It really hurt. It was way worse than I thought it would be. They did not offer to put any numbing cream on my face, so I'm not sure how much difference that would have made.

The pain was so traumatizing, in fact, that it kind of sent me into a state of shock, where my body was literally shaking. At the end of the treatment I had to ask her for a blanket and some water, which thankfully helped me start to relax and feel better.

I don't know why I'm surprised. I shared another bad experience I had at this same clinic having sebaceous hyperplasia treated with a hot needle. I think it may be time to switch clinics. 

The Unexpected Aftermath, Recovery and Healing time

Bad Bruising

I bruised badly, almost immediately. My face looked like I had purple polka dots, about the size of a pencil eraser, all over my cheeks. This bruising was not only unexpected, but devastating to me because it took 2 weeks go away! I even took the Arnica supplement they told me to take (even though it caused tummy troubles) and topical Arnica gel, because it was supposed to help speed up healing time for bruising and swelling.

Shocking Swelling

The other shock was how much my face swelled! Especially under my eyes!! And how long it lasted (about 2 weeks!!). I used gel ice packs (with a cloth) daily on my cheeks. I tried sleeping with my head elevated, but nothing really seemed to help.  My face was so puffy I looked like I had a fat suit on and my eyes shrunk down to nothing with so much puff around them. It was devastating to look in the mirror. I felt depressed, didn't want to leave the house, and was afraid none of this would go away. Had I just made my skin worse than when I started? It was an awful 2 weeks until my skin started showing signs of improvement.

Healing time and results

I have read some people's experiences were quick and "painless" and saw immediate results, while others took over a month to heal and are still waiting to see the finality of results. I would definitely say it took me at least 2 weeks, if not more time to heal, but I'm still hoping better results are coming.

For the first 2 weeks, washing, moisturizing and SPFing my face felt like I was wiping my hands over a thousand tiny cuts on my cheeks. Foundation burned my skin, so I didn't try using it again until my face had more healing time. 

Even today at over 2 weeks healing, when I blot foundation on my face it still feels like I have tiny slivers on my skin. I imagine there are still tiny cuts from the surface of my skin down through the layers.

Were the results worth the suffering?

It has been 17 days since my Excel V Laser treatment and I'm still not sure whether this investment was worth it. The major dark capillaries on one of my cheeks is gone, but there are still other areas that didn't go away (or did new one's pop up?). My face still has some visible capillaries, the small cherry spots did not go away and there are still areas of redness.  Thankfully, the bruising and swelling are gone. 

I still have to use make-up to cover up the redness and visible capillaries, which ironically enough, is why I did the treatment in the first place. I do feel the ache of that $550.00 and wonder if it was all worth it for such minimal results. 

Are you considering having Excel V Laser done for rosacea?

If you are considering having the Excel V Laser treatment for your rosacea or visible capillaries, just understand the real experience you may have, not the "rubber band snapping experience" they tell you it will be. 

It's definitely not all unicorns and rainbows and your healing time may be way longer than you anticipate (don't plan anything important for 2 weeks!). And your results may not be exactly what you hope for (they often do recommend more than one treatment -I cringe at the thought). 

And if you do have the treatment, try not to look in the mirror very often (it's extremely depressing!) and know that time should heal all wounds. 

Wash your face gently with gentle products - I used Vanicream Gentle Cleanser and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. (both amazon links)

And AFTER your skin has had time to heal you can go back to using your gentle soft face cloths again (Fairface soft flannel Washcloths are the best).

If you have any questions about my experience, feel free to leave them in the comments below!

What IT Cosmetics Did to my Rosacea-prone skin

Is It Cosmetics really Rosacea friendly? 

Today I share what happened when I tried It Cosmetics on my rosacea prone skin 

*Disclaimer: This It Cosmetics Rosacea Review is my personal experience with It Cosmetics with products I purchased myself and may not reflect the experience you or someone else may have. 

LISTEN NOW:

Also available on Apple Podcasts

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Episode Transcript

Intro:

I have wanted to try It Cosmetics foundation for my rosacea prone sensitive skin for years, and I finally did! 

Today I’ll share what products I tried and what happened when I used them on my rosacea prone sensitive skin.

If you’ve been considering It Cosmetics. Or trying to find the right make-up for your rosacea or sensitive skin, this will be an important episode for you.

Welcome to the Fairface Podcast, where we talk all things rosacea and sensitive skin to help you and your skin look and feel your best. I’m Shannon Sorensen, your rosacea and sensitive skin advocate, and the founder and CEO of Fairface Washcloths for sensitive skin. I’m so glad you’re here. Lets take a look at today’s episode

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I shared on Instagram that I bought some It Cosmetics foundation for the first time back in Nov, 2023, during their Black Friday sale. 

I had been wanting to try it for years, but I had just put it off because it’s always such a process for me to find products that work for my rosacea prone sensitive skin. 

And since my long time favorite Mary Kay medium coverage Foundation was discontinued, and I’m almost out of what I have left, it lead me back to It Cosmetics, since it’s a brand known for make-up made for Rosacea and Sensitive Skin.

It Cosmetics: Make-up made for Rosacea?

In case you don’t know the back story, It Cosmetics was initially founded by someone who has rosacea and sensitive skin, Jamie Kern Lima. It has since been sold to Loreal, if I’m understanding that correctly. 

The story goes, that Jamie couldn’t find products that worked for her skin, so she wanted to create her own so she teamed up with plastic surgeons and dermatologists and created this line. 

One of her most memorable moments, was boldly going bare-faced on live QVC tv to demonstrate how well the foundation covered up her redness. I think I actually remember watching that many years ago.

So because of all that, It Cosmetics seemed like it should be the perfect foundation for my sensitive skin.

BTW, I really enjoyed reading Jamie’s book, “Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable”, where she shared abut her life, her struggles, and the back story to It Cosmetics. If you like reading founder stories, hers was really good. And I was surprised we actually had more in common than just having rosacea. It’s an interesting read.

Lets dive into my review of It Cosmetics Foundation

My It Cosmetics CC Creams Review 

I purchased 4 foundations -

• I CC Cream Illumination, in Faire
• 1 Your Skin But Better CC Cream, in Faire Beige
• 2 CC Creams 1 Faire light and 1 Light

I also received a bonus zipper pouch with some mini skin care products, but I haven’t tried them yet.

Lets take a look at the first one I tried: The CC Cream Illumination in Fair 

CC Cream Illumination Review

CC CRM ILLM S50 FAIR

Here’s what happened-

• 1st - It was a little lighter coverage than I expected but the color was pretty good
• 2nd - It looked shiny on my skin, which unfortunately, pronounced every bump and line and imperfection 
• 3rd - what was most unfortunate, was that it made my skin feel kind of itchy and I ended up having a couple of welts appear on my cheeks. 

I took a break for a couple of days to let my skin settle down and then I decided to try one of the other full coverage cc creams

It Cosmetics Full Coverage CC Cream Review

Next I tried YSBB CC CRM FAIR BEIGE

Here’s what I thought:

• 1st- I liked the amount of coverage (the full coverage offered) and I did like the color, the light beige was spot on, which surprised me because I wouldn’t have thought a rosy cheeked fair skinned girl would use light beige, but it totally worked! 
• And just so you know, I had used their website color match against Mary Kay 100 Ivory, which is what I’ve used for years. 

• 2nd- The full coverage cc cream went on a little thick. I used a makeup sponge to dot it all over my face and then blot and blend it on. So I did not use the make-up brushes they have on their website, but I have always applied my foundation with these make-up sponges so I just did the same thing with that.
• And it felt kind of thick like that feeling where you want to scrap some off.  I don’t know if it’s because they also have sunscreen in the formulation? But it felt thicker than what I am used to and what I am comfortable with

• The next thing was that the finish was shiny - like I said before, this didn’t do me any favors. It magnified any imperfection and made me feel like I needed to blot my face or use a power, but I also did not want to be putting even more products on my face.  

• Another thing, my hair kept sticking to my face - like it was just tacky enough that any fly away hairs would kind of stick and tickle my face and it drove me absolutely crazy.

• And the last thing was that unfortunately my skin started getting itchy with this as well and I broke out on my cheeks again.

So that was Fail #2 

It Cosmetics CC CREAM US FAIR LIGHT Review-

And you would think I would have stopped there, but after a couple days when my skin cleared up,   I was curious about one of the other CC Creams and how that color would be on me. Maybe I was thinking 3rd time would be a charm…but unfortunately, it was not. 

The other shades had worked for me, but 

• the CC CREAM US FAIR LIGHT was way off and no where near as light or fair as one would expect. 

The other cc cream I purchased I just didn’t use at all because it was even darker than that one and that one was called Light.

• For the Fair light, from the first blot I could tell it was totally not my color, and I should have stopped applying it…but I didn’t, I kept going…and it looked so wrong. 
• My skin has never been that color in my life and it didn’t look natural whatsoever. And no, it also did not match my neck color, which was like ok, if I go to the post office today I need to wear a scarf. Every time I walked by a mirror I had to look at myself and laugh.  Had I just gone on a cruise or am I appearing on broadway with heavy stage make-up? What happened? It was pretty hilarious

• Unfortunately, the color wasn’t the only problem, a little later, my skin started itching and was getting the same break out starting again on my cheeks, so in the end I decided I had to break-up with It Cosmetics.

It Cosmetics is not for my rosacea prone skin

Honestly, I’m so disappointed after all the hype around It Cosmetics being the “It product” so to speak for Rosacea and Sensitive skin types, because it definitely did not work for me. 

And that’s not to say another person with Rosacea and sensitive skin couldn’t find success with these products, but they did not work for me.

I actually may head back to Mary Kay and try their Time Wise foundation and see how my skin does. I tried a little sample of that but the color I got that was supposed to match my Ivory that I had previously used, but the match was so bad - it was really pasty and light, like I looked like a vampire, but the matte finish looked way better on my skin, than the shine of It Cosmetics. So if I try that, I will let you know how that goes.

Does It Cosmetics Take Returns?

And in case you’re wondering, the return process for It Cosmetics was fairly simple. They took a report about my skin’s negative reaction to the products and didn’t ask me to send those back, but I did have to pay for shipping back the one product I didn’t use, which was kind of annoying because it was kind of expensive even to ship one back. So just keep that in mind if you want to try It Cosmetics, you do have to pay for return shipping.

So, although quite unfortunate, that was my experience with It Cosmetics CC Cream foundations. 

If you have Rosacea and had better luck with It Cosmetics, or have a favorite make-up brand for sensitive skin rosacea types that you can share with me, I would love to hear about it. 

If you’re still on the lookout for rosacea or sensitive skin friendly make-up, I shared back in episode 24 10 Tips to Finding the Right Foundation for Rosacea-prone Skin   so you can go listen to that if you want to, and I also share how I happened upon my last 10 tubes of that discontinued Mary kay foundation.

So that’s it for this episode, thanks so much for being here and I’ll see you next time!

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Thank you so much for listening! 

Be sure to subscribe to the Fairface Podcast so you never miss an episode! 

Try the best washcloths and face cloths for rosacea and sensitive skin   fairfacewashcloths.com or fairfacewashcloths.etsy.com. 

Once you try the softness of Fairface Washcloths, you’ll never go back to scratchy old washcloths again. 

See you next time!

My Rosacea Skin Care Routine

Fairface Podcast E30: 

My Rosacea Skin Care Routine

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Listen now or on Apple/Itunes  or other channels here

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*Disclosure: This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Fairface Podcast transcript / show notes

INTRO

Hello and welcome to the first ever Mini Episode of the Fairface Podcast! 

I decided to start adding mini episodes, in addition to our monthly podcast episodes, to give you helpful information you can use RIGHT NOW,

 in more of a GET-RIGHT-TO-THE-POINT style.

I will share answers to many of the common questions I'm asked all the time, like, today's episode,

What is your Rosacea Skin Care Routine?

So, let's get right to the point!

My Rosacea Skin Care Routine Consists of 4 Parts:

1 Cleansing
2 Moisturizing
3 Managing
4 Protecting

[*product links will be provided at the end of the post]

Let's start with Cleansing

1 Washing Rosacea Skin

I wash my face every morning and every night with Vanicream gentle cleanser. This was recommended by my Dermatologist and I haven't gone back to anything else since I started using this several years ago. It's my favorite cleanser and it is gentle for Rosacea, Eczema and many other sensitive skin conditions.

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I also use Fairface soft flannel washcloths to wash my face with and they are so gentle and soothing to my skin.

I use 2 types of Fairface Washcloths, 

At night I use Fairface Dual Washcloths - those are the ones with both a soft flannel side and a terrycloth side. I mainly use the soft flannel side on my face and the terry side only on areas of my face that aren't sensitive, like on the sides of my face up by my hairline, just to make sure I get my make-up and sunscreen off.

In the morning I like to use Fairface Delicate Washcloths - those are the ones with 2 layers of soft flannel. They are very gentle to my skin. 

And it's probably no surprise to you, that Fairface Washcloths are the only washcloths I will use on my face because they are gentle enough for my Rosacea prone skin and they don't irritate or cause redness like every other washcloth I've ever tried does.

In case you missed the last episode, [ Got Sensitive Skin? Stop doing this now. ] you should go back and listen to it, where I talk about why it's so important to take texture out of your sensitive skin care routine. So you might want to go back and listen to that.

To remove eye make-up, 

I love using Fairface Mini soft flannel facial pads. They are really soft on my tender eye area and it's also great because I'm not using and throwing away disposable cotton rounds. The Fairface Mini's are just a small version of the washcloths and they can be used and washed many, many times.

With the flannel facial pads, I use an oil free eye make-up remover like Neutrogena or the Target or Wal-Mart brands. My eyes tolerate all of those really well. 

Now on to Moisturizing

2 Moisturizing Rosacea Skin

My favorite moisturizer is CeraVe moisturizing cream. It's thick and feels really good on my skin. And although it's thick, it doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy. I would say, it feels protected. It seals in the much needed moisture and the Ceramides helps keep my skin barrier healthy. So honestly, hands down my favorite moisturizer.

Next, lets go to Managing my Rosacea

3 Managing Rosacea Skin (aka Treatments for Rosacea)

To manage my Rosacea, I apply Metronidazole gel, prescribed by my dermatologist, after I wash my face and before I apply my moisturizer. 

I asked my Dermatologist last year if I had to keep using this medicated gel on my face and she basically said, treatments for Rosacea are necessary the rest of my life. Because Rosacea isn't something that can be cured, using any kind of medication is like treating and managing any other disorder or disease. 

Of course I have the option of not using this treatment, and honestly, there's nothing wrong with it, I really have had great results with it, but I just wondered, is this something I'm going to have to keep refilling and using the rest of my life, and it turns out that it is.

If I didn't want to use it I don't have to, but we know Rosacea can get worse if it's not treated or managed.

There may be people who are able to manage their Rosacea with diet or other means, but this is what works for me so I keep using it as a part of my skin care routine.  

4 Protect Rosacea Skin

Lastly, to protect my skin, I use Eucerin's Daily SPF 30 on my face every day, rain or shine. 

Dermatologists say it's best to use SPF on your face in addition to your foundation, even if your foundation has SPF in it. 

The reason, is because most people don't apply enough foundation to be sufficient for full SPF coverage to their skin.

A few more Rosacea Skin Care Tips

Before I go, let me quickly run down a few more Rosacea Skin Care Tips with you that have helped me through the years, to keep my skin clean, clear and calm.

• Blot your face dry with a soft, clean cloth and never with the same towel you dry your body off with. Most people keep using their body towels several days during a week and it's just a matter of time before you're transferring bacteria onto your face. So, always use a soft clean cloth to blot your face with after you get out of the shower or wash your face, and you can still use your body towel on your body.

• I also recommend using warm water to wash your face, instead of hot because hot water can cause flushing and drying of your skin.

• Make skin care a priority and always follow your routine

• Use fragrance free detergent on anything that touches your face, like towels, washcloths, and pillow cases, sheets, etc.

• Change your pillow case every other night - I follow the flip rule - I use a clean pillow case night 1, flip it to the other side that is clean, and sleep on that night 2; then I put on a new clean pillow case night 3, I flip it and sleep on the other side 4 and so on until laundry day.

Favorite Pillow Cases for Rosacea

I've mentioned before that my new favorite pillow cases are Fairface Silk-cotton pillow cases

because they are so soft and cooling to my face & gentle to my skin and hair. I love sleeping on these. If you're interested, we still have a few left in our Etsy shop, as of today so you can go check to see what we have in stock.

I've been following this skin care routine and following these tips for many years and it has consistently helped me keep my Rosacea-prone skin to stay clear and to stay calm. And that's what we all want.

Do I still get the occasional breakout? Yes. Do I still have days where I get a few random itchy red spots on my face? Yes.  There are still lots of factors we can't always control, like temperature, or life stress that can make an impact oon our skin. But I always try to stay true to my skin care routine and that has made a huge difference to my skin.

Rosacea Skin Care Products that Work Well for Me

I will link a list of all of these Rosacea skin care products that work so well for me, in the show notes, which will be posted on our blog, FairfaceWashcloths.blogspot.com. [*scroll to the bottom of the post]

You can find all of the products online, and some can be found in most drug stores like Target, Wal-Mart, Rite Aid, Walgreens, or whatever drug stores you have in your area.

Many of our Fairface Washcloths customers also follow this same routine, or a very similar routine. All of these products are well tolerated by Rosacea, Eczema and other Sensitive skin conditions.

And by the way, 

• one of the upcoming Fairface mini episodes I'm going to share is about the best Showering Routine for Sensitive Skin and why the order in which you shower matters, so stay tuned for that.

• We also have a few new videos up on our Fairface Washcloths YouTube channel that you can go check out that may be helpful for you as well. 

Well, that's about it for this mini episode of the Fairface Podcast! I don't know how mini it actually is, I haven't looked to see how long it is, but I wanted to give you some helpful information, right-to-the-point that can you use for your Rosacea or sensitive skin care routine.

I hope this has helped you.

What is your Roacea skin care routine? I would love to know what you're using!

• Leave me a comment below 
• send me a message: FairfaceWashcloths.com/ContactUs 
• message me on Instagram @FairfaceWashcloths

I genuinely would love to hear from you!

Thanks again so much for being here!

I will see you next time!

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SHOP my favorite Rosacea Skin Care Products:

*This list includes some convenient product links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn a small commission on products purchased through my links. Thank you for your support so I can continue bringing you helpful information and product recommendations to help your sensitive skin. 

CLEANSE: 

• Vanicream Gentle Cleanser - https://amzn.to/3Krpy4r 
• Fairface soft flannel Washcloths - https://www.fairfacewashcloths.com/ 
• Fairface soft flannel Washcloths, Mini facial pads & Silk-cotton Pillow cases - https://www.etsy.com/shop/FairfaceWashcloths 
• Neutrogena oil free make-up remover- https://amzn.to/3IfrY4m 

MOISTURIZE: 

• CeraVe Moisturizing Cream - https://amzn.to/3qFtAhZ 

MANAGE: 

• Metronidazole gel, *for your information, by prescription only 

PROTECT: 

• Eucerin Daily SPF 30 - https://amzn.to/3GWNOJT

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Watch our latest Fairface videos on YouTube!

Best Advice for Rosacea and Sensitive skin: Meet Shannon, the Founder of Fairface Washcloths

Hello! I don't often put myself in blog posts or in my social media feed, but I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself. 

I am Shannon Sorensen, the founder and CEO of Fairface, the maker of Fairface Washcloths for sensitive skin.

I thought I'd answer some of the questions I'm asked the most. If there's something you'd like to know, just ask! Find me on Instagram and Facebook @FairfaceWashcloths or you can email me through our website (links at the end).

Thanks for being here!

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? 

I live in the beautiful state of Washington with my wonderful husband, in a little suburb outside Seattle. 

I grew up in this area and migrated back to it because it just feels like home. It rains a lot, but is one of the most beautiful places in the world. From the clean air, to the mountains, oceans, lakes, on eastward to the lush farming country, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. 

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

I wanted a big family, with lots of kiddos around me, but unfortunately we weren't able to have kids, even after going through invitro. But do I love kids? Yes I do! I cherish each of my nieces and nephews and love spending time with them. I spent many years of my life working in schools and even helped manage an after-school program of 125 children and loved being around those kids so much!

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO?

I love photography, riding my bike and spending time outside and exploring- whether it's walking through the woods, sitting by the ocean, getting out on the water, or up in the mountains. I also love watching home renovation and home organizing shows, spending time with my husband and family, and cozying up on the couch with a good movie and bowl of popcorn.

DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR?

I have always had entrepreneurial ambitions, but I certainly didn't know this is where I would be today. I have always loved creating things and even had my own photography business for a while taking photos of people and selling landscape prints and cards, but for the most part, I had traditional jobs. What started as a sewing hobby 10 years ago, morphed into something much bigger and once I started making and sewing my skin care washcloths line, it just went from there.  

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN?

This may surprise you, but I have a Master's Degree in Human Development. My original goal entering graduate school was to eventually open my own counseling practice. While I didn't end up going down that path after grad school, I don't regret one minute of it because what I learned is applicable to my previous jobs, current business, and life in so many ways.

WHAT IS YOUR SKIN-TYPE?

In case you didn't know, I have Rosacea (mild-moderate). I was diagnosed about 11 years ago. I have always had sensitive skin and the Rosacea just bumped it up - a lot! It was because of my Rosacea diagnosis that I created Fairface Washcloths in the first place!

A few of my rosacea skin routine favorites: Vanicream cleanser,
Fairface Washcloths and CeraVe moisturizing cream

WHAT IS YOUR SKIN CARE ROUTINE?

MORNING 

I wash my face with Vanicream Gentle Cleanser and a Delicate Fairface Washcloth. I apply a prescribed topical called metronidazole gel, followed by Vanicream's Lite Lotion or CeraVe's moisturizing cream and Eucerin's Daily SPF 30. I ALWAYS use daily SPF no matter what. Even if I'm just working inside.

EVENING 

I wash my face with Vanicream's Gentle Cleanser, and a Fairface Dual washcloth. After washing and patting dry, I apply my topical medication. Sometimes I use the metronidazole gel morning and night, but right now I'm using Azelaic acid at night. 

Next I slather my face with CeraVe's moisturizing cream. For any excess eye make-up, I use Neutrogena or Target brand oil-free eye makeup remover with a Fairface Dark washcloth or a soft kleenex, and for unwanted bumps I apply a small amount of Paula's Choice BHA 9 as a spot treatment. I want to start incorporating a Vitamin C and retinoid, but am hesitant because I don't know how my skin will tolerate it. That's on my Derm-to-do list! Oh, and I love to use Burt's Bees Beeswax lip balm with Vitamin E & Peppermint Oil on my lips every night.

WHAT KIND OF MAKE-UP DO YOU USE?

I keep my make-up routine pretty simple. I use eye-liner (usually Maybelline) and mascara (usually Loreal) on my eyes, and Mary Kay medium coverage foundation. Unfortunately, this foundation that I love and have been wearing for years was discontinued, so I may branch out and try IT cosmetics when I run out. 

And that's pretty much it. I don't use eye shadow or blush, I already have a little pink showing through my cheeks and that's enough for me!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WITH ROSACEA OR SENSITIVE SKIN?

You are beautiful exactly the way you are.
God doesn't make mistakes.

This could be a blog post all its own, honestly! I've learned so much over the years of what has helped me.

1. I would say, first of all, if you are struggling with your skin, know that you are not alone. 

I know how hard it can be when you are in the middle of it and don't know what to do to make it better. If possible, find a licensed Dermatologist or Esthetician to help you. You can be your best advocate. You don't need to suffer or feel alone. It can make all the difference.

2. I would also recommend reviewing and simplifying your skin care routine and only using GENTLE products. 

Quite often sensitive skin and Rosacea can't tolerate many of the mainstream skin care products that are out there. I know it can be tempting to use cleansers and lotions that smell good, but those are usually the ones that leave your skin irritated. Make sure to check the ingredients in your foundation too, if you wear make-up.

Try skin care products made for sensitive skin like Vanicream Gentle Cleanser and Lite lotion or CeraVe's moisturizing cream. Those are basic and gentle and don't have any irritants in them so it can help your skin to calm down.  

3. I would also recommend getting rid of anything with harsh textures you've been using against your skin. 

Things like electronic brushes, microfiber cloths and even baby washcloths can be irritating to sensitive skin. Just use your fingers or use our smooth, soft face cloths that are made for sensitive skin and don't irritate.

4. Also change your pillow case often (I sleep on a clean side every night). 

It adds a little more laundry, but can help keep your skin more calm and clear. We are coming out with some amazing new Silk-Cotton pillowcases that are a true luxury for your skin and hair. I'll share a link once they are available.

5. And above all, try to love and accept yourself just as you are. 

I know this may sound trite and can be easier said than done, but work on it until you believe it. You are beautiful exactly as you are. God doesn't make mistakes.

See, I told you I could write a blog post just on this question!

If you have any other questions for me, please feel free to reach out through Instagram and Facebook @FairfaceWashcloths or email me through our website. I'd love to connect with you! I always say we have the BEST customers and followers and I truly mean it! 

Thanks again for being here! xo Shannon

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To shop my favorite washcloths for sensitive skin: 

FairfaceWashcloths.com 

or 

FairfaceWashcloths.etsy.com

What it's like to live with Rosacea: Fairface Podcast Episode 3

Fairface Podcast Episode 3: What it's like to live with Rosacea

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Listen now or on Apple/Itunes 

or other channels here

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Fairface Podcast show notes

What it's like to live with Rosacea: My personal journey living with Rosacea from the worst of times to the best of times. I share personal experiences, product recommendations & compassion from someone who “gets it”.

[*Affiliate links have been added for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I receive a small commission for products purchased through those links. We only recommend products we have used ourselves. ]

Hi again and welcome back. Thanks so much for being here, it means a lot to have you join me.

As I was thinking about what to share next on this podcast, I was considering some different topics I could read up on or some skin care tips I could share but the thought kept coming back to me to keep it personal. To share what I know for myself.

So I decided today to share with you what it's like to live with Rosacea. Because it's something I know personally, and I thought maybe it might help you feel less alone if you have Rosacea or if you're dealing with your own sensitive skin issues, that you might feel less alone and can connect with somoene who kind of 'gets it' in my own way.

I shared in the first podcast episode a little about my skin journey and I'll go into it a bit more detail here.

I've always had sensitive skin.

I have fair skin that burns easily and my skin has always been allergic to metals. Like in middle school, I remember getting a rash on my stomach from the back of the metal button closure that held my jeans together.

And back when I was about 12 years old I got my ears pierced and my ear lobes went into total rebellion. I even cleaned the studs like I was supposed to, with the cotton balls and rubbing alcohol, but my ear holes got so infected that at one point my poor little ear lobes were so hard and scabbed all over. Yah, it was gross and painful and awful. So, over time, we tried earrings made of all the purest metals, but finally we concluded that I just could not wear metal earrings in my ears. So, the end. That was the end to that. So I was no stranger to skin sensitivities.

Fast forward a couple of decades beyond that and, I mentioned in my first podcast, that I was diagnosed with mild to moderate Rosacea about 11 years ago, and that was at the time my husband and I were going through Invitro fertilization in hopes of having a baby. So you can imagine what a really stressful and emotional time that already was.

And then on top of the stress and hormone shots and doctors appointments and all of that, my face started acting up - in a way that had never happened before. 

It was so strange - my face would get hot, sometimes it would get hot on just one side of my face and then before long, it would just start to feel itchy and I knew that itchy welts and bumps were just going to start appearing on my face at any minute. And the itching, if you know Rosacea, the itching, just feels so bad you just want to tear your face off sometimes. And I admit, that I shouldn't have, but I would give in sometimes and I would scratch it just a little bit and of course then the irritation would spread and it would make it worse.

I remember once sitting in church and I could feel my face getting hot on one side, and pretty soon I started feeling that awful familiar tickling/itching sensation under my skin. I just wanted to cry. 

So I secretly reached down in my purse to try to grab this little pocket mirror that I seriously carried everywhere now, and tried to angle it so that nobody could see that I'm looking at myself, hello, embarrassing, but "secretly" I was trying to get a glimpse of my face, just praying that I wasn't going to see what I thought was already going to be there - a red welt forming on my face where that itchy spot started. Because that was the cycle for me. My skin would get hot, it would start to get itchy and then red welts would form and then I knew I was doomed.

In my awkward angle, I could see my worst fears becoming a reality, there it was, big old red welt in the middle of church, and I tried to quietly kind of slide out and and get to the bathroom mirror as quick as I could. And I remember standing there looking in the mirror and all I could see was this big red welty spot that was spreading across my fair skin and not only that, but my face felt so hot on that side that I swear that it started looking purple. And I kept feeling my hand against my face. Is it really hot or am I just making this up? Does it really look purple? Can I cover it up with concealer? Will people be able to tell? Is someone going to come in the bathroom while I'm having a moment? Uh, it was so awful. And honestly sometimes I would leave church early because I was embarrased and I just knew, in my head, that everyone could tell my face was awkwardly red on one side or that the giant welt on my cheek that I had caked extra covered up on was as blaringly obvious as I thought it was.

I tried everything I could think of. I tried to drink more water. I took Ibuprophen. I wondered if it was food allergies?

But because of all this distress, I became hyper aware of my skin. So I would carry that small mirror in my purse and an extra one in my jacket pocket. I carried extra make-up coverup and a make-up sponge just in case. If my hair brushed against my cheek and tickled it, I would immediately need to look in the mirror and see if another red welt was forming. If a room was too warm and my face started flushing I would feel hyper that my face was going to start to itch and break out. It made me afraid of going to events with people for fear my face would act up and I wouldn't be able to hide it or fix it and I would be humiliated.

I just became hyper aware and hyper fixated on my skin which lead to feeling insecure and feeling that people were judging me. It's just such a vicious cycle.

And then at night I would try to scrub my face to get it clean thinking that if I scrubbed harder that it would, "get off the bacteria" or whatever was happening to my face, so looking back it was just really hard.

So at this point you can imagine that I was pretty desparate to figure out what was going on with my skin and so as I tried to find a Dermatologist (because I'd never been to one and at the time I was in my early 30's), but of course I also turned to Dr. Google (yah, who doesn't, right?) and after typing in my symptoms, it became pretty obvious I had Rosacea but I wanted to make sure to get into the Dermatologist.

So by the time I got in to see him, I wasn't suprised to hear that I did have mild to moderate Rosacea and he prescribed me Metro Gel to clear up my skin. Which, if you don't know what that is it's like a low dose antibiotic topical gel, and this was awesome because it totally worked for me, and it was able to take the itch away and the redness and the itchy bumps and it cleared it up...I don't remember how long it took, it didn't seem to take that long though for me to tell my skin was calming down so that was great. But as I mentioned in the first episode, it was a kick in the shorts because even with our insurance, just that one tube of medicine cost $85.00, which at the time was a huge unexpected expense, with all of the other invitro expenses.

Now I had a diagnosis, and I had a topical medication, but he hadn't told me how to take care of my skin, really, once I walked out of his office. So I knew that my routine had to change and the products that I used had to change, but I was pretty much left on my own to figure that out. 

But sometimes, as they say, the best ideas come out of necessity and hardship and that's exactly what happened to me. Little did I know that I was in the beginning steps of creating the first Fairface Washcloths - with soft fabrics to ease my own skin's irriration and finally calm my skin down. And have something gentle enough that I could wash my face with that didn't just keep re-irritating my skin.

I think the first cleanser I found, over the counter, was the Rosacea...I think it was Eucerin Redness Relief, the one that has the gel that has licorice extract in it - it's a really cool gel, that cools your face. Anyway, I really loved it at the time. And I'm not sure which brand of moisturizer I started using, I'm guessing it may have also been Eucerin because I also used (and still use) Eucerin's Daily SPF 30 on my face.

Today my skin is doing amazingly well and it's clear the majority of the time, unless I drink pop - which pop, for me, is a total Rosacea trigger. I can count on having an itchy flare just really soon after drinking it - and, you know, sometimes I can't help myself, that Henry Weinhard's Root Beer or cream soda - those are my favorite, so sometimes I have a hard time turning that down but really I try not to drink pop very often for that reason. I also find if I take a nap and with my make-up on, after I wake up, my skin will start getting itchy and throw a bit of a fit, but for the most part if I stick to my skin care routine I have found that I really don't have problems with my skin, my Rosacea does not flare and it feels really good to have that consistency and reliability.

I keep my skin care routine pretty simple. You might know that I love Vanicream products - these were first recommended from a Dermatologist that I started seeing several years ago. I use Vanicream's gentle cleanser to wash my face, along with one of the soft Fairface Washcloths and I moisturize with Vanicream's lite lotion, and I do still use the Metro gel (the generic version of that) and my go-to sunscreen is Eucerin's Daily SPF 30, that I wear on my face every day.

There's also a few other products I like to use more on an as needed basis. I really like the Sarna Sensitive lotion (you have to make sure to get the sensitive version of that lotion or the regular Sarna lotion smells pretty medicated) but the Sarna Sensitive Lotion is a nice light lotion that is cooling on my skin and it's good for itchy skin. I also, on occasion, use Neutrogena's 2% acne spot treatment and Paula's Choice BHA9 for unwanted bumps. Neutrogena's oil free eye makeup remover, is one that I use every night just to take my mascara an eye liner off my eyes.

Now even though my skincare routine is pretty simple, I still consider myself having high maintenance skin. I'm not the girl who can just roll out of bed, throw on a baseball hat and head out for breakfast. 

When my family gets together in the summer we love to go to small town garage sales and my 25-year-old neice can just roll out of bed, pop on a cowgirl hat and be on her way, looking gorgeous. She is the epitomy of #Iwokeuplikethis and she looks amazing. My version of #Iwokeuplikethis would have a wide-eyed emoji next to it that said, "no kidding". I don't look anywhere as good as she does. Not even close.

Sometimes it feels heavy that I have to pay so much attention to my skin and I can't just roll out of bed and look the way I want to look and not worry about having to wash my face, put on my topical meds, or get my moisturizer on and my sunscreen on and make-up on before I feel like I can go out and face people comfortably. But the truth is, I do have to take extra time to get ready - the facial redness and small broken capillaries on my cheeks from the Rosacea, do make me feel self-conscious and so I really don't feel comfortable going out without makeup on. 

You know, another thing is, I have to be aware of the conditions I'll be in - will it be hot, will it be cold, will I have access to water, or shade or covered areas, will there be trigger foods served wherever I'm going, what is my emotional state (because getting flushed can cause flares for me).

I have to be prepared - you know, I have to consider how much time that I'll need to get ready in the morning or at night, and then determine how early do I have to get up, how do I need to dress - do I need to dress in layers so I don't overheat or get flushed, or do I need a scarf, or a hat, extra sunscreen, extra water?

I have to plan to have extra necessities sometimes, like when we travel, I do bring a set of my special Fairface washcloths for my face, I bring extra drying cloths, and I bring extra pillow cases - and I just have to say I really love Fisher's Finery silk pillow cases. Those are some of my favorites. 

It can feel a little much at times, but it all comes down to the way we look at it, you know I just think attitude has everything to do with this. And I'm really lucky that I have found the products and skin care routines that have helped my skin and have kept it calm and clear, so if it takes this kind of special care, and time and attention then I just think it's worth it.

Well, that's all for this episode. I hope my honesty about my struggles with Rosacea have helped you. The journey I had going from really, the worst of times, to finding a successful way to manage and live with my Rosacea without problems. If you have any questions about anything that I've talked about or any of the products that I've used, please feel free to reach out to me. I'm pretty much an open book, so I'm happy to answer any questions you have. Thanks again so much for being here.

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Thanks so much for reading the show notes for this episode of the Fairface Podcast! Please let us know what you think. Do you have any good product recommendations you'd like to share? Please let us know in the comments below.

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To shop our soft washcloths for Rosacea and sensitive skin go our FairfaceWashcloths website or Fairface Washcloths Etsy Shop.