How To Improve Rosacea
Here we are going to focus on sensitive skin, and in particular, a skin condition close to my heart, (because I have it!!) - Rosacea.
Rosacea is a skin condition that affects 1 in 20 people in the UK alone. It is a frustrating and often mis-understood skin condition that can cause real embarrassment and self-consciousness because it’s incredibly difficult to hide.
Most often apparent between the ages of 30 and 50, sensitivity and Rosacea most commonly affects the cheeks and nose area creating a butterfly shape on the face, but it can also be present on the forehead and chin.
Part of the problem when treating Rosacea is that the root cause of this skin condition is not yet certain. Having said that the main theories are:
- Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) which leads to sensitive skin and dehydration.
- Free Radical Damage where pollutants and ultra violet radiation produce free radicals which cause skin to weaken and become dull.
- Bacteria Management where Demodex Mites and bacteria aggravate rosacea and sensitive skin.
If we knew the root cause then perhaps we could find a “cure” but as we don’t know for sure we can focus on managing the symptoms. These symptoms can present as per the image below:
What we do know is if the skin is sensitive or damaged, it can’t defend itself from common irritants such as the sun, wind, pollution etc. So, when sensitised skin comes into contact with these things (an everyday occurrence!) the body reacts.
It sends oxygen (via blood) to the triggered areas as a defence mechanism.
The problem is, that this rush of blood to the irritated area also causes heat, redness and inflammation. The skin flushes. It goes red. It swells and feels hot. You look like you are blushing.
And to add insult to injury, when this flushing reaction occurs regularly over time, the blood vessels in the skin become more and more dilated! This leads to thread veins (telangiectasias) and more permanent redness.
In turn, this causes the skin to be even more readily triggered and irritated. Symptoms worsen and worsen over time, leading to chronic redness and intermittent “flare-ups”
So now we know what is happening during irritation and flare-ups, what can we do about it??
The first thing to do is PROTECT.
We need to protect the barrier function of the skin and avoid Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL):
The Hydrolipidic Barrier stops the good stuff in our skin from leaving, and prevents irritants from entering. It maintains a healthy barrier function.
You may have heard your beauty therapist talk about your “skin’s barrier function” in the salon.
Glycosaminoglycans (that took me a long time to spell!!) maintain hydration and contribute to the hydrolipidic barrier, giving your skin the protection it needs against TEWL (that’s Trans Epidermal Water Loss).
You’ll also need sunscreen but you know all about that from my previous emails.
Next, we need to HEAL.
Hinokitiol and Piperonyl Glucose help to reduce the appearance of chronic redness and manage bacteria too. Hinokitiol destroys entire bacterial cells which means that the bacteria cannot evolve or develop a resistance.
Ever used a product that you absolutely loved? Then it just suddenly stopped doing anything for you? Doesn’t happen with these ingredients. Immediate impact, long-term results.
Finally, we need to STRENGTHEN.
L’ascorbic acid, Vitamin C, helps to boose the skin’s resilience and defend against daily aggressors. Whilst niacinamide helps to strengthen the Hydrolipidic Barrier mentioned above.
So, in summary, if you are struggling with sensitive, sensitised or Rosacea prone skin, your three steps are Protect, Heal and Strengthen. Team RITUAL can design a bespoke treatment to help with your sensitive skin which will soothe, hydrate and strengthen whilst improving skin texture and tone.