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Rosacea: Playing Jokes on the Eco Beauty Girl
I am so tired of having rosacea. My morning beauty routine is always the same:
- Stare into mirror with optimism, because my face is still pale from sleep.
- Watch with horror as my cheeks and nose redden.
- Run my fingers over my face, which is covered in pimple-like bumps.
- Grumble, because if they were pimples I could destroy them with tea tree oil and acidic masks.
- Apply very little makeup to avoid burning, itching and redness.
- Get frustrated because I can still feel those bumps and it’s like I have invisible zits everywhere okay?!
My evening routine is no better.
- Remove clothes for naked self-cleaning time; wash, shave, etc.
- Try yet another natural face wash that someone “swears by.”
- Notice absolutely zero difference in my skin.
- Take fish oil, Vitamin E and various other supplements, which provides relief from sensitivity, but does nothing for the way my skin looks.
Repeat.
Since I began Awakened Aesthetic – over a year ago – I have tried six or seven different natural cleansers, soaps, and face wash “systems” in an attempt to get the same clear skin I had when I used a chemical prescription my dermatologist prescribed. Not one has worked.*
So, so pink.
Yeah, I could go back to the prescription stuff, but even if I ignore the cost of seeing a dermatologist (with or without insurance), the fact of the matter is that chemical prescriptions are made of…chemicals. There’s nothing environmentally friendly about them, and it seems to me that the girl who is living more and more eco-friendly each day should be able to find a face wash that’s eco-god-damned-friendly.
Speaking of the gods, it’s like the they said, “Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if we gave the Eco Fashion Girl an irritating skin condition that can only be treated with chemicals?”
“DUDE, that would be HILARIOUS! Let’s do it!”
Dear fashion gods: it’s so. not. hilarious.
But, as always, I’m going to press forward, and keep trying. I just started using a sample of yet another cleanser that so-and-so swears by. It hasn’t made a difference yet, but I’m going to give it at least a week. (I don’t have more than that to sample, and I’m not spending $50 on a product that “might work.”) And then? I’ll try another. And another. Until I find one.
Stupid rosacea.
What’s the one thing that’s hardest for you to make eco-friendly?
Are there any products you’ll never turn away from, no matter how many chemicals are in them?
*I know: “worked” is relative. What I mean is this: the cleansers I’ve tried don’t clear up my rosacea long-term (read: more than a week).
Tags: face, face wash, natural beauty products, redness, rosacea, skin, skin conditions, soap
I have had rosacea for years and have also been frustrated by products that other people swear by.
Currently, I’m using Mario Badescu and LUSH products (don’t know if you’ve tried them). Mario Badescu offers a number of samples and you can find them at Blue Mercury too. I use the enzyme cleanser and the control cream from Mario Badescu and ultrabland from LUSH. I think you have to give any product at least two weeks to see if it works or not.
I also, just recently, realized that I cannot eat yogurt at all without having a bad reaction on my face. Really annoying!!
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Rosacea: Playing Jokes on the Eco Beauty Girl http://ow.ly/1qx6HP
$50 for a face wash! Maybe I’m cheap…….?
It must be really hard to try to control rosacea without a presreciption. I hope you find something that works for you and doesn’t cost ridiculous amounts of money…
Good to hear your personal, strong voice. I’m sorry you’re having this problem. What diet and nutrition approaches have you tried? I don’t know anything about them, but might be worth checking out. Rachel Avalon worked with me on some mood issues and was very helpful.
What’s the hardest thing for me to go green on? I hate to say it, but I can’t get out of the car.I know it’s the worst, right? But we live in the country, which is good for my kids, but we have to drive to get ANywhere. I had a veggie-oil Mercedes for a while, but it didn’t run great and nobody knew how to fix it. Sad….
.-= Elea Carey´s last blog ..Five Ways to Look Good in the Mud =-.
Have you made a list of possible triggers? Im sure you have.
I think a combination of things is the only way to rid it.
Well I would try topically Burt’s Bees Marshmallow Vanishing Cream. It’s the only thing that has really worked for me.
Also I would get a metal tea strainer and go to New Leaf or wherever you can buy loose herbs and make a tea. I would use a mix of Licorice (maybe a tablespoon) and White Willow Bark (less, half a tablespoon, white willow bark shouldn’t be consumed in large amounts) and some Peppermint for flavor. Replace the White Willow Bark for a thumb sized amount of ground ginger when you have a cold!
Also I would avoid things with caffeine and alcohol. Do you ever get red faced when you drink? It might be hard for your body to metabolize the alcohol. People with this problem should not drink.
Kombucha will give you a little buzz and has great health benefits.
You might also want to try strengthening your skin by taking a multi-vitamin A,E, and vitamin C to help boost collagen production. Also I heard tomato paste eaten daily had dramatic effects in building collagen.
Try to get on a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed before 11 is supposed to be most in synch with our circadian rhythms.
Also I know that candida build up has lots of nasty side affects. It is the build up of yeast from certain foods we eat (you might have already known that). “Candida is nearly an epidemic in our society and is responsible for many of the chronic illness categories we see so frequently. Candida symptoms are vast and all encompassing and can even incapacitate the individual.” holistic help/candida. I tried to put a link hope it works. It says to avoid sugars because they feed on it but a plus side of avoiding sugar is that sugar is a major inflammatory so its good to avoid that if you have rosacea anyways. Try natural sweeteners like raw honey. href=”http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/sugar_the_sweet_assassin>article on sugar
I think with a holistic approach to your problem your rosacea will be controllable.
And to Elea about the car thing. I just saw Daryl Hannah on a local CTV program talking about an alcohol converter for your car. It’s only 50 dollars and very small. She put it on her Kill Bill car. There are stations that sell alcohol. You should look into it. Apparently its very inexpensive. We should all do it. I would if I had a car!
I wouldn´t concentrate so much on the topical solutions, but take a good look at what you´re etaing. Most of skin problems are truggered by food. You might have a diary allergy, for example. Or it might be something else. Like gluten allergy.
You might try keeping a food journal and see what happens when you minimise diary or gluten.
I´ve also read that Rosacea is triggered by a diet that is too acidic:
http://www.energiseforlife.com/wordpress/2006/04/30/the-alkaline-diet-and-rosacea/
Remember thought that a lot of acidic fruits aren´t acidic anymore once digested, so Google acidic & alkaline food charts.
.-= Eternal*Voyageur @ Venusian*Glow´s last blog ..Gommage-style Non-Abrasive Exfoliation =-.
Oh Honey!!!! Please do me a huge favor and try Image Skincare’s Vital C line. I use it in my practice and have literally cleared up the reddiness. It is paraban free and all the ingredients are high pharmaceutical grade. You can find Image Skincare at spas, medi spas, dermatologist and physician offices. Please feel free to check out the website and they can lead you in the right direction in your area of who carries it. They also have a lightening serum that truly helps with the inflammation and evens the skin tone out. Good luck!…imageskincare.com. I hope that helps. My clients RAVE about these products!
You really had a bad experience. Try using another cleanser. The one that you are always using maybe doesn’t fit the needs of your skin. There are a lot of cleansers and/or facial creams that may help you solve the problem. Good luck!
riza @ collagen face mask´s last [type] ..Get Rid of Noticeable Signs of Aging with a Collagen Face Mask
I agree with Eternal*Voyageur. You should consider your diet as the possible culprit. You would be amazed at what a simple diet change can make.
It’s one big hilarious thing but you have left with no choice but to do something and improved the way you look and the way you carry yourself despite of all those blemish and acne. Life must go on and that’s how we live it.:)
Jenny´s last [type] ..acne rosacea causes