Guess what, I have Rosacea!

After recently discovering that I have Rosacea, I felt compelled to write about it, sharing what I learnt with others suffering from this same condition.

The Diagnosis

After weeks of experiencing dry, itchy, red and irritated skin on my face I visisted a Doctor. I wanted to find out why all of a sudden, rashes on either side of my nose and forehead started to appear on my face.

The Doctor asked me if it felt worse after I sweated or had a hot shower, to which I replied yes, especially after a hot shower which made it flare up. I also explained how I experienced the same reactions after a workout.

Having a pale complexion means any type of redness on my face is very noticeable. The Doctor explained that Rosacea was a result of the tiny glands underneath the surface of the skin not functioning properly. These glands are designed to release sweat and heat from the body and when they don’t work, the skin above the glands appear red and irritated. In worst cases small skin sores and boils can appear on the surface of the skin. This is a very basic explanation, and the symptoms can differ from female to males.

There is no cure; however for serious cases you can treat it orally with prescription medication. From what I understand, the trick to treating Rosacea is making sure you manage it. This means no direct sun exposure, no hot water directly on the face, avoiding really hot drinks and spicy foods.

You might also need to go through and clean out your makeup and skincare products that may trigger outbreaks. For me things such as fragrances and products with added oils made my flare ups a lot worse.

Makeup for Rosecea

I’ve always used mineral based makeups because they seem to be most natural and gentle to use for people who suffer from skin conditions. However one product I did need was something to help cover up my flare ups and the last thing I wanted to use was a creamy concealer that felt like I was literally applying a cream coloured paint to my face. How is that supposed to hide any imperfection in a natural and flawless way?

After doing some online research and reading some reviews, I decided to visit a Clinique counter to try their Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Press Powder for $65. This pressed powder is also available as a loose powder, but because I already have a loose powder there was no point buying another loose powder. I also felt that Clinique’s pressed powder covered the redness better than a loose powder.

Despite the (slightly) hefty price tag, this pressed powder is good value for money as it will last for a long time compared with other press powders.

At first, I was thinking, how is this pastel yellow coloured compact powder going to work exactly for me? But when the shop assistant applied it on my irritated skin it was amazing how well it covered it up in a natural way. It felt really smooth on the skin and not cakey at all; I love it and use this powder everyday under or over my mineral foundation. The powder lasts all day long without the need for touch ups.

Check out the skincare products I also purchased from Clinique for my rosacea that I use daily.

Please check out my other skincare posts below:

• My Summer Skincare Routine
• Types of Sunscreen I use
• Another post about Rosacea
• Why facials are important