My Favorite Beauty Products For Rosacea

Lately, I've been getting a lot of compliments on my skin...which makes me very happy. I have struggled with controlling my rosacea which I've had for a little over 15 years. My dermatologist told me that I likely developed the condition during my pregnancy and while rosacea isn't curable, it is treatable. Since that time, I've been hyperaware of my skin condition and have diligently worked to keep it under control. I've tried both oral and topical prescription and over-the-counter medications and many different beauty products.

50% of the way my skin looks is about what I eat. The other 50% is about how I take care of my skin. In the end, I have found that altering my diet and using a combination of beauty products that help mask redness have been a successful combination.

0

Break Up With Your Makeup and Win a Trip to LA to See the Emmys!

Disclosure: I’m participating in the Break Up with Your Makeup Blogger Contest Sponsored by Galderma Laboratories, L.P. 

I was diagnosed with rosacea 11 years ago, just one year after having my first child. Since that time, I have tried several prescription and over the counter medications, but nothing has seemed to help ease the redness.

From oral medications to topical ones, I've tried everything. I've spent countless dollars on makeup, mainly concealers, that I use to mask the redness. But by the end of the day, the makeup wears off and I am left with red cheeks and a rosy nose.

Rosacea often affects my self confidence and makes me painfully aware of the redness. I see other women my age with porcelain skin, and I am, undoubtedly, envious.

I was excited to recently learn that Mirvaso, the only FDA-approved treatment for the persistent redness of rosacea, is hosting a sweepstakes to raise awareness of the treatment, encouraging people to Break Up with Your Makeup.  Mirvaso works fast, providing same-day results that last up to 12 hours before the redness returns, leaving users red-carpet ready!

I am looking forward to working with my dermatologist to test out Mirvaso on my own rosacea. I've tried to head off triggers. I've even tried a gluten-free diet to see if that helped ease my redness. But so far, I've had no luck with any proposed remedies.

If you have rosacea or know someone who does, you can get more information about Mirvaso, and you can enter to win a trip to the Emmys in Los Angeles. The Emmys!!! Oh, how I'd love a trip to LA to see the Emmy Awards!!

0

My Adventures in Gluten-Free Eating

If you've been hanging around this little ol' blog for some time, you are well aware of my constant struggle with rosacea.

Since being diagnosed almost 10 years ago, I've tried everything to ease the redness. Prescription meds, OTC creams, cleansers, gels. You name it. I've tried it.

I've kept detailed food and beauty journals, chronicling everything from what I ate and drank to what products I applied to my face. I've eliminated common triggers such as spicy foods, red wine, tomato sauce, and caffeine.

I've followed all the advice of my dermatologist, but to no avail. Ten years later, and my redness is still prevalent. It's incredibly frustrating still having to deal with this after 10 years of putting so much effort into trying to control it.

Finally, I decided to take matters into my own hands and do some research on my own. I scoured the Internet for everything I could find about a possible link between gluten and rosacea. I discovered that gluten is often a culprit for aggravating rosacea and causing flareups. While there isn't much scientific proof to back this up, there have been plenty of people who have eliminated gluten from their diets and have had success with calming and controlling their rosacea.

It has never been easier to eliminate gluten from our diets. Many restaurants cater to the gluten-free population, and there's a wide variety of gluten-free products available that are suitable substitutes for their gluten counterparts.

I decided to do a gluten-free eating experiment. I am going gluten-free for 2-3 weeks to see if it makes any difference in my face. I have read that protein in gluten can linger in your body for months after you've gone gluten-free. I'm not sure how much of a difference 2-3 weeks will make, but I'm willing to give it a try.

I've been gluten-free for 5 days now. And I must say that apart from my face, I am feeling better in other ways that I hadn't expected. My stomach is flatter, and I don't feel bloated after every meal. I don't get that "stuffed" feeling after I eat. And since I haven't invested any money in gluten-free foods such as cookies or pretzels, I haven't been snacking as much. I've been eating veggies, fruits, meats, and nuts at every meal. I feel lighter. I know that sounds ridiculous, but to those who are gluten-free, it makes complete sense.

We went out to dinner on Friday night, and I felt great when I got up from the table to leave. Meanwhile, everyone else in the family was complaining about how stuffed they were. Hmm. Could it have been all the pre-dinner bread that they ate and the pizza that followed it? Quite possibly.

I don't know if I will find this diet to be helpful to my rosacea, but I do know that I like the way that I am feeling and am anxious to see how I feel and how my face looks at the end of the 3 weeks.

Stay tuned for progress reports.

0