Rosacea — what helps and what doesn’t

Rosacea is not simply a skin condition that makes you flush red.

It can…

• Burn.
• Cause discomfort.
• Exacerbate insecurities.
• Lead to some seriously sore acne.
• And trigger depression or anxiety.

Not to mention be a precursor, or sign of some serious gut issues!

Point being, for those who experience rosacea — whether in a mild or more severe form, it can be quite debilitating.

I’ve personally experienced this suffering, from mild stages to its most severe, which is why I want to share with you some of the steps you can take to reduce rosacea. Plus, some things to be aware of so you don’t make it worse!

What I’m not going to share, are some more obvious steps. Ones to try in the beginning to reduce rosacea — because most of you get that — such as removing gluten, sugar, alcohol, and dairy. If you haven’t done that yet, try it. But if you’ve so consistently for a month or more, you may want to read on.

Because today we’ll WAY go beyond that.

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WARNING: there are some graphic skin photos in this post.

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Know that I speak from experience and from a very extreme place. In late October 2016, I was diagnosed with a “severe and rare form of rosacea” called Rosacea Fulminan (RPOB). Sounds weird and it’s hard to remember.

Before I delve into the steps I want to share an important message and belief of mine that I think helped me heal despite my extreme condition and sub-optimal prognosis…

This is the first time I’ve mentioned my diagnosis (or one of them), because I don’t believe in attaching to it, and I never have.

I think it’s dangerous to identify with an illness or attach to it, because it makes it harder to let go of it, to heal it,  because then the prognosis becomes your fate.

What I do believe in, is finding solutions and healing the cause. So if your diagnosis has helped you do that, great. Though it’s important to be aware of when it no longer serves you.

 

Now for three advanced steps to reduce rosacea:

1. Aid the stomach

Do you flush predominantly on your cheeks?

If you do, this is a sign that your rosacea is (largely) to do with your stomach. Specifically, low stomach acid. A trend that has shown up time-and-time-again! For me, and the many women I’ve connected with over the years.

 

Steps to heal the stomach and reduce rosacea redness include…  

ACV in water

Take a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in water half an hour before each meal

ACV will help to balance the pH so there is enough stomach acid to properly break down your food, but not too acidic that it will kill off the enzymes used to properly break down different elements of the food for absorption.

Digestive enzymes

If ACV in water is not enough, or practical for you to take before every meal, digestive enzymes are a great short-term solution.

Whilst taking enzymes make sure to eat foods that are good for the stomach such as watermelon or papaya.

Watermelon

But how much is too much? See here.

Watermelon is great because it’s mostly water, is high in enzymes and vitamin C, which is essential for the body to heal, and speeds up the healing process.

 

2. Make sure you don’t have SIBO!

One study of 42 patients showed 100% of patients with acne rosacea tested positive for SIBO.

SIBO is short for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and was the bane of my existence for a few painful months.

I would suggest getting tested to see what type of SIBO (bacterial predominance) you have, or at the very least move forward with an antimicrobial protocol…

Antimicrobials

Using antimicrobials is an important step. Some people are sensitive to essential oils — such as oregano — and may want to get a tincture made up by a naturopath.

I tried both conventional antibiotics such as Refaximin (which has as little as 40% efficacy), herbal antimicrobials (which show higher efficacy in many studies) and tinctures. Unfortunately for me, because I made a BIG mistake (which I’ll share in the next paragraph) the only thing that ended up working for me was a water fast. Note: an extended water fast can be dangerous without specific knowledge and supervision.

ONLY consume soil-based probiotics.

Here comes the big mistake…

I’m serious, probiotics and SIBO can have serious consequences. Studies may say that everyone reacts differently, that some people react badly to probiotics because they can feed the overgrowth of bad bacteria, whilst other studies show probiotics used in the treatment of SIBO proved beneficial.

But I say, to have any old probiotic is not worth the risk!

Why? I was told to consume probiotics and a lot of them,  but they weren’t soil-based, and within three days I went from this…

 

To this…

I had come so far in my recovery by this stage, to relapse this hard was very traumatic for me, that I contemplated ending my existence… and cost me years of healing time. The bacteria spread so far and wide it destroyed so much of my digestive system (among other things), not to mention made me look like a monster! My face was completely blown out and was in extreme pain.

PLEASE, don’t make the same mistake I made. Choose soil-based probiotic, just in case!

This is the one I use.

 

3. Support digestion and reduce inflammation.

Get off the grains.

Grains are incredibly hard to break down and digest. Alternatives include quinoa and buckwheat. However, if they still cause sensitivities or flare-ups then listen to your body and let those go.

Eat foods high in digestive enzymes 

Such as pineapple, papaya, and most high-water content fruits.

Colonics

What are they? Do your own research 😉

I’ve done a few and they’re immediately impactful, but only in the short-term. If you don’t change your day-to-day habits, it’ll just come back. If you use colonics as a starting point to change your habits it can create beautiful, long-term improvements. I often use them whilst fasting.

 

Rapid and very advanced healing of the skin, gut, and overall digestive health.

1. Aloe Vera. [only if you don’t have SIBO]
2. Juicing — for more on this see here. [only if you don’t have SIBO]
3. L-glutamine — an amino acid that plays an important role in muscle regeneration and healing the gut lining.
4. Meditation — there has been some research showing that a regular meditation practice can reduce inflammation, and has personally helped calm my own skin and mind.

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I know that’s a lot, but not everything needs to be implemented at once! Hopefully, it’s given you some insight on what to do and what not to do. Or at least a starting point for more research, and to direct you on your path to healing.

If you have something that’s helped your rosacea, I’d love to know in the comments below!

xx Jess

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For other tips on reducing redness and creating a clear completion check out 5 skin and gut routines, I can’t do without.