Winter is a particularly difficult season for people with rosacea. In this article, we will explain to you how to take care of your skin from both a cosmetic and naturopathic point of view for a global approach.

It is therefore in pairs that we co-wrote this article, on the one hand with Karine Seigneurie Naturopath who shares with you her recommendations to support your skin with a holistic lifestyle approach and on the other hand with Odénium for the cosmetic care part.

ROSACEA IN A FEW WORDS.

Skin prone to rosacea is by definition of skins hyper-sensitive And hyper-reactive.

If at the rosacea stage, the skin of the face presents more or less permanent redness on the cheeks and nose, it often progresses over time to rosacea (visible blood vessels) and/or rosacea acne (pustules similar to acne) with, in the rarest cases, a change in the texture of the skin, thicker (phymatous rosacea). It is generally accompanied by dryness, discomfort, burning sensations in the face but also in the eyes.

Symptoms can be very different from one person to another.

Rosacea is a chronic disease that unfortunately has no definitive treatment. This does not mean, however, that nothing should be done. On the contrary, It is essential to provide the skin prone to rosacea with the greatest care to contain its progression and limit its effects.. It is entirely possible to live well with rosacea.

WHY DOES THE SKIN RED IN WINTER?

More aggressive climatic conditions (intense cold and wind), reduced air humidity, significant temperature variations between the outside and our overheated interiors are all factors that sensitize the skin and accentuate the symptoms of rosacea.

Our blood microcirculation is disrupted; blood vessels, which are particularly sensitive to temperature variations, see their efficiency and tone decrease and dilate, which leads to the appearance of redness.

And yes, rosacea is above all a disease linked to a deficiency of blood capillaries.

Negative temperatures and reduced humidity in the outside air alter our hydrolipidic film (protective layer of the skin) and promote skin dehydration, also causing redness and feelings of tightness.

The solution ? Strengthen blood capillaries, deeply nourish the skin and protect your skin from the cold.

DEEPLY MOISTURIZE YOUR SKIN.

We can never say it enough, but hydration of the skin comes first and foremost from the water we drink.. It is this which “inflates” our cells in the dermis (“deep part”) and the stratum corneum (“outer part of the skin”), ensuring a luminous complexion and supple, comfortable and soft skin.

“Moisturizing” cosmetic treatments can help slow down water loss in the stratum corneum, but they do not replace the essential action of drinking in sufficient quantities! This is why it is important to drink regularly and sufficiently.

Choose drinks (water, tea, herbal tea) that are neither too cold nor too hot to avoid significant vasodilation of the blood capillaries.
Be aware that water-rich fruits and vegetables also help provide internal water. We recommend drinking at least 1.5 liters per day.

CHOOSE A CARE ROUTINE THAT PRESERVES THE HYDROLIPID FILM AND THE SKIN MICROBIOTA.

Have a healthy skin means have a hydrolipidic film (external protective layer that covers the stratum corneum) et a skin microbiota (microbial flora essential to our skin) well balanced to fight against external aggression.

The quality of our hydrolipidic film, based on a good dosage of its oily phase (sebum and cellular lipids) and aqueous phase (water and sweat), the quality of our skin microbiota will depend made up of good bacteria, yeasts, fungi.

Intimately linked, they help to maintain the skin pH at around 5.5, i.e. slightly acidic, to combat the uncontrolled development of certain micro-organisms, irritating substances, allergens, etc.

Poorly adapted skincare routines, multiple cleansing trends, excessively frequent desquamating peels and scrubs risk, in the long term, disrupting the acidic pH balance, and consequently weakening the barrier function of the skin and causing problems where none existed.

Skin prone to rosacea is the first to be affected by these routines that are too “abrasive” for the skin.. Their hydrolipidic film and skin microbiota are unbalanced and require opting for a skincare routine that will tend to strengthen the hydrolipidic film and rebalance the pH of the skin to contain inflammation.

Likewise, they need constant care, regularity is the key word, and stable routines. Nothing is worse than constantly alternating between different cosmetic treatments, it destabilizes the skin microbiota. The skin takes on average 28 days to renew itself and fully integrate the benefits of the treatment you apply regularly.

We therefore choose very gentle treatments whose composition is close to that of human sebum and we integrate into our routine a treatment rich in natural active molecules.

The objective is to limit the progression of rosacea towards more serious stages, thicken and strengthen the wall of blood capillaries, reduce the intensity of diffuse redness and inflammation (pimples).

The CR serum is formulated in this sense with its 3 key ingredients:

✨ MORNING skincare routine

Clean your face with floral water to wake up the skin and rebalance its pH while providing it with the benefits of the molecules of the plant from which it comes.

We apply a serum and/or a balm to strengthen, soothe, nourish and protect the skin (2 to 3 drops of serum in the equivalent of a 10 cent of balm.

✨ EVENING skincare routine

Clean and remove makeup from your face with cleansing oil to preserve the hydrolipidic film. Take the opportunity to massage your face to relax the muscles and boost collagen production.

We rebalance the pH of the skin

We apply a serum... if there is ever a time to not skip it, this is it!

You can add a little balm to promote skin regeneration.

✨ Gently exfoliate your skin!

Once a month, you can apply a mask ofpink or white clay.

Clay contains trace elements and mineral salts that are beneficial for the skin. Depending on the clay chosen, and depending on its composition, it will have soothing, purifying, cleansing properties, etc. Know that whatever clay you choose, it will have exfoliating power to remove dead cells, impurities and toxins accumulated on the skin, to restore radiance to the complexion.

Clay is an exfoliant that gently cleanses the skin. It is therefore ideal for skin prone to rosacea which should not strip its epidermis.

Important note, the clay mask must remain moist throughout its application (between 10 to 20 minutes) to release its trace elements favorable to cell renewal. It is a natural component and humidity is essential for its effectiveness. Apply it in a thick layer and don't hesitate to spray a little soothing mist (or water) to preserve its moisture.

If you use powdered clay, choose a container without plastic and/or metal because they denature the clay and can cause it to lose some of its properties.

• White clay (the softest and most neutral of clays): detoxifying, soothing, purifying, decongestant.
• Pink Clay (blend of white and red clay): soothing, purifying and regenerating.

ADOPT A BEAUTIFUL LIFE HYGIENE

If the manifestations and triggers of rosacea/rosacea are known, the precise origin remains uncertain.

First of all, it is obvious that the main manifestation consists of dilated blood vessels. This is usually complicated by inflammation of the sebaceous glands.

• As a Naturopath, I first suggest reviewing the diet by essentially adopting a anti-inflammatory diet.
• It is then essential to optimize the work of the digestive system by strengthening the intestinal microbiota. The intestinal microbiota is essential for dealing with inflammation and for a good immune response (70% of immune cells are located in the intestine).
• The liver health must also be taken into consideration (any skin problem is very often linked to a liver problem); in fact, a congested and overloaded liver has difficulty carrying out its emunctory work (elimination of toxins), it has to call on the skin to take over.
• Working on the right circulation, the good tone of the vessels in order to reduce the extent of the manifestations.
• Finally, the psycho-emotional sphere must be included in the treatment, in fact the emotional stress is one of the main triggers of rosacea episodes.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOOD

Adopting a diet anti-inflammatory is the first change to implement in terms of lifestyle. For that it is necessary :

• favor a raw diet and as little processed as possible, consume lots of vegetables and fruits (vary the vegetables on your plate, add color!)
• consume good fats: canola, olive, camelina, walnut oils, etc., fatty fish (sardines, mackerel, anchovies), oilseeds (walnuts), seeds (chia, hemp).
• favor gentle steam cooking to preserve nutrients and avoid cooking which will cause the Maillard reaction (pro-inflammatory).
• limit dairy products and red meat to reduce the amount of fatty fats (pro-inflammatory)
• avoid refined, processed, industrial foods: prepared meals, cakes, sodas, pizzas, cold meats, etc.
• avoid alcohol, spices, hot dishes and drinks

STRENGTHEN THE GUT MICROBIOTA

This is done by providing probiotics, which are live microorganisms beneficial for the balance of intestinal flora.

We must also think about prebiotics which promote the development and proper functioning of intestinal bacteria.

• Prebiotics are found in a diet rich in fiber (i.e. vegetables, legumes, whole grains, etc.)
• Probiotics are found in fermented vegetables, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, kefir, kombucha, pickles.

These are foods to include in small quantities on our plate every day!

In addition to a diet rich in pre- and probiotics, a course of probiotics can also be considered as winter approaches to strengthen the intestinal microbiota.

GOOD LIVER HEALTH 

The liver is the leader of the emunctories, also called “the general” in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) which is indicative of its preponderant role.

It filters the blood and sorts/processes waste and toxins and redirects them to our other emunctories (kidneys, intestines, skin and lungs) so that they can be evacuated.

A congested, overloaded liver does not perform its “work” as a filter well and transfers the workload to the other emunctories which are in turn overloaded!

It is therefore essential to have a liver that functions properly to avoid skin pathologies.

To help/reduce liver work, we adopt an anti-inflammatory diet, we significantly reduce foods rich in:

• added sugars
• processed foods
• dairy products
• Red meat
• poor quality fats
• the alcohol
• refined cereals…

We add plants daily that participate in the liver detoxification :

• artichoke
• radish
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• leek…

We also think of the hot water bottle! Indeed, the liver does not like cold and works better in heat, so a hot water bottle helps it eliminate toxins.

The ideal is to put a hot water bottle on the liver (right under the chest) for 15-20 minutes in the evening before going to bed.

Plants: certain plants have a supporting action and others have a detox/draining action.

The plants are found in different dosage forms (herbal tea, mother tincture, dry extract or gemmotherapy).

We make sure to solicit the detox work of the liver only when the level of vitality is good, we do not do it in winter either (we have seen that the liver needs heat). In case of fatigue and when the liver is overloaded, we prefer protective plants. The ideal is to be accompanied by a Naturopath who adapts to your condition, your vitality, your background…

Among the important plants in liver work we find milk thistle, artichoke, rosemary, black radish…

THE VASCULAR SYSTEM 

It also plays an essential role, so we must ensure good circulation and good tone of the vessels.

Diet is again important: it is a question of limiting spices which sting and heat, they accentuate the dilation of the veins (curry, pepper, chilli, etc.)

Foods rich in rutin (anti-inflammatory bioflavonoid which strengthens the wall of blood capillaries) should be included in the dietary routine:

• Buckwheat, capers, citrus peel, raspberry and blackcurrant.
• Rutin is also found in Ginkgo biloba (a tree which is used in herbal medicine for circulation problems).

Rutin can also be taken in the form of a food supplement (seek the advice of a health professional). It is particularly interesting associated with vitamin C, the latter promoting the assimilation of rutin.

MANAGING STRESS/EMOTIONS 

Stress and strong emotions are triggers. A healthy lifestyle (diet, sport, sleep) is essential for good stress management.

It is also important to find one or more techniques to better manage emotions: the practice of yoga, cardiac coherence, meditation, Qi Gong, etc. are all techniques to explore in order to find what is suitable.

In terms of food, magnesium is the most important mineral. It is essential to limit stress. It is found in whole grains, oilseeds, seeds, etc.

However, magnesium supplementation can be useful in cases of high stress levels. It is important to speak with a naturopath in order to know the form of magnesium to take.

IN CONCLUSION,

Taking care of skin prone to rosacea/rosacea requires a holistic approach, combining cosmetic care and lifestyle. Rosacea, a chronic condition, can be reduced and controlled through simple, well-targeted actions.

On the one hand, cosmetic treatments adapted to your skin condition play a crucial role in this process.

On the other hand, a healthy lifestyle, under the informed advice of a naturopath, can bring significant benefits.

By combining Odénium's cosmetic solutions and the advice of Karine Seigneurie, Naturopath, you offer your skin a complete and caring approach.

Liens: https://karineseigneurie.com/ & https://www.odenium.com/