I have very fair skin with Rosacea. Since taking up DE shaving I have discovered that some products simply cause Rosacea flareups. After some research and experimentation I continue to develop and modify the following procedure that is working for me and helping with my. Also, I am continuing to try new products and methods which I will share by updating this thread. If you have Rocasea, you need to avoid extremes in temperature; e.g., use warm water instead of hot water and cool water instead of cold water. Avoid any product with alcohol in it. (When you have Rosacea, alcohol is only good for disinfecting your razor). Avoid any product with mineral oil in it. Yes, by eliminating alcohol and mineral oil from your products you may find you will eliminate the majority of products you have on hand. It is the price we pay for the Rosacea, but you can find some good products. Many products that are made for Rosacea are unscented, or are scented with lavender or rosewater. Preshave Preparation I take a WARM (not hot) shower. Just warm enough to be tolerable. Glycerin or olive oil based soaps seem to work best with Rosacea. Do NOT scrub your face. It is okay to wash your face, but be careful to not scrub it. When you dry off use a fresh towel and pat your face before drying the rest of yourself. Take a drop or two of oil in your palms and rub it into your face and neck. Do not use more than a drop or two. The Art of Shaving Lavender Preshave Oil is good, or you can make your own by adding a couple of drops of Lavender Essential Oil to a couple of ounces of Jojoba Oil. You can also experiment with Grapeseed Oil and Olive Oil. The Shave I use shaving shaving soaps with little scent. I add a couple of drops of glycerin and a dab of shaving cream to the bowl. The Real Shaving Company Cream (Sensitive Skincare Formula) works great for me. I also like Kiss My Face creams. Go ahead and shave the way you normally would. I go WTG, XTG, ATG. Then I rub my face with leftover lather to do touch up work. I always drop the razor into a jar of 91% Isopropol Alcohol to disinfect it. Postshave Rinse in WARM (not hot) water. Then rinse in COOL (not cold) water. Pat dry with a fresh face/hand towel. At this point, when most people might use a toner, I apply Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Cleanser and again rinse with warm, then cool water. After this I apply Aloe Vera Gel with Vitamin E. This may actually make your face redder after you apply it, but that is normal. The redness will recede and the long term benefits will be noticeable. I apply 100% Tea Tree Oil to the places on my face that are red. Tea Tree Oil is a natural antiseptic. It may burn for a minute, but that's okay. (On the other hand, if the burn continues, or if the redness worsens and stays that way, discontinue). After this you can apply other creams. I will use Eucerin Redness Relief Daily Perfecting Lotion or Jason Lavender Hand & Body Therapy Lotion. Most people with Rosacea recommend you DON'T use witch hazel. If you DO use witch hazel be sure to use some without alcohol, perhaps Thayer's with Lavender. What about aftershaves, balms, and colognes? First rule: no alcohol. You may apply cologne/aftershave to the back of your neck, wrist or chest area, but not on your face. If you use some type of body splash avoid the face. Put your bath towel and face/hand towel in the laundry. Be sure to apply a Rosacea friendly sun screen if you will be in the sun. During the day I might occasionally add a bit of the Jason Lavender Hand & Body Therapy Lotion to my face. I also keep a container of tea in the fridge for patting my face during the day when it feels flush. The tea is a concentrated mixture of green tea, chamomile and licorice teas. Just dip a napkin into the tea and dab on your face. Feels great! You will also want to add an evening cleansing routine. In the evenings I usually use the Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Cleanser followed by the Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Night Creme. There are other Rosacea specific products out there, I just haven't had the money or time to try them yet.
Very interesting and informative. Have you tried going all natural with your facial products? I don't know any in-depth details about Rosacea, so I apologize if my questions come across as stupid.
Perhaps googling "natural products for Rosacea" might turn up some info. I'd do it myself, but not a lot of time to concentrate on that kind of reading at the moment.
Look here. They seem to know what they're talking about, and I have ordered from them before. I can recommend them for shopping, but of course haven't tried their roseacea recommended products, or any of the products actually. I just order raw materials from them occasionally.
