By Sitara Hewitt

I used to suffer from rosacea, around my nose and on my cheeks. After feeling dependent on makeup and embarrassed to be bare skinned I decided I needed to seek some natural treatments to help heal and soothe my inflamed skin.

Inflammation in skin can be a sign that you’re experiencing inflammation within your gut. The most important way to tackle rosacea at its root is to approach your diet differently; focusing on anti-inflammatory foods and removing common allergens can make a huge impact on skin by healing the stomach and intestines and getting rid of yeast and bad bacteria.

Diet & Lifestyle

I noticed a direct correlation between eating certain foods and rosacea. For example if I drank alcohol, ate refined sugars or processed/ packaged or fast food I would experience flare ups. So instead I started drinking about twice as much water, eating a lot more veggies and fruits (a berry/spinach/coconut milk smoothie each day can help get a lot of fruit and veggies in one sitting) drinking green tea instead of coffee and incorporating a few topical and internal treatments. Stress seems to trigger skin issues too, so I started lying down to meditate or recharge every day even if it’s only for 20 minutes. Gentle exercise is key to reducing stress hormones in the body, boosting immune system and circulating oxygen throughout the body; all which will help you heal your skin. 5 days a week aim for a brisk hour long walk, or session at the gym, yoga, dance or whatever activities you enjoy. Make sure you get 8 hours of quality sleep also. After a good year of sticking with these changes I barely show any signs of rosacea!

Topical

Aloe Vera: A pure aloe gel (without colors or preservatives) is soothing and healing for the skin. It’s also youthening, so it’s my go to for any skin issues. I like keeping a plant and breaking off a little to apply to the skin each night! You can mix it with a little coconut oil if you’re wanting more moisture (for dry flaky rosacea) or use alone if you are prone to acne.

Honey: Raw, unprocessed honey is profoundly healing for the skin. It soothes, repairs and moisturizes without being oily, Apply as a mask a couple of days a week, rinse off after 20 minutes.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Used as a toner it is healing and cleansing. It also neutralizes bacteria and yeast that can breed on skin during inflammatory conditions like rosacea. Taken internally it is also very alkalizing which aids in healing.

Green Tea: Steep 2 tea bags in a cup of water, chill in the fridge. Apply to flare ups using a wash cloth for cooling, soothing, immediate relief.

Internal

Probiotics: Probably the most important component to healing skin disorders is healthy bacteria. Probiotics every day will begin to heal the stomach and intestines, where skin health is born. Cutting out refined sugar and white flour is also key to upping the good bacteria in your system. This helps get rid of yeast which will benefit both skin and immunity.

Turmeric or Curcumin: These supplements help reduce inflammation in the body and calm down red, irritated skin.

Flax Seed Oil: This omega fatty acid reduces inflammation in skin and is very effective in soothing rosacea.

Burdock Root: This root purifies the system by detoxifying the organs and helping balance the hormones. When we eliminate toxins from the liver and kidneys they can work more effectively to heal the skin.

With a few lifestyle and dietary changes you can greatly reduce rosacea, and all the changes result in a more vibrant, healthy you all over!