By: Carmina Alvarez
April is National Rosacea Awareness Month. Rosacea is a skin condition that affects 16 million Americans and 415 million individuals worldwide. While it can affect anyone, this skin condition is most common in women (and can be exacerbated during menopause), people with fair skin (like redheads), and adults between 30-60 years of age.
Rosacea has many symptoms, including:
- Redness of the face. Commonly, the flushing and/or persistent redness present in the center of the face: forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin.
- There may be a skin burning feeling or swelling of the face.
- Small red lines under the skin. These lines show up when blood vessels under the skin get larger.
- Bumps on the skin. Sometimes the bumps have pus inside (pimples), but not always – which may help explain why so many rosacea sufferers think they have acne before being diagnosed by a physician!
- Inflamed eyes/eyelids. The eyes may become sensitive to light, and, in severe cases, the person may have blurred vision or some other kind of vision problem.
- A swollen nose. In some people (mostly men), the nose becomes red, larger, and bumpy.
There are many “triggers” that could cause rosacea including hot or cold weather, spicy food, alcohol, sunlight, menopause, stress and certain makeup products.
There is no cure for rosacea, but it can be treated!
Here are some ‘redhead friendly’ beauty and makeup tips to follow if you’re experiencing rosacea:
1. Thoroughly Remove Makeup
It is very important to remove makeup gently without irritating the skin with the help of cotton cleansing pads and a ‘redhead friendly’ makeup remover.
2. Cleanse Carefully
Fair skin tends to be super sensitive and with rosacea in the mix, it can be itchier than most skin types. So, when choosing a facial cleanser, make sure to use a gentle cleanser with all-natural ingredients.
3. Find the Perfect Moisturizer
Redheads with rosacea need lots of hydration. The ideal moisturizer for redheads with rosacea contains soothing ingredients such as glycerin and shea butter to soothe the skin and make it softer. Try a Redness Recovery lotion to neutralize the redness, while calming the skin.
4. Protect Your Skin
Sun is definitely a trigger for rosacea. If you go out in the sun and skip wearing sunscreen – beware! – you will definitely irritate the affected areas and maximize redness.
5. Redhead Makeup Tips
Just like cleansing products, you must choose special makeup products to minimize and conceal rosacea. Read the list of ingredients and opt for products with oil-free, natural formulas. Keep in mind that the more ingredients and chemicals on makeup, the more irritated the skin will look and feel.
6. How to Conceal Rosacea with Makeup
Green concealer will reduce the redness, as mentioned above. Why? Green cancels red since green is the opposite of red on the color wheel. Use these steps when applying concealer over rosacea: Apply a dash of concealer on top of the redness and softly blend. Then, apply a thin layer of your foundation and blend. In order to keep makeup in place, apply mineral loose powder. Try to apply makeup softly and uniformly with the help of a clean sponge or brush with natural bristles, since these are softer and perfect for irritated skin.
Rock it like a Redhead!
