Rosacea begins quietly, somewhat gradually. Then, it quickly becomes over the top and out of control.
If you are struggling with rosacea, it can feel overwhelming. But it’s far from rare; rosacea affects millions of people. You are not alone. It’s also far from unavoidable — and untreatable. In fact, there’s a lot you can do to prevent and reverse rosacea. And the great news is, the answer is simple, gentle and effective.
Many people don’t understand how to treat rosacea from the very first signs of it. Instead, they often unknowingly make it worse.
Tragically, the outdated, conventional rosacea protocols that saturate the skincare shelves contribute to the spread of rosacea. These products don’t cure it or even truly help. The only thing they do is artificially suppress inflammation and slap a temporary Band-Aid on the symptoms via chronic subscriptions of topical and internal antibiotics. The long-term effects of being on antibiotics will wreak havoc on our health sooner or later; this is well-proven. Happy gut, happy skin. Antibiotics disrupt the natural, healthy bacteria in your stomach. You don’t improve a health problem by creating more health issues. Yet for some reason, these rosacea protocols remain common.
To treat rosacea at its root, you have to first understand what causes it.
Initially, rosacea is caused internally by a gut-microbiome imbalance due to one of more of these things: candida, food allergies, and/or processed foods. It is then exacerbated by conventional, war-like, anti-aging skincare products. Sun exposure, spicy foods, and alcohol are the most common factors that can trigger an episode. But at its core, rosacea is an underlying skin condition that can only be eradicated by an overhaul of the intestinal microbiome and then managed with the right skincare protocols.
Knowing how to support our skin externally with the right skincare products can make a night-and-day difference while we work on correcting the more complex, root, internal issues. Find a reputable functional medicine doctor to help you figure your internal stuff out.
And in the meantime, topically, there is a world of good we can do to help our rosacea.
First, here’s what not to do:
Stop what you’re doing. Immediately halt the use of all conventional, anti-aging skincare products and essential oils, as they are causing unnecessary inflammation, exhaustion, stress, dehydration, and disabled skin barrier function.
Don’t worry about bacteria. The misplaced obsession to kill bacteria is completely unnecessary, as your skin’s surface will naturally and effortlessly become inhospitable to bad bacteria during this healing process.
Don’t overdo it. The first mistake many people make is over-cleansing with a harsh cleanser in an attempt to kill bacteria that is incorrectly being blamed for the redness. Ironically, this causes more congestion and even added irritation.
Don’t tone. Toners are also not a good idea, as they result in the same end. Basically, avoid acids, astringents, and products for anti-aging, acne, and large pores. Less is more when it comes to cleansing.
Don’t dehydrate. Avoid popular clay masks and cleansers with “delicious” smelling essential oils, like lavender, tea tree, peppermint, cedar, and all citrus oils, as these have a dehydrating final effect. Hydration is the single best thing we can give our skin that promotes healthy skin function, so inadvertently drying out our skin is not the right direction to go.
No shortcuts. Avoid cleansing wipes altogether. They are chemical cocktails, ineffective, and dehydrating. Cleansing wipes are not a viable shortcut hack.
What to do:
Minimal cleansing. Plain, warm (never hot) water, steam, a bit of coconut oil, and gentle washcloth is completely sufficient. Cold or cool spring water can be used on days that skin is gripped by an episode.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Look for a hydrating serum that is also cooling and soothing. It will feel great and have a real positive effect.
Build your barrier. Use a moisturizer rich in lipids to restore skin barrier.
Protect yourself. Always wear sunscreen.
Exfoliate wisely. A monthly enzyme pack for exfoliation is worlds better than over-scrubbing aggressively, which will only strip skin, bring anxiety, and create an oil imbalance.
Be kind. Gentleness is key to rehabilitating rosacea skin.
Feed it. Eventually, as inflammation is reduced and even eliminated through stability over time of hydration and barrier restoration, the avoidance of triggers, and resolving internal issues, rosacea skin can become hungry. Occasionally offer it topical Dermal Nutrients so it can have the resources to make repairs. This final step of Dermal Nutrient absorption takes skin to the next level from surviving to thriving. It will lead to a healthy glow instead of the angry and painful shine that rosacea is known for.
Real healing is a process, a sequence, and steps cannot be skipped or rushed when it comes to healing rosacea. Slow down, get informed, be open to new ideas, and find a Skin Harmonics skin health provider who can take you through all of the healing phases.
Keep learning about what the new paradigm shift means for your skin…practically.
Harm to heal is OUT and Nourish to Heal is IN.
Real healing is a beautiful process.
Check out my other skin related blog entries:
- Essential oils are incredible but not for our faces
- The cave girl method
- Why should care about your skin’s natural barrier function
- Facial cleansing wipes are not as great as you think

About the author
I took many wrong turns when I started learning about skin at 19. The more I spent on skincare, equipment, and training, the further I felt from actually helping skin. I was frustrated with only being able to offer temporary and superficial solutions at best. What emerged from the disappointment and turmoil, I now call, The Regenerative Skin Process. Skin Harmonics is a dedicated medical fusion holistic skincare clinic that provides a root cause approach delivering lifetime skin health through medical grade skin care products, new learning, and Deep Pore Cleansing Facials.