What I've Learned About Rosacea : A healthy Body Equals Healthy Skin

Practice "whole body" health. Don't compromise the health of the rest of your body to save aggravation to your face. Most of the things that keep the rest of your body healthy, can help your face(or least do it no harm). Stay hydrated...drink plenty of water.Try to get seven or eight hours of sleep each day. Flushes seem to occur more frequently and last longer, when you aren't getting enough rest. You might be able to stop a flush with a nap. Get out and get some exercise, even if it means going for a walk before dawn, when it's cool. Watch what you eat...not just the stuff that you know causes you to flush. I've seen several great articles discussed on the R.S. forum. At minimum, try to avoid refined sugars (besides the usual stuff on the triggers lists). It may help to stay away from soda beverages...too much sugar in regular, and many rosaceans have a problem with Nutrasweet in diet sodas.

What I've Learned About Rosacea : Don't Obsess About Your Skin

Stop checking your face in the mirror all the time. When it comes to how your face looks, you are your own worse critic. Look at faces around you. Almost no one has perfect skin, even those without rosacea. No one, but you, is checking your face under the bright bathroom mirror, using a magnifying glass. For the periods of time, when you look frighteningly awful, surround yourself with understanding friends, family, and co-workers. By the way, when you're checking out other faces, you're going to see people who seem to be blissfully unaware that they have rosacea. I'm not completely sure this is a bad thing.

What I've Learned About Rosacea : Price Does Not Determine Worth

Just because a product is very expensive, does not mean it will help your rosacea. Also, do not discount something just because it's cheap. I have an entire linen closet full of very expensive, partially used mistakes. Weird, but one of the very cheapest facial cleanser/soaps, is also the one that not only did not cause a single problem, but actually calmed my face down. Same thing with mymoisturizer...very cheap at Target & has not only never caused a problem, but worked to settle my face down after a bout of complete intolerance to anything on my face (including water).

What I've Learned About Rosacea : Less Is Better

Most of the time, less is better. The more stuff your put on your face, the more likely you'll have a problem with one or more of the products. And, if you're using several different things on your face, how are you going to figure out which is the problem product? Try to go without makeup whenever possible. It's one less thing you're putting on your face.

What I've Learned About Rosacea : Don't Believe Everything You Hear

Do not believe everything you read about the cause of rosacea or how to "cure" it. Just because you've read a news article or have seen it on the Internet, does not automatically makes something true. Good heavens, I saw a picture of a demodex mite that would freak anyone out...the little bugger was blown up to the size of aVolkswagen...enough to make any face red if you're to believe the accompanying article, and certainly scary enough to make you want to send $100 for the "cure". Be wary of any claims of cure. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" applies to rosacea, also.

What I've Learned About Rosacea : Everyone's Rosacea Is Different

Rosacea affects each person differently. What works for someone else, may not work for you (or, can actually hurt you). You do not have to try everything that you've read about... When you find something that works for you, stop experimenting.

What I've Learned About Rosacea : Trying New Products

When trying a new product, do not try to fight through an initial irritation, in hopes that your face will get use to it. If something makes you itch, burn, break out, or turn red, it's probably not going to get better if you keep using in hopes that your face will eventually accept the product.

When trying a new product that seems to be okay, don't change anything else with your skin care regimen for several weeks. Sometimes, it takes several weeks for irritation to something new to show up.

What I've Learned About Rosacea : Find A Compassionate Doctor

Find a caring, compassionate doctor...one who will take time to listen to your issues, and is willing to try creative solutions.This may mean that you have better luck with your family care practitioner than with some dermatologists. Do your own research before seeing a doctor. Read the Rosacea archives on Yahoo. You need to ask the right questions, and you need to know if something they're recommending is harmful to a rosacea face. It's sad, but you may actually end up knowing more about rosacea than some doctors. I've had a few great doctors who admitted that they did not know much more about rosacea than what they learned in medical school. But, they were willing to look over (and then try) whatever I had found in my research. I've also had a few truly awful doctors (arrogant in their ignorance) who prescribed things that sent me to Rosacea Hell (Retin-A, alpha-hydroxy, Benzoyl Peroxide ...the list goes on & on).

~Nancy

What I've Learned About Rosacea : Explain Special Needs To Family And Friends

Have a frank, open discussion with family, friends, and co-workers about your condition. Admit you have a problem and need their help. They need to know how rosacea affects how you look and feel. Tell them what they can do to help you. I'm always surprised at how hard the people around me work to accommodate me. When my face looks awful, they understand when I say that I can't bear going out for an evening of fun with them. BUT, they force me to get out, face the world, have a good time, and forget for awhile. If your face can't bear an overheated house, friends may be able to set their thermostat back a bit, or find you a place to sit near an open window, with lots of cold water to sip. When the people, who love you, understand what causes a problem for your rosacea, they often come up with a creative solution...one that you would never have dreamed of on your own. Once people understand that this is more than just a cosmetic issue, that it's something that may never be cured, that you may have to live with it for decades, they tend to be willing to help out when possible. You don't have to harp or be preachy...just a gentle reminder that your face feels like it has a painful sunburn is often reminder enough.

What I've Learned About Rosacea : There is No Miracle Cure

There is no miracle cure for rosacea. Learn to live with your rosacea, because it's probably not going to go away any time soon. Do what you have to do to work around the problem, but continue to live your life as fully as possible (even on those days when you don't feel that it's possible). Your life needs to be much more than just worrying about your face 24/7. I know this is a tough one. Iwould have missed out on so much over the last 33 years if I had not learned (eventually, and not always successfully) to live with my rosacea. Calculate how much time you think (or obsess) about your face in a day, week, month. Think about how many times you've skipped doing things "because of your rosacea". Imagine how much you're going to miss, if there's no complete cure for several more decades. I never thought, when I was diagnosed with rosacea in 1972, that there'd be no cure during the first half of my life. We had just put a man on the moon a few years before my diagnosis. Who would have thought that I'd still be dealing with rosacea every day 33 years later? Certainly not me. Don't give up living your life until your face looks perfect. I am sorry and sad that this may never happen for some of us.

Characteristics of Rosacea Skin

Characteristics of Sensitive Skin are:
* Will be translucent in appearance
* Will show premature signs of wrinkles (depending on your age)
* The skin will often feel tight after washing
* The epidermis will be thinner
* After cleansing the skin, there will be high colour in the face and will be sensitive to pressure.
* The skin will be warm to the touch and there will be superficial flaking of the skin.

Characteristics of Dehydrated Skin are:
* Skin will be lacking in moisture, this is due to water loss from the tissues
* Dehydrated skin can affect any skin type, but normally common with combination or dry skin types
* Superficial lines may become noticeable on the skin
* Light flaking of the skin and often there will be broken capillaries
* External and internal stimuli (eg, spicy food, smoking, pollutions, air-conditioning, central heating etc, are all factors that can affect the skin)
* Crash diets, medication, temperature or general poor health can also create dehydrated skin

To test to see if your skin is dehydrated, place your index finger just under the cheek bone and carefully lift. If there are lines present, then your skin is probably dehydrated. Treat for dehydration with specialised products to rehydrate the skin. Be cautious of what kind of products you use on sensitive skin and do not apply too much pressure to the face For acne prone skin, use a good cleansing routine using medicated products on a regular basis, along with facials, as this can aid this condition. It’s also advisable to see your GP, as they will be of great help with advising medicated products and treatments.

Characteristics of Rosacea Skin are:
* Is purplish in complexion, due to dilated capillaries from the blood circulation slowing down
* Excess oiliness and course skin texture
* Nose and cheek area will be inflamed (this is commonly known as the Butterfly pattern and appears over the nose area)
* This condition can be aggravated by spicy food, emotional stress, alcohol etc

Healthy Skin Begins With A Healthy Body

Just as we find products for external use with a balanced pH, such as deodorant and shampoo, it is important for life, health and vitality to balance your pH from within. A balance between acid and alkaline in the human blood system is seen by leading medical experts as the most important aspect of a balanced and healthy body.In a natural healthy state, the optimum pH equilibrium of human blood is 7.365. Maintenance of this pH is critical to cellular heath.

With a pH of 7.5, FIJI Water's slight alkalinity aids in neutralizing the harmful effects of acidity, which we get from everyday foods and drinks such as wine, coffee and citrus. Intake of too much acid can cause painful conditions such as heartburn, ulcers, indigestion and acid reflux. And, when the body is out of balance in an acidic state, it becomes prey to disease and illness.

Importance of a pH balance
75 trillion cells of the human body are slightly acidic and must exist in a level pH or slightly alkaline environment (the body fluid) if they are to remain healthy and produce energy.
FIJI's alkalinity aides in neutralizing the acid bi-product of cell respiration.
The closer to 7.35 pH, the better the body's ability to fight diseases like cancer.

Research has shown that healthy people have systems that are balanced or slightly alkaline while sick people have pH levels much higher in acid.