Just a Red Face or Something More? | How I Got Rid of My Rosacea

This is my story about how I soothed my terribly red face in a very unusual way. If you have red, irritated skin on your face, I hope this information about how I got rid of my rosacea can help you too.

Last night a new acquaintance said to me, “You have a beautiful complexion!” (and no, the above photo is not of me).

I almost couldn't believe it, and then I told her what a testimony that was to my health improving.  I mentioned to her my previous struggles with my poor red face and thought, “After all that I have been through, I really need to share with others what I've been through with my skin and my health.”

That's not how it's always been, however.

Your Skin and Your Health

Your skin can be a reflection of what is going on inside of you.

If you have blemishes or rashes going on with your skin, something isn't quite right inside.  It could be a topical issue, of course, but more often than not if you work on something inside, the outside gets better.

Many many people are struggling with unnecessary skin conditions. They think that they have to just live with them, putting makeup on top to cover up the problem.

That's just not true. Often working on the inside of your body is the answer.

There are different thoughts in the alternative medical community about the causes of skin problems, but this is my story of a simple solution that made a HUGE difference.

My Skin's Story

In my childhood, I always had beautiful, olive-toned skin.

The first signs that I had a problem showed up in my late 20s.  I remember wondering about faint flushing and I asked an older woman in my church if she thought that I had rosacea. She had mild rosacea, and she said that there was no way I did.

But the redness continued to come and go. It was slight, but it was still there.

Several years later, I asked my doctor what he thought, but he dismissed my concerns and told me to just be gentle with how I washed my skin. “Use tepid water and don't scrub,” was his advice.

Another year or so later I saw my dermatologist for another issue. I timidly voiced my concerns, and he validated my suspicion. I had rosacea.

His reassurance was that “It probably won't get so bad that you'll have a bulbous nose.”

Well, I was glad about the nose thing, but I didn't want the red face either.

I started avoiding wearing pink and red and it was manageable until things got really bad.

My face was red. Really red. Nose, cheeks, chin. 

There was also awful irritated tingling constantly. I could feel it creeping up into my skin and it was basically petrifying.

I was crying, complaining to my husband, and scouring the internet for solutions. I even got an intense case a few times when the rash got bright red and looked like the classic lupus butterfly rash.

Talk about stress. 

Here are some solutions that I found at first.

How to Soothe a Red Face

Following are some things that you can do to soothe red facial skin.

• Special face creams and washes
• Dietary changes (e.g. avoid spicy foods, too hot or too cold drinks, and alcohol)
• Avoid intense exercise
• Avoid stress
• Avoid extreme temperature changes
• Use Green-tinted cover-up (can you say, “Wicked Witch from Wizard of Oz”?)

Basically, I was supposed to change my whole life.  Meanwhile, this red face was doing its best to do just that.

I truly didn't want to go anywhere.

I clearly remember one night my husband kindly drove me across town to a woman's house to try samples of her expensive skin care routine that was supposed to help soothe irritated skin.  More money to throw after a problem that wasn't going away.

And how I was supposed to avoid stress when I felt like my skin was inflamed all the time?  Sigh.

Well, finally I found some answers. 

An Unusual Cause of a Red Face

As I was doing research on my situation, I read that a red face is thought to be linked to acid reflux. Interestingly, I'd been having heartburn. So I talked with my physician and he prescribed Zantac.

However, something on the internet caught my attention.

Acid reflux can be caused by too little acid in the stomach – not too much.

The remedy?  Betaine HCl (that stands for hydrochloric acid, aka stomach acid).

It sounded simple, but also a bit scary.

But after digging around on the internet more and reading over and over again that people were having relief from this simple change sounded amazing, and the ingredients seemed to be simple and natural. Furthermore, there weren't any scary warnings about using a small amount.

And the $17 bottle at the health food store for 200+ pills was a lot cheaper than the expensive skin care routine.

Next thing I knew I was driving to the health food store.

Two pills with my dinner and a good night's sleep and …

My face looked a TON better in the morning.

I couldn't believe it. My red face wasn't completely clear, but it sure had improved a lot.

I wasn't afraid to go out in public anymore. Though I didn't want to wear red yet, at least I didn't feel like I was going to crawl out of my skin.

Since then, I've continued to work on my health and my skin. And I'm happy to say that I get compliments on my skin every so often.

What a miracle!

What I Did to Soothe My Red Skin

The HCL was a great help for me, but there are other things that have been helpful for me as I have worked on my overall health doing the following.

• Boosted Digestive Function with supplements (I take a good digestive enzyme (I am taking this brand right now.) and HCl (I've used many brands over the years.  This Betaine HCL is the first brand that I started with.  I am using this brand right now.)
• Increased Digestibility of foods (see How to De-Gas Beans too)
• Made Dietary Changes (I avoid sugar, ultra-processed foods, dairy and gluten)
• Strengthened My Immune System (I personally have been working on addressing adrenal fatigue, thyroid health, and heavy metal issues)
• Started Using Gentle, Safer Skin Care (like this DIY Facial Oil Cleanser. I personally use and love Crunchi and Poofy Organics and am testing out Rowe Casa's facial care. I used to use Beautycounter, but since they closed I've moved on.
  

How Is My Face Now?

I actually wore a scarf with pink in it a few weeks ago and was told by a friend how nice it looked. Great, huh?

So wearing pink or red is not my goal, but it sure feels nice to be able to wear these colors and not feel self-conscious.  What I truly hope is that this information can help you or someone you love.

Your red face may appear to be merely a cosmetic issue, but looking and feeling inflamed all the time is not fun. And more importantly, it typically means something needs addressing inside.

Clean Skincare to Soothe Red Skin

What you use on your face can make a huge difference for your red face. You should use something gentle, with safer ingredients, and no artificial fragrances.

I use a number of products that I love but one of my favorite companies is Crunchi due to their quality and incredible transparency. I love their performance. Here are some products that many who struggle with a red, irritated, face say have helped them.

Of course everyone is different, but these are some great ones to try and they have a 30 day return policy that you can lean on to see what works for you.

From what I have heard from other Crunchi consultants, the following 4 items are the most likely to help with a red face / rosacea, but some have had great success with the ones further down on the list.

I Am Luminous Face Oil – many people really love how this product helps soothe their skin. And it's great for basically everyone!

Daylight Advanced and Nightlight Advanced – this combo has worked wonders for lots of people with red and irritated skin, like rosacea.

Goldenlight Peptide Serum – My skin LOVES this product. I just use a tiny bit every day so the bottle will last a long time.

Other products that might help.

Smart Primer – I personally really like this product and find it to be very soothing, which is likely why it's helped some people with rosacea / red face.

The Clarilight Toner and I Am Polished exfoliator are two products that I really like. Some report that they help their red and irritated skin. Definitely worth trying.

Other products that some really like are the Gentle Facial Bar and I Am the Balm.

I'm happy to help you with these products or any others and can discuss other companies as well. Just comment below the post or reach out to me at adrienne {at} wholenewmom {dot} com.

Other related posts

Is Your Probiotic Making You Sick?
The “Straight Poop” About Probiotics

Finally, I am not a doctor. Even though I was Pre-Med at a quality university, I decided that I couldn't likely juggle being a physician while being a mom.  In hindsight, I was probably right, but that doesn't make me any less interested in all things medical.

Still, you must check with your own physician prior to changing your diet, exercise routine, or supplements.  Just makin' sure we understand each other :).

If you struggle with a red face, what's helped you?
If you know someone struggling, please share this information with them!