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

This is my story about how I soothed my terribly red face in a very unusual way. If you have rosacea, facial redness, or irritated skin, I hope this helps you find answers too.

If you’re dealing with rosacea, facial redness, or flushing, you’re not alone—and there may be underlying causes you haven’t considered.

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.”

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 potential solutions that I found at first.

How to Calm Rosacea and Facial Redness

Rosacea and facial redness can be triggered by a variety of factors, including diet, stress, temperature changes, and internal imbalances.

Following are some things that you can do to soothe or coverup 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 my terribly itchy and irritated skin. 

Basically I was spending more and 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. And they were shocking.

A Possible Root Cause of Rosacea

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, one night, while doing more research into acid reflux, something on the internet caught my attention.

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

What, really? Could this be the case for me? And if so, what was the remedy?  Betaine HCl (that stands for hydrochloric acid, aka stomach acid).

That sounded simple but also crazy to me. Take stomach acid?

But after digging around on the internet more and reading over and over again that people were having relief from this simple change, I couldn't ignore it. I didn’t come across major concerns about trying a small amount, but of course, this is something to approach carefully and with guidance if needed.

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

The $17 bottle at the health food store for 200+ pills was a lot cheaper than the expensive skin care routines I'd been trying. (Note that even years later that Betaine HCl is still a very very inexpensive supplement.

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!

Can Low Stomach Acid Be Linked to Rosacea?

There are There are many medications and approaches used to manage rosacea, but for me, and for many others, this seems to be a link. As mentioned, when I was desperately doing research on this topic, I found quite a few people finding that their rosacea cleared up when they addressed their low stomach acid.

My experience showed a clear link. One night of taking a small amount of Betaine HCl and my skin was greatly improved.

Of course, it's not a universal cause and there can be many other things that can be contributing to rosacea, but low stomach acid and poor digestion can be a root cause or contributor to many health issues.

This isn’t the cause for everyone, but it may be one piece of the puzzle for some people.

Other Ways to Support Low Stomach Acid

In addition to taking Betaine HCl, there are other ways to address low stomach acid. Here are some options:

• Eating slowly and chewing well
• Not drinking large amounts of water or other beverages with meals
• Using digestive enzymes
• Managing stress
• Addressing gut health overall

If digestion or low stomach acid might be part of your situation, I share more practical ways to support digestion in my natural indigestion remedies post.

One thing that's important to note is that that in general, stomach acid decreases with age.

I’ll be sharing more about this whole topic in a separate post, since digestion can be a big piece of the puzzle for many health issues.

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 (like this brand) 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: by soaking nuts, soaking grains, and de-gassing beans.
• 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).
• Supporting My Liver: This has been huge for so many things.
• Started Using Gentle, Safer Skin Care like this DIY Facial Oil Cleanser.

While internal health changes made the biggest difference for me, I’ve also found that using gentle, non-irritating skincare helps support sensitive skin.

Keeping things simple and avoiding harsh ingredients can make a big difference when your skin is already inflamed.

If you’re looking for cleaner skincare options, I’ve shared more about brands I use now, including Crunchi, in this review.

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?

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is My Face Suddenly Red All the Time? (Common Causes)

There are a number of reasons that one's skin could become red. A few possible causes are:

• rosacea
• irritation
• diet
• internal factors
• histamine reaction

Can Digestive Issues Cause Facial Redness or Rosacea?

In some cases, digestive issues may play a role in skin conditions. While this isn’t widely accepted in conventional medicine, some people report improvements in facial redness when addressing gut health or low stomach acid.

For me, supporting digestion made a noticeable difference.

Can Food or Diet Trigger Rosacea Flare-Ups?

Yes, for many people, certain foods can trigger or worsen facial redness. Common triggers include spicy foods, alcohol, and highly processed foods or foods high in histamine though sensitivities can of course vary from person to person.

Other Gut Health Related Posts

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

Finally, I am not a doctor. Even though I was re-med at a top 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.

If you struggle with a red face, what's helped you?