Sure, Santa Claus looks so warm and friendly with those red cheeks, but those of us who suffer from rosacea can look and feel anything but cute. No one is sure of the cause of rosacea, although doctors have noticed that fair-skinned women of Irish or Celtic ancestry are genetically predisposed. Rosacea affects about 5% of the population, most often women between the ages of 30 and 40. The bad news is that during the winter season the dry air can add more stress to your skin making facial redness and rosacea worse.  But… the good news is that keeping rosacea under control can be  simple with a little tender loving care of your skin, and getting to know what can trigger those flare-ups.

Here are a few tips and tricks from Dr. Fiona Wright to lead you into the right direction for a flush free face.

Dr. Fiona Wright’s Tip:

Find a skincare regimen that works specifically for you. Use a liquid facial cleanser that will clean your skin gently and without any stimulation that might cause flushing. Any type of abrasion can cause a flush. So leave abrasive products such as scrubs, buff puffs, or cleansing powders alone. Try my Fiona Wright MD, MILD GEL CLEANSER. This unique and refreshing cleanser gently washes away the impurities encountered daily without stripping the essential nutrients needed to heal your skin.

Soothe your skin with Aloe Vera and Cortisone. Containing high concentrations of Aloe Vera, my ALOE CORTISONE hydrating light weight cream will quench thirsty, dehydrated skin while relieving  redness, inflammation and dryness to sensitive skin.  This advanced formula of aloe and 1.0% hydrocortisone is a highly effective treatment designed to calm irritation and provide immediate improvement in the skin’s appearance.

Keep wrinkle creams to a minimum. If you have rosacea and want to use an anti-aging exfoliating cream that contains alpha hydroxy acids (glycolics) to prevent wrinkles, then it is important to keep the percentage of acid under 2.5%. If the package directions say to use cream twice a day, use it once a day, tops. If there is any redness at all, discontinue using the product.

Don’t skip the sunscreen. Avoid all the chemical sunscreens,( ie Neutragena, Aveeno)  and stick to a sunscreen that lists titanium dioxide and zinc as their major ingredient. It’s less irritating to rosacea-prone skin. My OIL AND CHEMICAL FREE MATTE FINISH SPF 30 is not only moisturizing, but this formula offers  17% Miconized Zinc which provides the highest level of skin healing properties in a sunscreen and has a of broad-spectrum UVA/ UVB protection.

Avoid sun exposure, stay cool and eat cool. Avoiding the heat outside and in foods can prevent you from forming a flush. So avoid spicy foods like pepper, chili and horseradish and try more cool greens that are high in vitamins A and C, beta-carotene and bioflavonoids. These ingredients have proven to improve rosacea conditions by boosting the immune system.

Stay merry this holiday season and avoid alcohol. Although alcohol is readily available at most holiday parties and get-togethers, avoid alcohol as is causes blood vessels to dilate and worsens rosacea.  Couldn’t help yourself and you had spicy food or a glass of wine? Apply a cold compress. This will constrict blood vessels and lessen the appearance of rosacea.