Simple Changes to Help Your Rosacea

Those of use with Rosacea find that the cleaner our environment is, the less severe breakouts/flair-ups we have. Unfortunately, many of use don't realize how bacteria ridden many of our everyday items may be. Here is a list of many common day-to-day items that you may want to sanitize.

You put them on your face every day. They end up on your head when your trying to look at something close. You set them on counters ect.

Take a few extra moments everyday to clean off those things. And, I do not just mean the lens. Clean off the whole thing.

You click away. You answer you phone. You go back to typing away. Your nose itches, so you give it a scratch. Then you proceed to typing away again. You finish up that sandwich, and get a couple of crumbs on the keys. So you give you keyboard a quick blow to get most, but not all, of them off.

Think about it. When was that last time you cleaned your keyboard or mouse?

Your keyboard is a breeding ground for bacteria. If you really want to be grossed out, imagine that amount of bacteria that lays about on those public computers in the library or your school.

Clean you keyboard and mouse at least every week. And, to make it easier, buy one of those silicon keyboard covers. They protect your keyboard and are very easy to clean, or you can go at your keyboard with some compressed air and q-tips.

Our Cell phones. Think about it, these things are plastered to our face, set on counters, shoved in our pants, and come into contact with all sorts of bacteria, dirt, and oil.

Once or twice a day, wipe your cell phone off with rubbing alcohol. I recommend this because once the alcohol does its job, it will evaporator and not harm phone or your face.

And for those with severe Rosacea, I would carry some alcohol wipes to do so more often.

Since almost no one seems to clean them off, it's a good idea to do so. They will collect oil from your skin, and if they have a good amount of earwax, they can be a great place for bacteria to fester.

Such a big culprit! Make sure you read the ingredients to all hair products and shampoos! Lemon is one of my triggers, so I stay away from it.

Try to keep your hair out of your face, especially if you have a lot of products in it, and when it is wet.

Shampoo! The oils from your hair can irritate your Rosacea. So, I recommend that you shampoo every day. If you are the type to shampoo only a few times a week, then just try and shampoo the roots up front around your face. This keeps the rest of your hair from drying out and your face happy.

Don't know if you hair is a trigger? Try putting it in a ponytail for a week or two. If you find an improvement in your Rosacea, then it probably is.

Don't know if your products are a trigger? Try and go a week without them. If you see an improvement, then they might be.

If you do find that certain products cause a flare/break up, keep a journal of the ingredients and names of them. You can try and find what ingredient was the cause by going through the ingredients that your know you can have and trying other things that have similar ingredients You basically do some detective work. End result? You can better manage you Rosacea with a more complete list of your triggers.

I know, I know, I know. You grew up being told this, so you understand the concept. But, since you have Rosacea, pretend you are a surgeon. Imagine that if there is so much a one germ on your hands, you could give yourself an infection. So, wash those suckers more often then the average person would. Those of us with Rosacea try very hard to not touch our face, but it still happens from time to time. Plus, cleaner hands equals cleaner phones, glasses ect...

p.s: Hand sanitizers are your friends!

You snuggle with it, smear your face all over it, and give it the occasional good drool. It is practically a breeding ground for bacteria. So, when ever you can, throw those suckers into the laundry. I recommend washing the cases every week and the actual pillows at least once a month. Also, buying one of those hypoallergenic pillowcases isn't a bad idea either.

These things rarely see the washer. After a day in the cold, most of use hang them up and forget about them.

Wash your scarves! If they are a certain/special material, look up the best way to clean them. They are constantly on your face and neck, and like your pillow, will build up bacteria.

Jackets are just one of those things that we don't really wash. Depending on the material that your jacket is made of, I would try and clean the lapels(the part that touches your face).

If you have a low neck jacket, don't worry about it.

A lot of use with Rosacea turn to makeup to help hide the flushing and breakouts. But, we must be careful.

Clean those brushes!!!!! Dirty brushes have:

• Dirt
• Debris
• Oils
• Old Makeup
• Dead skin cells
• Bacteria

Time to clean them! How often should you clean them? It would be best to do it every day, but that can take up a lot of time. So, I would recommend cleaning them every 2-3 days minimum.

1. Wet you brushes with warm water. Make sure that the brush is pointed down, or else water will get into the metal joint or handle.

2. Use a mild soap. Something that you know does not trigger your Rosacea would be best. After soaping up, make sure to rinse all of the soap out; all the while pointing the brushes down. Also, be gentle with then. You don’t want to split them or cause the hairs to fall out.

3. Lastly, let them dry laying on a piece of paper towel, or just a towel, never dry with bristles pointing up.

Choose makeup carefully. All makeup should be oil free. Look for the word “noncomedogenic” on the label. This means that the makeup will not clog up your pores.

Expiration Dates; Surprise! Your makeup does not last forever. Make sure to throw out your old makeup when it expires or you may have an adverse reaction to it.

Check out this page for tips on what type of makeup to use: