Anyone else here with rosascea?

[Skidmore]

I have had rosascea symptoms for the past 16 years. Flare ups were bad enough but I have the additional problem of folliculitis which meant that I not only got painful lesions but my skin would scale and peel around them. For quite a while I took Tetracycline daily and used topicals prescribed but nothing ever seemed to control it. I finally quit taking the tetracycline because of the stomach problems it caused me and I felt my quality of life was better without the abdominal cramping and other GI side effects. Anyway, I lived through years of very painful flare-ups as a result. The dermatologist used to recommend washing with a soap like Zest This past year I began using an organic goat's milk soap with lavender made locally by the woman who owns our little organic grocery market. It has made a huge difference in the texture of my skin and the flare-ups gradually became less severe and lesions healed quicker with no folliculitis. Recently, she began making a salve of beeswax, tea tree and lavender essential oils, and canola oil. It is the consistency of a finely milled petroleum jelly. I tried it on my face several weeks ago and have begun using it as a daily moisturizer. My face is clear and my skin has improved even more. I have had no flare ups since then. I have had such a hard time with commercially made products over the years that I had quit trying. A bar of goat's milk soap at $4.00 and $2.50 for this salve is saving me the costs of trips to the dermatologist to get prescriptions that don't seem to work. This combination appears to be working for me and I can feel the difference. It feels good not to have the skin of my face hurt.

I just wanted to pass this on because someone else may want to consider removing commercially made products from their skin regimine or to try something really basic.

[The empressof all]

1. I've had similar experiences

I tried many prescriptive topicals and oral treatments with minimal improvement. For the past year I've been using a gentle soap and follow with a retinol night cream by ROC. I also use Mineral Makeup to cover up if I'm going somewhere special and feel I need to even out the skin tone. Overall, I believe there has been a sizable improvement in the texture, tone and color of my skin. I don't know if it's just coincidental or what...but it looks better.

I also regularly use a tea tree oil shampoo as my husband has psoriasis and it helps control scaling on his scalp. He will use nothing else. Tea Tree is a natural anti fungal and have also used the oil on my "ickie toe" with moderate results.

[zanne]

2. Wow. My sister had painful laser treatments for her rosacea.

They worked, but it was very painful and expensive. I'm glad you've found something topical that helps.

[Connonym]

3. I'm struggling with a flare up for the last several months

It's humiliating to go to work with my skin looking so awful. I literally wake up with new folliculitis every single morning. Sometimes 5 or 6 new ones plus cystic lumps. I've been using so much topical stuff that my face is now not only red and lumpy it's also flaky and peeling. I've been using a rosascea "system" (sort of like Proactive) that I got at Target. It specifically helps reduce redness and it's more gentle than regular acne meds. I've been spot treating with tea tree oil -- I hate the scent but it really works wonders and I've been meticulous about using my pillow case 1 night per side and then changing. I'm tempted to go on Accutane again as I had about 8 years of good skin after taking a course of it. The only problem is that it made me lose hair and I've been weighing which is worse, thinner hair (it's already thin) or terrible skin. :sigh: It's not fair that my 15 year old has better skin than I do.

[Warpy]

4. I stopped getting acne breakouts

when I discovered Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap. In addition, the labels are better than Jokes for the John.

I now buy the stuff by the half gallon and use it for everything.