Hello Skinlovers.
I just came across this lovely little piece and thought I would show it to you guys….
It is about Rosacea.
MZ. VELOUR FEB. 06
This Month Mz. Velour tackles the problem of high colouring, in her usual hands on, no-holds-barred manner. She explains and advises on Rosacea and what to do about it.
Q:
Dear Mz. V. I have a problem, people think I am blushing all the time, how can I counteract that and what products can I use to lessen it?
Yours Rosie.
A:
Dear Rosie, and the name fits, what you are probably suffering from is a mild form of ROSACEA! The medical definition of it is: “A chronic disease of the flush areas of the face which leads to permanent Hypermia.” (This is the abbreviated version). The skin of the face is so thin, translucent, and fragile that it constantly has a high red colouring which intensifies under stress. The general consensus is that it was internal. The causes were generally thought to be the following:
- Nervousness.
- Excessive use of Coffee and/or Tea.
- Excessive use of Alcohol.
- Menopause.
- Constipation.
- Functional gastric disorders.
- Overeating.
- Diseases of the gall bladder.
- Smoking.
- Riboflavin deficiencies.
Doctors have also concluded that it is genetic too, most sufferers are light skinned or fair as we call them. There have been several cures, from the mild (topical lotions and creams) to the extreme (surgery).
To be truthful there’s rarely a cure, but you can alleviate some of the symptoms by monitoring what you put into your body, what you expose your skin to, and taking care of your mental health.
What you are generally asked to avoid are the following:
- Hot Beverages: Tea, coffee, but you can drink 1 cup of warm (not hot) coffee or tea in the morning.
- Foods: Spices, gravies, condiments, rich foods, rich sauces, hot soups, hot foods, hot drinks, sweets and iodised table salts.
- Alcohol in general.
- Sunlight.
- Stress.
- Smoking in all its forms, second hand smoke, cigarettes, cigar and water pipe smoke.
Treatments:
Internal: Usually prescriptions for antibiotics, hormones, mineral & vitamin supplements.
Topical: mild soaps, creams that are specifically targeting Rosacea such as products by Aveéne (found in pharmacies), and ampoules created by most cosmetic companies, I recommend the desensitising ampoules by Marbert (Abu Shakra stores). I also recommend the cold masks found in most beauty stores (Body Shop and Natural Looks) these masks are usually filled with a blue liquid, you place them in the fridge and use when necessary; You can also make a skin tonic out of green tea, chamomile, lavender oil and sage and use it as a cold compress on the whole face. Another way of trying to control it is using your expired eye drops (the ones that remove the redness, they usually contain vasoconstrictors to minimise the veins in the eyes), put the bottle in the fridge and use after your skin tonic and before your moisturiser (which you also put in the fridge), the trick here is to keep your face cooled down. You can also add a few drops of peppermint/ mint oils to your moisturiser. Full coverage foundations are a blessing if you want to use them. Or also Liquid mineral ones.
But please in the case of trying to use make-up steer clear of those horrid green primers that supposedly reduce the redness, if you use that and you add a foundation you will turn greyish in the face, your best bet is to buy what we call “Red Neutralisers” a lot of brands make them and they are like a foundation or a concealer but not green in colour.
Here’s how you apply it:
When it comes to makeup, most of us know the most common items: foundation, blush, powder, mascara, lipstick, etc. Even women who don’t wear makeup are aware of what each items does. However, you may not know as much as you think about the world of cosmetics. If the terms “neutralizer” and “color corrector” aren’t familiar to you, it’s time to learn a few new things.
The first thing to know is that neutralizers and color correctors are actually one in the same. Many cosmetic manufacturers use the terms interchangeably so don’t be misled by what you read on the labels. As the name implies, color correctors allow you to “correct” any discolorations or hard to conceal blemishes on your complexion. The term “neutralizer” comes into play due to the fact that this makeup item neutralizes the problem color/discoloration by applying its opposing color over it. Common skin problems that can be solved with color correctors include under eye circles and redness from rosacea.
In terms of skin color, color correctors and neutralizers deal with the concept of the skin’s undertones. Our skin undertones are either red/warm or blue/cool. The skin itself contains four types of pigments (color). Carotene pigments create the skin’s yellow tones, melanin is the predominant pigment that causes the skin to become darker when exposed to direct sunlight, oxygenated hemoglobin pigments make the blood red, and the reduced hemoglobin pigment creates the blue of our veins that can often be seen through the skin. So what does this have to do with your complexion and treating skin issues and how can it be done?
In order to use a neutralizer properly, you’ll need to know what your skin’s natural undertones are and what opposing color to use on your discoloration, redness or blemish. For those with yellow skin undertones, you’ll want to opt for a neutralizer that contains a lilac color corrector. This will create the appearance of an evenly toned complexion. Beige complexions contain blue or green undertones. Yellow color correctors will address skin issues with blue undertones, while pink color correctors work well against green undertones. Peachy-orange color correctors can tackle problems for brown skin that contains blue and gray undertones.
The great thing about neutralizers is that you use them the same way you would a concealer. Using a concealer brush or your fingers, apply tiny drops of the neutralizer onto your problem area(s). Because the color corrector can become tainted by your bare fingers, use a small spatula or cotton swab to gather the corrector and then apply that to your fingertips to use instead of putting your fingers right into the corrector. Once the neutralizer is on your skin, gently blend the color over the area as you would regular concealer. When choosing a color corrector to use, avoid formulas that are dry. This makes it hard to blend naturally into your complexion.
Again I repeat avoid the green coloured neutralisers and primers if you have excessively high redness.
You might ask your dermatologist about IPL if that would help in treating your condition if not resort and stick to make-up.
I know you might think that it is a curse, but really you shouldn’t care what people think, this is what nature decided for you. If you are still worried, then you can also explore the surgery option, I know the flushing of the skin, the hot flashes, sometime excessive sweating, and the constant feeling of an engine overheating is uncomfortable but remember medications and surgery are rarely without complications and should be used only in extreme circumstances.
So my dear I hope this answers your question
Be safe and be careful.
Here are some pages to visit if you need some treatments &/or mkup coverage:
http://www.megamakeupstore.com/makeup-concealer.htm
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