A question I’m asked over and over again is how best to treat rosacea. This isn’t surprising as us Irish have the highest incidence of rosacea in the world, due to our Celtic fair skin ancestry. Rosacea is often referred to as “the curse of the celts! 1 in 10 of the adult population suffer from rosacea and it mainly affects those who are fair skinned the most.
Thankfully help is at hand with Irish owned skincare brand,Finca Skin Organics, which was formulated by a rosacea sufferer for rosacea sufferers! Finca Skin Organics specifically treats rosacea and sensitive skin with a range of products that are plant based, effective AND affordable! Their philosophy is to provide accessible skin care products to anyone who has physical and/or emotional discomfort with their skin due to conditions such as rosacea. They’ve a minimal ingredients list, free of perfumes, as recommended by dermatologists for those with sensitive skin including rosacea. They also use gentle preservatives.
Finca Skin Organics was created by rosacea sufferer, Finola Fegan, for people with very sensitive skin, after lots of research and years of searching for a product that would ease the discomfort of her rosacea. Any that Finola tried were full of chemicals or additives that only increased her sensitivity, so she decided to create her own, minimal ingredients, all-naturalplant based products. She knew that she needed a simple formula with a short list of ingredients that were all natural, and this is exactly what Finca Skin Organics is.
The range is also clinically proven and was tested by Harley Street dermatologists, and in their recent study on 28 subjects after eight weeks of use they found;
87% felt their skin improved significantly.
100% said their skin felt comfortable after.
95% rated Finca Skin Organics over 7 out of 10 at treating rosacea symptoms
When compared to other products 91% preferred Finca Skin Organics!
Pretty impressive eh!
So without further ado, here is the full range of Finca Skin Organics products.
CALMING SERUM 1
This is especially developed for sensitive skin including rosacea subtype 1 (more on that below). It’s a soothing serum for dry and sensitive skin that reduces redness and inflammation, repairs the skins barrier, and holds in moisture. It contains rosehip seed, jojoba, and argan oil, as well as hyaluronic acid.
CALMING SERUM 2
This is a soothing serum for acne prone, irritated skin, that relieves facial redness, swelling, excess oil and bumps. It’s the best seller in the range. It’s specifically developed for sensitive skin including skin prone to subtype 2 acne rosacea. This contains tea tree oil, oregano oil, and liquorice root extract, all of which are anti-inflammatory.
MOISTURISING BALM
Whichever serum you use, like all serums, they’ll work best when sealed in with a moisturiser and this rich, ultra-moisturising balm with lots of seed oils including organic rosehip and Shea, soothes and hydrates the skin. It’s suitable for both dry and acne prone skin and it improves the skin barrier which in turn reduces facial redness.
ANTI REDNESS PRIMER
This is a green tinted primer, and it provides colour correction for under makeup or on its own without the long list of chemicals included in so many colour correcting alternatives!
TINTED SPF
UV light is the number one trigger of flare ups, so this is vitally important if you suffer from rosacea. The tint covers redness, and the SPF creates a barrier, protecting skin from harmful rays that impair the barrier and trigger flare ups. It’s a physical sunscreen with only seven ingredients unlike chemical alternatives which can contain over 30! It comes in two shades, light/medium and medium/dark.
There are two types of rosacea and in order to choose the correct products for you, you need to figure out which type you are first.
SUBTYPE 1
SYMPTOMS
This is characterised by facial skin that’s easily irritated with prolonged bouts of flushing & blushing on the central areas of the face, the appearance of small widened blood vessels on the skin, and a feeling of tightness, especially after showers. Skin may also be swollen and sensitive with a stinging burning sensation, as well as dry, rough, flaky or sensitive.
CAUSES
The root cause isn’t known it’s thought to be hereditary and down to genetics, affecting fair skinned people the most. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth is also recognised as a cause,and as many studies show, there is a strong link between our gut and skin. A probiotic supplement may be helpful, one of which is included in a Finca Skin Organics bundle on their website.
CURES
There’s no known treatment, only correct treatment can help prevent its progression and there’s currently no drugs approved to treat it either. Using anti-inflammatoryingredients, as contained in Finca Skin Organics, will help too, as it’s the breakdown of the skins protective barrier that aggravates it, but this can be strengthened with the right ingredients.
MANAGEMENT
Identify your triggers and eliminate them by keeping a rosacea diary to identify your personal triggers from foods, drinks, or activities, so you can make links when you experience flare ups. The main recognised triggers are alcohol, smoking, sun exposure, harsh skincare ingredients, spicy food, hot baths, showers and saunas, steroids, and some cosmetics.
TREATMENTS
Laser and diathermy needle therapy are proven effective options.
SKINCARE ROUTINE
A routine that avoids potential irritants and uses the less ingredients the better, which is exactly what Finca Skin Organics does, is the best routine. Cleanse gently, avoid foaming cleansers, or use a cleansing oil, as it won’t strip or aggravate skin. Use actives with caution, bakuchiol is a gentler alternative to retinol & CoQ10 is a gentler alternative to vitamin C. The only exfoliating acids suitable for rosacea are azeliac & PHA.
Use a green tinted primer to disguise redness. Mineral makeup is less likely to aggravate than regular makeup. Use a physical sunscreen as it won’t irritate like chemical sunscreens can.
SUBTYPE 2
Also called acne rosacea, PPR rosacea or inflammatory rosacea, subtype 2 is often mistaken for acne because it causes acne like breakouts, red spots and pimples that come and go. There’s no known connection between acne and rosacea,however. The key difference to acne is that there aren’t generally blackheads and whiteheads when acne is the culprit. This type mainly occurs in middle age and with more women than men.
SYMPTOMS
It’s generally an oily condition, unlike subtype 1, and it’s always associated with some bumps or texture. As well as spots of pimples, sufferers may have temporary or persistent redness mainly on central areas of the face. There can also be stinging/burning, visible broken blood vessels, and raised red scaly patches on skin, so it’s a very distressing skin condition.
CAUSES
It can be caused by a number of different things. Genetics, environmental triggers, issues with facial blood vessels, nervous/immune system, or the presence of dermodex mites.
MANAGEMENT
Like subtype 1, keeping a rosacea diary will help to identify your triggers and eliminate them. Common environmental triggers include sun exposure, emotional stress, hot weather, wind, strenuous exercise, alcohol consumption, hot baths, cold weather, spicy food, humidity, and certain skincare ingredients. Avoid these ingredients in skincare - alcohol, menthol, witch hazel, exfoliating acids (apart from azeliac or pha), exfoliating scrubs, fragrance, treatment acids, such as retinoic acid and ascorbic acid (hyaluronic acid is fine!), and certain essential oils such as peppermint and eucalyptus. Follow the skincare routine advice as per subtype 1 also.
Subtype 2 comes in 3 grades.
Mild - a few pimples and some redness.
Moderate - characterised by several pustules and quite a bit of redness.
Severe - characterised by lots of pimples/pustules alongside persistent redness.
Moderate and severe can be treated with topical therapies and oral treatments.
CONCLUSION
Rosacea is quite a distressing condition but there are online communities to help you feel less alone. There’s lots of support on the Finca Skin Organics website too. You can also have a combination of type 1 and 2 so when in doubt, always consult your doctor or dermatologist as the condition differs
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