Natural Remedies for Rosacea

I was diagnosed with rosacea about 2 years ago and used the antibiotics and MetroGel with little results until a few months ago they just completely stopped working. I have slight redness, but my biggest problem is the tiny bumps that cover my entire forehead and the round patches on both of my cheeks. I decided to try a more natural approach.

I drink 4 ounces of water with 1 tablespoon of ACV twice per day (with breakfast and dinner), plus I use a cotton ball and gently swabbed the ACV all over my face, including around my hairline and down onto my neck. After about 10 days my rosacea improved by about 70%. I continued to do this for about two more weeks and my skin continued to improve, but the bumps did not completely disappear (about 90% of them did).

I began to add one drop of tea tree oil to my moisturizer at night and after 1 week my rosacea symptoms were gone... no more redness, no more bumps. At this point I am doing the following:

- drinking the ACV twice daily
- adding tea tree oil to my moisturizer about 5-6 nights per week
- using ACV topically on my face once per week
- changing my pillowcase twice per week and flipping it over after about 2 nights

I also wanted to mention that I was using a cleanser that exfoliated and I switched to a more natural, gentle cleanser and I think it also helped a lot. I am also avoiding moisturizer that has alpha-hydroxy and use a sunscreen with zinc.

ACV/Tea Tree for Rosacea: I have had rosacea for close to 15 years. It comes and goes as far as severity but tends to flare up in winter and this winter has been especially bad--extreme redness on cheeks and forehead, bumps and pustules etc. I can also attribute a lot of my problems to a poor diet the past few months.

Decided to take a 3 pronged approach starting in early february--clean up my diet, eliminate most processed foods, esp carbs and sweets, reduce alcohol consumption, use the ACV 2-3 times per day in water, and apply tea tree oil and a fragrance free moisturizer after showering in AM and before bedtime. The results have been dramatic. The redness and swelling in my face have gone down 80-90% in less then 2 weeks. My skin has become smooth and has a healthy shine to it and there are no more oozing red bumps, esp after washing with a washcloth. I still have some redness, but nothing that really stands out.

I have also been using turmeric for an unrelated foot issue, but I don't think that has had much of an effect on the rosacea.

Fortunately, I have not had to give up all the usual trigger foods, I can still drink daily coffee, enjoy some spicy foods, and the occasional beer as well.

Thanks Earth Clinic for your wonderful information. I am hooked on the ACV, it has also reduced the occasional humming in my ears, which I suspect was possibly due to slightly elevated blood pressure.