Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by facial redness most prevalent on the cheeks, nose, forehead, and around the eyes. It affects women three times more than men. Although rosacea appears on the surface of the body, its causes usually run deeper: food allergies or intolerances; leaky gut; foods that contain high levels of histamine; small‐intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO); and alcohol, spicy foods, and hot beverages.
Start by eliminating from your diet alcohol, spicy foods, hot beverages, and foods that contain high levels of histamine (or cause your body to produce a lot of histamine): chocolate, alcoholic beverages (especially those containing sulfites), cheese, soy sauce, sauerkraut, processed meat, fish, and many processed foods. If doing so fixes the problem, you can reintroduce these foods slowly to determine which are causing the problem. Also avoid taking steroids, which worsen the condition.
Next, get tested. Team up with your healthcare provider to test for food allergies and sensitivities, leaky gut syndrome, and SIBO.
If testing doesn’t uncover the root cause of your rosacea and nothing you’ve tried has worked to cure the condition, try one or more of the following natural treatments:
Vascular laser: Available through skin care centers, dermatologists, and so on.
Intense pulsed light (broad spectrum): Available through skin care centers. You can purchase your own machine online for home use.
Sandalwood oil: Using a cotton ball, apply liberally several times daily.
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane): Take 1,000 mg three times daily.
Silymarin: Take 250 mg twice daily.
Zinc: 20 mg zinc glycinate chelate twice daily.
Pancreatic enzymes: With every meal, take 50,000 USP protease; 50,000 USP amylase; and 5,500 USP lipase.
B vitamins: Purchase a formula containing the more bioavailable forms of the entire spectrum of B vitamins and follow the label instructions.
If you’re diagnosed with having SIBO, follow the low‐FODMAP diet and alternate the following natural treatments every two or three weeks:
Herbs: Dill, wormwood (Artemisia), horsetail, thyme, Pau D’Arco, stinging nettle, olive leaf, and yarrow. Look for a proprietary blend of these herbs and take 2,000 mg three times daily.
Oil of oregano: Take 550 mg three times daily for two weeks. Oil of oregano may be caustic, so use with caution and decrease your dosage if necessary.
Berberine HCL: Take 500 mg per meal.