As April is Global Rosacea Awareness Month I’ve been sharing a lot of information about living with, and learning to control, rosacea. It’s a frustrating condition as it can be completely calm and soothed until BAM! Something changes. A tiny shift in routine, diet, or stress levels can result in a flare up of epic proportions. Which is why I wanted to talk about how to survive warm weather with rosacea.
This is a sponsored post in association with Frezyderm.
Personally I find spring the hardest time of year to have rosacea in the UK. You never know what weather you will have on a day to day basis: Two weekends ago I went to brunch with a friend and could feel my skin burning at 11am… last weekend I was so cold I was shivering with four layers on! The return of warmer weather is guaranteed to make my rosacea flare up so I’ve put together my top six tips on how to survive warm weather with rosacea:
1.Those who have been reading my blog for a while will already know what I’m about to say… SPF. You should be wearing SPF every single day anyway, because your fragile and reactionary skin needs it, but when it’s warmer you definitely need it. Many people don’t like sunscreens because they feel heavy or sticky, or they leave a white cast on the skin, or they clog the pores and give you spots. I’ve been trialling the Frezyderm Sun Screen Velvet Face SPF 50+* for the past month and it passes all of the above tests with flying colours: It’s a silky, clear gel (so there’s no Casper-face to be seen!); it leaves your skin feeling and looking smooth and matte with no greasy residue, and it sits perfectly under make up. It’s designed to absorb sebum for six hours which I can attest to – I’ve only been using a separate primer on top of this if I plan on being out of the house for the whole day. It’s also broad spectrum, which means it protects from UVA and UVB rays.
2. I cannot recommend fans enough. I always have an electronic handheld fan in my handbag when the temperature heats up. This means that wherever I am (the tube, a meeting, the Topshop changing rooms… seriously, why are they so warm? WHY.) I can whip out my fan and instantly feel cooler. I would also recommend investing in a room fan if you tend to get warm during the night, mine has saved me on those airless nights where you lie awake sweating with a horrible burning face!
3. My skincare tends to change with the seasons. I leave behind heavier night creams and oils and head towards light, thin layers of cooling creams and gels. I also reach for specialised creams more often – these are products that slot into your existing skincare routine but are there when your skin sends up a SOS. It’s stressed, red, itchy and sore and it needs a little something extra. This month I’ve been using the Frezyderm Sensitive Red Skin Facial Cream* every day and my skin is so much happier. I think the reduction in overall redness is only noticeable to me and maybe my husband who sees me everyday, but what has made a huge difference to me is the way my skin feels after using this: soothed and calm, it doesn’t flare up as quickly, and when they do happen the flare ups last a shorter time. It’s free of flare-up-triggering ingredients (as defined by the National Rosacea Society) and is also hydrating so can be used either as your moisturising step or as an additional boost in your skincare routine.
4. During warmer months, every time I go to a restaurant or bar I ask for a separate glass filled with ice cubes. Chewing or sucking on ice can help to reduce the heat in your face and can head off a flare up quickly, without drawing attention to yourself. You can also run the ice cubes along the pulse points on your wrists, which also helps to cool you down.
5. The shade is your new best friend. When I’m out in the warmer months, I skulk from shadow to shadow like a sparkly vampire (much to the annoyance of my beer-garden-loving husband!) If there is no shade, or you want to get a little bit of that delicious Vitamin D on your pasty limbs, you should at least invest in an enormous hat. Pair it with some huge sunglasses and channel Audrey Hepburn, darling!
6. If you can’t go without make up even when it’s hotting up outside, try to find beauty products that are suitable for the higher temperatures. Frezyderm Sensitive Red Skin Tinted SPF 30 Cream* not only boasts SPF30, but is also tinted and gives a good amount of coverage. It’s not enough to cover my redness completely, but I’ve been putting this on on the days when I need something to make me feel confident but don’t want to spend 45 minutes doing my make up. It’s soothing and comfortable to wear with no tight, greasy, or stifling feeling.
I’ve included some photos below: in the first gallery I’ve applied the Frezyderm Sensitive Red Skin Tinted SPF30 Cream to one side of my face so you can see the coverage; and in the second I’ve shown it with the rest of my make up (concealer on my under-eyes and cheeks, and loose powder to set). If you’re looking for something more casual and lightweight, perhaps for a holiday or just as an everyday product, this could be The One.
Do you have any tips on how to survive warm weather with rosacea? What do you struggle with most when it comes to your skin? Let me know in the comments below!
Looking for some next steps?
- Follow me on INSTAGRAM for lots of rosacea updates.
- Get more information on rosacea and my journey so far in my ROSACEA FAQ POST.
- Join my private rosacea FACEBOOK GROUP.
- And – exciting news! – I’ve just launched some digital downloads to help you get to grips with your rosacea: grab the Rosacea Trigger Checklist and the Rosacea Flare Up Diary.
Lex
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