Diagnosed With Rosacea? Use Coconut Oil For Rosacea Treatment

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the skin especially the face. Often cheeks, forehead and chin are the areas that are mostly involved. If left untreated the condition could worsen. Rosacea commonly affects women between the ages of 40 to 50 years especially those who are fair-skinned. It affects approximately 45 million people worldwide. There are four types of rosacea:

Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR) – ETA is associated with intense redness of the facial skin, frequent flushing, and visible blood vessels.
Papulopustular rosacea – Papulopustular rosacea is commonly misdiagnosed and treated as acne. It is associated with acne-like symptoms and often affects middle-aged women.
Ocular rosacea – This subtype affects the area around your eyes.
Phymatous rosacea- Phymatous rosacea is associated with the thickening of the skin on the nose and is usually common in men.

Causes of Rosacea

The exact cause of rosacea is unknown but it could be a combination of hereditary and environmental factors. Some of the factors that could trigger rosacea are:

Exposure to extreme temperatures
Exercising strenuously
Severe sunburns
Excessive exposure to sunlight
Stress
Anxiety
Cold wind
Excessive consumption of hot and spicy food
Alcohol
Foods and beverages that contain caffeine

Also Read: Rosacea: Causes & Treatment

Symptoms of Rosacea

Each subtype of rosacea has its symptoms:

Symptoms of ETR – Symptoms of ETR include visibly broken blood vessels, burning skin, swollen skin, redness and flushing in the Centre of the face, dry, rough skin.
Symptoms of acne rosacea – Oily skin, sensitive skin, raised patches of skin, acne-like breakout and red skin are some of the symptoms of acne rosacea.
Symptoms of ocular rosacea – Symptoms of ocular rosacea include itchy eyes, bloodshot and watery eyes, broken blood vessels on the eye, swollen eyelids, damage to the cornea, burning eyes, and diminished vision.
Symptoms of Phymatous rosacea – Large pores, visibly broken vessels, thick skin on the nose, bumpy skin texture.

Diagnosis of Rosacea

No specific test exists for rosacea. The diagnosis of rosacea is based on symptoms and physical examination of the patient’s skin. However to rule out certain underlying medical conditions some other tests may be prescribed.

Preventive Measures for Rosacea

Use sunscreen whenever you are going out on a sunny day. It should at least contain SPF 30. You need to make sure that your face remains protected from the UV rays.
Use gentle skincare products. Avoid using skincare products, cleanser and creams with harsh ingredients, alcohol and fragrance.
Using a moisturizer can be particularly helpful to your skin in cold weather conditions.
Massaging your face gently by rubbing the skin in slow circular motions also helps in relaxing your face.
You need to keep a check on what you are eating. Rosacea breakout can be triggered by certain foods. Make sure that you are taking a good diet with anti-inflammatory foods. Try including plenty of organic fruits and vegetables in your diet and avoid using processed and sugary foods.

Coconut oil is extracted from fresh coconuts. It is considered to be rich in antioxidants, fatty acids and helps in moisturization as well as in repairing your skin. Some anecdotal evidence does support that coconut oil can be used as a homemade remedy for the treatment of rosacea but any clinical research doesn’t show any such evidence.

Using Coconut Oil For Rosacea

Using Coconut Oil For Rosacea

Rosacea, a common chronic skin condition usually affects a person’s face. Coconut oil helps in nourishing and conditioning your skin and hair. It acts as a great natural remedy for several skin conditions including eczema, hives, rosacea etc. People suffering from rosacea have found coconut oil to be an effective skincare treatment. Some people prefer to apply coconut oil at night as the oil may leave a bit of sheen on your face before it fully gets absorbed into the skin. Use coconut oil daily to keep your rosacea symptoms at bay. It may not be an exact cure for rosacea but it does help in effectively controlling it. It is an inexpensive and effective tool that works to fight rosacea.

Is the Use of Coconut Oil of any Benefit?

Coconut oil has the potential to treat symptoms of Rosacea as it contains lauric acid which is soothing for irritated skin. It mainly helps in the treatment of symptoms of rosacea on your cheeks and nose and underneath your eyes. Rosacea can be more visible on your face due to exposure to toxins in the air as well as in your diet, coconut oil containing antioxidant qualities help in controlling it. It combats the effect of oxidative stress and helps in the regeneration of skin cells. This is less of an indication that the consumption of coconut oil would help treat rosacea while the idea is to apply some oil to your skin regularly.

How to Use is Coconut Oil in the Treatment of Rosacea?

If you are diagnosed with rosacea and are already taking medicines, don’t discontinue them. Discuss the idea of applying coconut oil to your skin with your doctor.

Coconut oil is usually solid at room temperature, take some amount of coconut oil and rub it between your palms so that it gets warmed up and the consistency becomes flowy to get absorbed into your skin. Do apply it to your face where the symptoms of Rosacea tend to occur. Use it around your eyes as coconut oil is safe for usage around your eyes. If you are allergic to coconut oil, a good idea would be to just try a little bit of oil on any skin patch and observe whether there are any side effects or not. If you don’t have any irritation or other reaction you are you can continue applying coconut oil to your face. Applying coconut oil at night is very beneficial since it allows maximum absorption.

Are There any Risks?

Coconut oil is considered to be a safe treatment for people struggling with different types of skin problems. But if you are allergic to coconut oil and are observing side effects make sure that you discontinue the use of it. If your skin is prone to acne, and you are noticing that your acne breakout is increasing make sure to discontinue the usage of coconut oil as coconut oil clogs your skin pores if it doesn’t get absorbed properly.