The ESK blog

Your Rosacea in Summer

16 January 2022

Dr Ginni Mansberg

Summer is here and for people with Rosacea, this can mean battling the burning, stinging, redness and pimples we know and love. Rosacea is one of our passions here at ESK so we thought we’d take a look at how to take care of your skin as the weather heats up.

First, a recap - what is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic, relapsing and remitting inflammatory skin condition that mainly affects the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead and eyes. You will get a combination of redness, phymas, papules and pustules (all various pimples), telangiectasia (dilated blood vessels that look like red veins on your face) and flushing. For 50% of Rosacea sufferers, the eyes are also affected, feeling irritated and watery and even looking bloodshot. It’s common among women, especially white women and tends to hit after age 30. For more info on Rosacea, download our FREE Rosacea e-book HERE !

How does summer affect rosacea?

According to a recent National Rosacea Society survey, 81% of Rosacea sufferers rank sun exposure as their biggest trigger. Hot weather is a major cause of flare ups for 75%, only beaten by sun and stress which comes in at 79%. So, with 2 out of the biggest 3 triggers for Rosacea ramping up in summer, no wonder it is the season for flare ups!

So, what can you do?

1. Avoid your triggers

Your journey with Rosacea will be better if you know (so can avoid) your triggers as much as possible. They are different for many people so putting some time into getting to know yours is a good investment! In summer, for most people avoiding your triggers means staying cool, avoiding the sun altogether between 11am and 2pm and wearing a hat and good sunglasses. At all other times from sunup to sundown, you’ll need…

2. Sunscreen

Given that sun is such a huge trigger for Rosacea skin, avoiding UVA and UVB radiation is key for managing Rosacea in every season. In 2017, a National Rosacea Society Expert Committee in the USA developed and published a set of useful guidelines for the management of Rosacea. The expert panel recommended people with Rosacea use mineral AKA inorganic sunscreens that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. This is because these sunscreens are broad spectrum, so they protect you against both UVA and UVB rays. Plus, they do not produce heat as a by-product. Mineral sunscreens, like ESK’s Zinc Shade primarily reflect and secondarily absorb ultraviolet radiation.

Zinc Shade

Zinc Shade is a lightweight matte day cream and primer. Its non-greasy, matte finish allows for smooth application and works well under makeup.

We spent countless iterations perfecting this lightweight, non-greasy formula to avoid the typical white cast and thick feel of zinc products. The results? A matte finish that works beautifully under makeup. With well tolerated matte finish, it's also well suited to irritable and blemish and bump prone skin. With SPF 15 it also provides broad-spectrum sun protection against UVA and UVB rays.

Key features:

Lightweight, matte formula suitable for daily use
Smooth application with minimal white cast
Broad-spectrum UV protection
Tested SPF 15 with enhanced UVA coverage

Usage: Apply evenly to all exposed areas of skin before sun exposure. Reapply as needed throughout the day.

3. Use GENTLE skincare

People with Rosacea often have skin that is sensitive and easily irritated. Doctors try to preserve the integrity of the skin barrier and avoid any ingredients that aggravate inflammation or flushing like perfumes or many common preservatives in skincare. Dermatologists specifically recommend avoiding soap and opting instead for soap free cleansers like ESK’s Calming Cleanser and patting your skin dry, rather than roughly towelling your face after cleansing.

Calming Cleanse

Our Calming Cleanser is a non-foaming, coconut sugar-based formula with a gentle pH of 4.5-5, making it ideal for sensitive skin types, including those with eczema and rosacea.

This creamy cleanser effectively removes impurities while preserving the skin’s natural hydration and pH balance. Its non-soap formula minimises irritation and dryness, providing a soothing cleanse without disrupting the skin barrier.

Designed for sensitive skin, Calming Cleanser avoids harsh ingredients like astringents, camphor, and menthol, which can trigger irritation. Gentle yet thorough, it supports a healthy microbiome and barrier, leaving skin calm, soft, and ready for the next step in your routine.

Featuring;

A coconut sugar base with soothing botanical
A thorough yet gentle cleanse
Suitable for daily use and even as a make-up remover

A creamy soap-free cleanser for skin that needs a gentle, silky wash.

Coconut based with soothing botanicals
Leaves skin clear & hydrated
May be used as a make-up remover

4. Other cosmeceuticals

With its proven effects on improving skin barrier function, there is increasing evidence that Niacinamide plays an important role for people with Rosacea, especially those with sensitive skin. Retinal, which is the most well tolerated and most effective form of vitamin A has been found to be beneficial for people with Rosacea. We are talking less redness, less pimples and even less dilated blood vessels.

5. Prescriptions that can work.

A trip to the doctor might be on the cards if none of this works. A six-to-12-week course of oral antibiotics reduce the severity of any papules and pustules, as well as the eye symptoms of Rosacea. Ivermectin 1% cream is used to combat the Demodex mites that have been shown to be clustered in the pores of people with Rosacea. Cream containing 15 or 20% azelaic acid reduces redness and pimple count. Another option for people who have more flushing than pimples is Brimonidin 0.5%e gel that temporarily reduces redness. It can cause irritation and burning and the other big issue is the cost. But a good option if your daughter is getting married and having a red burning face for wedding photos is a grim prospect.

There you have it! Wishing you a CALM, cool and wonderful summer!

Shop ESK's Rosacea Kit:

Rosacea Skincare Kit - Anti Redness

With evidence-based ingredients to help hydrate, calm and support the skin barrier. This kit includes:

a soap-free, emollient-rich cleanser that gently removes impurities.
A matte, Zinc based day cream with broad-spectrum sun protection, to gently help shield from UV rays—a common skin trigger;
Moisturisers with skin barrier builders like ceramides, panthenol and niacinamide, (all in our Repair +) help reduce water loss and strengthen the skin barrier;

Finally, our Ultimate A Gold (retinal) night cream with Retinal, the most gentle and effective form of Vitamin A and PHAs to gently hydrated and exfoliate. Thoughtfully designed for calm, clear, and comfortable skin.

Key Features:

Formulations to support skin hydration and barrier function.
Ingredients to help manage the appearance of redness.
Gentle, non-irritating formulations suitable for irritable skin, moody or sensitive skin.

We've swapped Ultimate A with the new Ultimate A Gold. If you prefer Ultimate A, you can build your own kit here.

*Ultimate A Gold (Retinal) may transfer onto white or light-coloured fabrics. For best results, we recommend using darker clothing or surfaces to avoid visible marks.