Holistic advice for rosacea

Rosacea is not just about the skin – it's also about what's going on inside the body. Learn holistic advice for rosacea. Here's what Ayurveda and Chinese medicine say you can do to alleviate your symptoms.

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that often causes redness, flushing, and sensitivity . In Ayurveda (traditional Indian health science), rosacea is often seen as an imbalance of too much “fire” (in Ayurveda, this is called Pitta), which can make the skin hot, reactive, and easily irritated.

Rosacea can be triggered by several things, such as diet, stress, gut health, strong emotions, overwork, and little or irregular sleep . Therefore, it can be useful to work holistically: with rituals that calm the body , better sleep routines – and foods that support the skin and can help reduce inflammation .

Rosacea - intestinal imbalance ?

Many people with rosacea also experience an imbalance in their gut, which in turn can affect inflammation throughout the body. When the gut flora is imbalanced, it can trigger an immune response and cause increased skin reactivity. Many people with IBS and other gut challenges also get rosacea. To reduce rosacea, it may be a good idea to strengthen your gut by eating more vegetables and anti-inflammatory foods that support the gut.

Stress management - add breaks to your daily routine

Stress is one of the most common triggers of rosacea and can exacerbate redness, heat, and flare-ups. When the body goes on “alert” over time, inflammation levels increase and the skin becomes more reactive. Small breaks in everyday life—like calm breathing, a walk (preferably in nature), or a good screen break—can make a big difference. The goal is to signal safety to the nervous system and give the skin better working conditions.

Stress for the body is not always what we think of as “stress” in everyday life. The body can also experience stress from little movement, a lot of sitting still, and too little circulation—even if we feel like we are “relaxing.” When the body does not get to use its muscles and the lymphatic system is kept more passive, it can affect hormone balance, inflammation, and skin tolerance. Therefore, regular, gentle movement can be an important part of stress management.

Sleep- repair processes

Sleep is one of the most important foundations for skin health and hormonal balance. Deep sleep activates the body's repair processes, which support the skin's cell renewal, barrier function and collagen production. Too little or irregular sleep can increase cortisol (the stress hormone), which in turn can contribute to more inflammation and trigger skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and eczema. At the same time, reduced melatonin and growth hormone can weaken the skin's ability to recover and protect itself from oxidative stress. Regular, sufficient sleep gives the body better conditions to calm down, regulate hormones and keep the skin in balance. 

Tip! The ideal sleep routine is to go to bed before or at the latest at 10pm and get up around 6am.  

Ayurvedic dietary advice that reduces rosacea

In Ayurveda, rosacea is often seen as a sign of internal heat and imbalance, which they call “pitta imbalance.” Therefore, foods that cool and calm the body are recommended: cooked vegetables, mild soups, basmati rice, cucumber, coriander, and mint. 

Eat more of this:

• Hot foods such as soup, wok and stews
• Pure ingredients. Cook with pure ingredients and avoid ultra-processed foods.
• Eat more vegetables: These varieties are especially good, but vegetables in general are very good. Squash, cucumber, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, turmeric, celery, fennel, spinach (lightly steamed), herbs.
• Eat more herbs: Mint and coriander are especially good 
• Drink enough water. Water reduces acidity in the body and get enough water throughout the day.
• Choose berries over fruit. Blueberries are great.
• Choose honey and dates over sugar.
• Replace coffee with a rosacea-friendly “Golden Milk”
• Choose oatmeal instead of bread for breakfast.
• Choose chicken, fish and game meat over red meat.
• Choose oat milk and coconut milk over milk. 

Spicy foods, chilli, alcohol, caffeine, coffee, acidic foods and very hot drinks can increase heat and trigger flare-ups. Regular meals and warm, easily digestible foods can support both digestion and skin.

Known triggers for rosacea:

• Chilli, paprika, cayenne pepper, wasabi and spicy food.
• Tomato and sour fruits
• Avoid sugar and artificial sugars and limit fruit sugars.
• Fast carbohydrates. Wheat flour, pasta, etc. are broken down into glucose. 
• Caffeine
• Milk and dairy products such as cheese, yogurt. It often triggers less when it is heat-treated than cold.
• Raw onions and garlic
• Alcohol