COUPEROSE AND ROSACEA: PREVENTION AND COSMETICS

HOW TO CLASSIFY AND INTERPRET SKIN REDNESS: COUPEROSE AND ROSACEA.

A great many writers, from Dante to Goldoni, Ariosto to Manzoni, have written about that more or less modest redness that flushed the faces of some of their young muses or leading ladies.

Let’s take, for example, that virtuous maiden Lucia in “The Betrothed”:

...And when she heard the name of Don Rodrigo...

“Ah!” she exclaimed, blushing and trembling, “has it come to this point!” 

But also certain songs.

Remember that old Annette Hanshaw tune “…Say, rosy cheeks, Where ya goin' with those rosy cheeks”?

Call it professional distortion on our part, but the question arises unbidden:

and what if redness (and everything that has been written, filmed and painted on the subject) wasn’t due to beating hearts but sensitive skins?

“I thought it was love but it was rosacea.”

*Obviously we’re ironising here, we do not intend to relegate the inspiration that has given us hundreds of novels, paintings and film, etc. to a mere skin problem.

COUPEROSE: CHARACTERISTICS AND CAUSES

COUPEROSE

Couperose, as many of you will be aware, is one of the most common problems of sensitive and thin skins.

It is a condition that is more common among women, especially when over 30 years of age, but can also affect men (with an incidence of 20%).

It is fairly easy to recognise.

Have you ever seen those persistent red patches that form particularly on cheeks?

Well, that’s couperose.

These patches are caused by fragile capillaries that, due to sun, wind and temperature changes, as well as hot flushes or strong emotions, lose their elasticity, rupture and dilate, thus becoming visible.

LIKE THIS:

 

 

It is a skin condition that is found on the face, on the cheeks and cheekbones and at the sides of the nose, with a distinctive butterfly-like distribution.

It is not a medical disorder, rather it is considered a cosmetic and aesthetic problem.

It has several causes:

In addition to the usual GENETIC PREDISPOSITION, which is all-powerful and overlooks no one, there are certain factors that can cause an increase in the blood flow to the surface of the skin and exacerbate the problems. 

HERE’S THE BLACK LIST:

• ◾ FREQUENT EXPOSURE TO HARSH CLIMATIC CONDITIONS: sunlight, cold, humidity and wind.
• ◾ EMOTIONAL FACTORS (like stress), which can release substances similar to histamine.
• ◾ VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES, especially in vitamins C and PP.
• ◾ EXCESSIVE alcohol, smoke and spicy and very hot food.
• ◾ CHRONIC USE OF CORTISONES, which cause hormone dysfunctions.

Unless it is kept properly under control, from transient couperose can become chronic and evolve into ACNE ROSACEA.

ACNE ROSACEA: CHARACTERISTICS AND STAGES

Unfortunately, rosacea cannot be cured.

The aim is therefore to never reach this stage, but to intervene sooner!

It is therefore useful to understand the various stages of the condition and when to take action while there is still time.

Pre-rosacea stage (stage 1): the skin on the cheeks and nose appears flushed, slightly swollen and might tingle a little.

Vascular stage (stage 2): the skin appears red and swollen, with small blood vessels visible below the surface. This is the couperose stage.

Inflammatory stage (stage 3): furuncles (papules) develop, sometimes containing pus (pustules).

Advanced stage (stage 4): in some people, the skin around the nose thickens and takes on a red and swollen appearance (rhinophyma). In many cases, eye inflammation occurs, and the eyes become red, dry, itchy and watery, with a burning sensation, swollen eyelids, and increased sensitivity to light.

It is therefore essential to consult a dermatologist immediately, as soon as we realise we have this problem because, as we have already said, if action is taken at an early stage, it can be solved.

The longer one waits, the more invasive and less decisive the treatments will be.

Your doctor might prescribe the use of anti-inflammatory or disinfectant creams or, in the more complex cases, laser or diathermocoagulation treatments. 

COUPEROSE AND ROSACEA: PREVENTION AND GOOD HABITS

What can be done (immediately and at home) to keep couperose symptoms under control, is to ADOPT GOOD HABITS! In general, the harm is done by things that could inflame us, in all senses.

Things to do:

• - Eat food rich in vitamin C (berries are ideal).
• - Avoid hot and very spicy foods.
• - Reduce exposure to sunlight and protect the skin against atmospheric agents.
• - Cut down on alcohol, coffee and cigarettes.
• - Avoid constant, strenuous exercise.
• - Keep stress under control.

 

Some practical tips:

• • When washing your face avoid using water that is too hot or too cold. It should be lukewarm, because both heat and cold can damage the capillaries.
• • Before going outdoors, always apply a protective face cream. In the summer, opt for SPF 30 or 50. In the winter, opt for a cream that protects against the cold and wind.
• • Choose hypoallergenic and oil-free make-up products. Obviously, here it’s up to you to be careful when choosing the brand of make-up you use; my Overskin line was developed to protect and treat the skin, discover it here.
• • In the evening, remember to remove all traces of make-up. Does the much-talked-about “double-cleansing” ring a bell?
• •  Choose cosmetics that have been specially formulated for this problem and contain ingredients with a soothing, inflammation-reducing and redness-reducing action. We have been telling you about the INCI from the dawn of our first day on the Internet. But if you don’t want to waste time on endless research, we would suggest a certain...what’s it called?...Veralab. Ever heard of it?

VERALAB COSMETICS FOR THE MOST SENSITIVE SKINS

When dealing with couperose or rosacea, the basic rule is BE GENTLE, ALWAYS.

So here’s the super mild VeraLab BEAUTY ROUTINE:

1) In the morning, cleanse your skin with Micellar Water, or with our gentle More Soft foam, which soothes and hydrates without damaging the epidermis, and in the evening combine Olio Denso with Spumone, for a deeper cleanse.

 

SIERO #DEFENCE

53,00 €

2) Take care of your face with our siero #defence with soothing and decongestant properties. It helps to rebalance reactive skins prone to redness, exactly like those that suffer from couperose and rosacea. Its formulation is rich in antioxidant and vasoprotective active ingredients of natural origin (Centella extract, polyphenols that protect the microcirculation, natural and plant emulsifiers). 

HOW TO USE: Apply a few drops of #defence serum morning and evening, enough to cover the surface of the face, after cleansing and before the moisturiser cream.       

                

TIP: also add a few drops of serum to the cream you use every day.

 

ZERO STRESS

3) Hydrate deep down with Zero Stress, the soft-textured VeraLab cream that nourishes (but without weighing down) and restructures. It has been specially formulated to make it suitable for those skins most in need of hydration. It contains hydrolysed glycosaminoglycans, low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid and tamarind seed extract, ingredients that act deep down to exert a restructuring and repairing action.

HOW TO USE: Every day, morning and evening, as the last step (i.e. after cleansing and after applying the serum).

If, on the other hand, in addition to being sensitive, your skin is prone to redness, we have formulated a cream with Azulene, specifically tested for reactive skins. It is called SensiBlue and it has a SOOTHING AND ANTI-REDNESS ACTION*, it soothes the skin, thereby improving its sensitivity, as well as protecting it from external aggression while bringing instant relief. Redness is reduced and the skin is soothed from the very first application.

IT VISIBLY REDUCES REDNESS The cream’s blue colour is not a result of a pigment but rather due to azulene, a vital active ingredient with soothing, anti-inflammatory and calming properties, which naturally corrects discolouration and reduces redness.

RELAXING OIL MASK

4) Complement with Relaxing Oil Mask: an oil-based treatment with a soothing and deeply nourishing action. It contains antioxidant and repairing Vitamin E, and a blend of natural extracts to brighten and hydrate sensitive skins, particularly when the epidermis lacks elasticity or - as in our case - when external aggressors have left their mark.

Another particularly ideal mask in our line is undeniably Hyper Care, the biocellulose mask that is perfect for smoothing the epidermis and restoring protection and hydration.

HOW TO USE: 2-3 times a week, use the brush to apply a thick layer of mask on cleansed, dry skin, avoiding the eye contour area. Leave on for at least 10 minutes.

Then rinse with lukewarm water and apply the cream.