How To Stop The Misery From Rosacea

Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin disease that affects over 14 million Americans. Rosacea causes flush and pimples on facial skin which can be quite distressing. Although Rosacea is a harmless skin disorder, it has a high impact on quality of life.

Causes And Risk Factors Of Rosacea

The cause of rosacea is not known. Studies suggest a genetic component, but a rosacea gene has not been recognized.

Recent studies indicate that a modified innate immune response and dysregulation of the neuro-vascular system are involved in rosacea.

A variety of abnormal activities are observed in rosacea:

-- Dilated blood and lymphatic vessels

-- Increased blood flow

-- Enhanced blood vessel growth (angiogenesis)

-- Buildup of specialized immune and inflammatory cells

-- Activation of skin fibroblasts and intensified tissue fibrosis

-- Weaken of keratinocyte-derived proteinases (important enzymes in the desquamation process and orderly regulation of the skin's barrier function)

-- Decrease of antioxidants that made inside the body

-- Amplified immune and inflammatory responses

Numerous factors can aggravate aforementioned abnormal activities. Some of these factors include:

-- Hot foods and beverages

-- Alcohol

-- Sunburn

-- Stress, anger or embarrassment

-- Strenuous exercise

-- Hot baths, saunas

-- Corticosteroids

-- Medications that affects blood vessels, e.g., cardiovascular drugs

Rosacea Symptoms

-- Redness of the face

-- Blushing or flushing easily

-- Spider-like blood vessels

-- Red nose

-- Acne-like skin lesions that may ooze or crust

-- Burning or stinging sensation in the face

-- Irritated, red, watery eyes

Rosacea Treatments

There are many treatment choices available for rosacea, but there is no established cure for rosacea. The core therapy for rosacea involves oral and topical antibiotics. Although long-term use of antibiotics can cause antibiotic resistance. The most supported topical therapies include metronidazole, azelaic acid, and sodium sulfacetamide-sulfur. Other topical therapies, such as calcineurin inhibitors, benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, retinoids, topical corticosteroids, and permethrin have demonstrated varying degrees of success.

Many rosacea sufferers find standard treatments disappointing or even worsening. Because of the inconsistent results of drug treatments, rosacea patients are increasingly interested in alternative therapies using natural remedies to ease inflammation and alleviate rosacea.

Stop The Suffering From Rosacea Breakouts With Anti-inflammatory Herbs

Because inflammation sets off, propagates, and worsens rosacea symptoms, cooling inflammation can alleviate the suffering from rosacea breakouts.

Based on scientific literature, the following natural ingredients have shown therapeutic benefits in treating inflammatory skin conditions including rosacea.

Licorice Extract

Licorice plants have been long used in alternative medicine for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory disorders. The main components of the licorice extract include triterpene saponins, flavonoids, and isoflavonoids.

Studies have shown that Licorice have anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory properties. It represses oxidative stress (i.e., reduces superoxide anion production and cyclooxygenase activity), diminishes inflammation, helps mucous secretion, calms irritation, and stimulates adrenal gland activity.

Additionally, licorice appears to exert immunomodulatory, antiviral and antimicrobial activity. Topical preparations have been shown to significantly decrease scores of erythema, edema, itching, and improve the quality of life.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea is one of the most widely studied antioxidants. Green tea extract contains effective antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic polyphenols identified as catechins. These polyphenols are active in initiating cellular and molecular responses in the top layers of the skin (i.e., epidermis).

Green tea extract possesses antioxidant properties by abolishing reactive oxygen species and inhibiting multiple enzymes that are involved in oxidative stress (i.e., nitric oxide synthetase, lipoxygenase, cyclooxygenase, and lipid peroxidase). Green tea extract exerts anti-inflammatory activity via inhibition of the recruitment of inflammatory cells and reduction of inflammatory mediators. Finally, green tea extract is anti-carcinogenic by inhibiting carcinogen-DNA binding and later tumorigenesis.

Besides the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which make green tea extract valuable in the treatment of rosacea, the protection it affords from UV light makes it particularly useful as rosacea is frequently triggered by light exposure.

Topical applications of green tea extract have been shown to reduce UV-induced erythema and to reduce DNA damage. Green tea extract may also directly improve the signs of rosacea by decreasing the number and appearance of small dilated blood vessels (telangiectasias) and minimize the disruption of the skin barrier.

Scute Extract

Scute has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to heal inflammation, allergies, infections and skin disorders.

Studies have shown that Scute holds anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-viral, anti-allergic, and anti-tumor properties. It is one of the most widely used in Chinese herbal medicine.

The bioactivity of scute is due to the radical scavenging activities of the flavone components. More than 60 flavonoids have been isolated in the root of scute. Scute extracts produce potent anti-inflammatory activities through inhibiting a broad panel of inflammatory cytokines.

Aloe Extract

Aloe extract is known to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipruritic, and wound-healing properties. Its active constituents include salicylic acid (anti-inflammatory via thromboxane and prostaglandin inhibition), magnesium lactate (antipruritic via histidine decarboxylase inhibition), and gel polysaccharides (anti-inflammatory via immunomodulation).

Aloe has been studied with success in the treatment of burning, itching, and scarring linked with inflammatory skin conditions. Studies also showed reductions in vessel dilation and vascular permeability, key features of rosacea.

Aloe has shown promising results in treating different skin infections such as boils, cysts, ringworm, athlete's foot, and jock itch. Its well-known healing, moisturizing, and softening properties are commonly used to soothe the skin and help heal cuts, burns and insect bites.

Chamomile Extract

Chamomile contains active constituents of terpenoids and flavonoids that inhibit enzymes (cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase) involved in oxidation process. These components also regulate the immune cell activation and histamine release during allergic reaction. Topical applications have been shown to be helpful in skin inflammation and skin irritation.

Reishi Mushroom Extract

Extracts from mushrooms, such as shiitake and reishi, contain several compounds (i.e., polysaccharides, triterpenes, proteins, lipids, phenols, and cerebrosides) that have noteworthy anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These compounds prevent lipid oxidation, matrix degradation, and production of inflammatory mediators.

To learn more about inflammatory skin disorders and how to cool inflammation with natural anti-inflammatory herbs, follow blog series "Nature's Best Anti-inflammatory Herbs" and "Natural Cures For Chronic Inflammatory Conditions".

References:

1. Rosacea: The cytokine and chemokine network. Gerber PA. Buhren BA. et al. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Symposium Proceedings. 15(1):40-7, 2011

2. Epidermal proteases in the pathogenesis of rosacea. Meyer-Hoffert U. Schroder JM. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Symposium Proceedings. 15(1):16-23, 2011

3. Inflammation in rosacea and acne: Implications for patient care. Fleischer AB Jr. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology: JDD. 10(6):614-20, 2011

4. Botanicals and anti-inflammatories: natural ingredients for rosacea. Emer J. et al. Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine & Surgery. 30(3):148-55, 2011

5. Skin photo protection by natural polyphenols: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and DNA repair mechanisms. Nichols JA, Katiyar SK. Arch Dermatol Res (2010) 302:71-83

6. Targeting of histamine producing cells by EGCG: a green dart against inflammation? Melgarejo E, et al. J Physiol Biochem (2010) 66:265-270

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