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Did you know it’s Rosacea Awareness Month this April? We chatted to Skin + Me subscriber, Alice Lily Higginson to get a personal viewpoint of living with rosacea. Alice shares an honest, inspiring account of her skincare journey from developing to treating and managing the inflammatory skin condition. 

Skin + Me: When did you develop rosacea and when was it diagnosed?

Alice: I think I’ve had rosacea since I was around year 6 at school –  that’s about 11-years-old. I noticed that my nose had little red veins on it but didn’t have a clue what it was. I don’t think I ever heard anybody say it was rosacea. It was so long ago maybe they did and I just didn’t have that understanding at the time.

Skin + Me: Sounds like when you started on your skincare journey, you didn’t know much about the condition. How did you go about learning more?

Alice: For years I went to the doctors to ask to sort it but I don’t remember them actually saying that it was rosacea. Even when I went for Roaccutane treatment they just called it my ‘red nose’ and told me nothing could be done unless I had laser treatment. So really I didn’t know a lot until I started to research myself. 

Skin + Me: What did you use on your skin before you discovered Skin + Me? 

Alice: Honestly, I don’t think a product exists that I haven’t used! I’ve tried so many over the years. Some questionable ‘acne’ products, red-reducing serums, chemical peels, oils. Anything to find a solution.

Skin + Me: Progress isn’t always linear. When and how did you know your treatment was working for you?

Alice: I started using my Daily Doser in November 2020, and after just one month I saw a glow to my skin. The painful spots on my nose (where the rosacea has been) settled down slightly. By January 2021 I could really see a change and an overall calming to my skin. My nose was so much happier – I couldn’t believe it!

Skin + Me: Tell us about your skincare now?

Alice: When I started to use my Skin + Me treatment, I had a low dose of 4% niacinamide and azelaic acid and slowly built up to 14% azelaic acid, four months later. At that stage, clindamycin and tretinoin were introduced. 

For another four months, the tretinoin increased but I realised that my nose wasn’t doing too well with it so I spoke to the team and we agreed to remove it and stick with 4% niacinamide plus 14% azelaic acid

I love that you can chat to the Prescribers and work out what’s best for your skin, especially if you’re unsure whether or not an ingredient is helping. 

Skin + Me: Everyone’s skin is different and we’re glad that reformulation helped! What advice would you give anyone going through a similar experience?

Alice: The key is to stick with it, be patient, and keep your wrap-around skincare really simple. I use an eye cream, lip balm, Daily Doser and then my moisturiser. That’s it. Over-complicating is where it can go wrong and you want to give the treatment a chance to do its work.

Skin + Me: The Daily Doser product dispenses the exact amount you need, without waste. How important is a sustainable, vegan, cruelty-free brand to you?

Alice: I love when a brand is recyclable, we have to do our bit! And being cruelty-free is also important, why wouldn’t it be?

Skin + Me: Any other products, cosmetics or skincare tips that you want to share with others?

Alice: If you’re struggling with rosacea or redness then my number one product is the Nars matte complete concealer in the pot. Nothing beats it! And to heal your skin barrier when it’s going crazy (my rosacea used to flare and weep really badly because of a broken barrier), I would 100% recommend the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5.

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