Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin disease that affects more than 14 million Americans. Rosacea causes redness and blemishes on facial skin which can be very 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 unknown. Studies indicate a genetic component, but a rosacea gene has not been recognized.
New studies indicate that a modified innate immune response and abnormal regulation 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
— Turning on of skin fibroblasts and enhanced tissue fibrosis
— Weakening 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
— Augmented immune and inflammatory responses
A number of factors can intensify aforementioned abnormal activities. Some of these factors include:
— Spicy foods and beverages
— Alcohol
— Sunlight
— Stress, rage or embarrassment
— Strenuous exercise
— Hot baths, saunas
— Steroids
— Drugs 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 feeling 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 mainstay treatment for rosacea consists oral and topical antibiotics. However continuing use of antibiotics can cause antibiotic resistance. The most validated 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 revealed unpredictable degrees of success.
Many rosacea sufferers find standard treatments insufficient or even exacerbating. Due to the inconsistent results of drug treatments, rosacea sufferers are increasingly interested in alternative therapies using natural products to ease inflammation and alleviate rosacea.
Stop The Suffering From Rosacea With Anti-inflammatory Herbs
Because inflammation sets off, propagates, and exacerbates rosacea symptoms, cooling inflammation can mitigate the agony from rosacea breakouts.
Based on scientific literature, the following natural ingredients have shown therapeutic effects in treating inflammatory skin conditions including rosacea.
Licorice Extract
Licorice plants have been extensively used in alternative medicine for the healing of a variety of inflammatory conditions. The key 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), reduces inflammation, helps mucous secretion, calms irritation, and supports adrenal gland activity.
Moreover, licorice appears to affect 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 analyzed antioxidants. Green tea extract contains strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic polyphenols known 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 various 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 infiltration of inflammatory cells and reduction of inflammatory mediators. Finally, green tea extract is anti-carcinogenic by preventing 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 set off by light exposure.
Topical applications of green tea extract have been shown to decrease UV-induced erythema and to reduce DNA damage. Green tea extract may also directly improve the signs of rosacea by reducing 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 demonstrated that Scute holds anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-viral, anti-allergic, and anti-tumor properties. It is one of the most broadly used in Chinese herbal medicine.
The bioactivity of scute is owing 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 well-known to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipruritic, and wound-healing properties. Its active components 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 associated with inflammatory skin conditions. Studies also showed decreases in vessel dilation and vascular permeability, key features of rosacea.
Aloe has shown assuring outcomes in treating different skin infections such as boils, cysts, ringworm, athlete’s foot, and jock itch. Its renowned healing, moisturizing, and softening properties are widely used to calm the skin and help heal cuts, burns and insect bites.
Chamomile Extract
Chamomile contains active constituents of terpenoids and flavonoids that reduce 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 some 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 cytokines.
To learn more about inflammatory skin conditions and how to relieve inflammation with natural anti-inflammatory remedies, follow blog series “Nature’s Best Anti-inflammatory Herbs” and “Natural Cures For Chronic Inflammatory Conditions”.