What Are The Triggers For Rosacea?

rosacea triggers
By Ash 14th June 2021 Category: Advice
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Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that mainly affects the face, causing redness and flushing over the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. It is incurable but watching out for your triggers, and dedicated treatment can help you manage your symptoms. 

If you have rosacea, you may have noticed certain activities, foods, temperatures, or emotions will cause your rosacea to flare up; these are some rosacea triggers. If you’re unsure what your triggers are, keeping a journal or digital diary to determine what may be causing flare-ups will help you get them under control. 

With repeated flare-ups, rosacea can become more challenging to treat; some patients have found treatments that have worked earlier lose efficacy as time goes on. Knowing what triggers your rosacea outbreaks can help you to:

  • Reduce rosacea flare-ups and irritations
  • Prevent your rosacea from worsening further
  • Get better results from rosacea treatments

Here are some of the most common triggers for rosacea, so you know what to watch out for. 

  • Alcohol 
  • Caffeine
  • Hot drinks
  • Dairy products
  • Spicy foods
  • Aerobic exercises 
  • Hot baths or saunas
  • Hot or cold weather
  • Humidity 
  • Strong winds
  • Stress or anxiety
  • Exposure to sunlight
  • Skincare or make-up products
  • Some medicines

How To Find Your Rosacea Triggers 

You can find your rosacea triggers through a simple 3-step process. 


Step 1. Identify your triggers

To find what triggers your rosacea, keeping a diary will be helpful. If you’ve never tracked your triggers before, scan our list above and consider whether any of those could be causing your rosacea to flare up. 

Step 2. Confirm these triggers

Once you know what could be causing your rosacea flares, it’s important to gather the ‘evidence”; this will be your rosacea diary you complete every time you have a flare-up. 

Keep note of what you eat or drink, what products you use, what emotions you have felt, and the weather you are exposed to that could cause a flare. Don’t forget to also note down the intensity of your rosacea symptoms. 

Step 3. Avoid your triggers

Now you have figured out what is causing your rosacea; you can start taking action to avoid those triggers.  

With some triggers, you will have trouble avoiding them. For example, if your trigger is weather-related, you won’t be able to evade it very easily. 

How To Prevent Rosacea Flare-Ups 

Below we have listed some of the ways you can avoid your triggers and prevent your rosacea from flaring up. 

  • Food and drink triggers

If your rosacea trigger is an obvious item like caffeine or alcohol, you may be able to reduce your flares by limiting the amount you drink and by drinking a glass of cold water after every drink. The best option may be to avoid these drinks altogether.

Your rosacea trigger may be less obvious, though, if it is in foods. Spicy foods or diary filled foods are the most common food triggers, and many people have found food with histamines are more likely to cause rosacea outbreaks. These foods include tomatoes, citrus fruits, legumes, nuts and chocolate. 

  •  Sun or weather triggers

Always wear adequate SPF protection and clothing when under the sun, as just a few minutes of sunlight on rosacea-prone skin can lead to a significant breakout. If overheating triggers you, drape a cold, wet cloth around your neck and sip a cold drink. Try to wear layers so you can remove clothing if you start to overheat. 

If cold weather bothers you, wrap the bottom half of your face with a soft scarf and limit your time outdoors. 

  • Skin product triggers

If your face stings, burns, or itches when you use specific skin (or haircare) products, they may be irritating your skin, which could cause rosacea to flare. 

Avoid harsh cleansers and astringents; look for products with mild ingredients and no added fragrance to avoid further irritation. Read our blog on skin care tips for rosacea here. 

Whatever your triggers are, you can successfully prevent any further rosacea flare-ups by documenting them and avoiding them. 

Key Takeaways  

  • Though rosacea is an incurable, long-term condition, it can be significantly managed through treatment and by avoiding your triggers.
  • Identifying the environment or things that trigger your rosacea can help you choose the right treatment.
  • Keeping a diary of your triggers will help you to avoid them in the future. 
  • Noticing your triggers and avoiding their causes will help you to prevent any further flare-ups successfully.

Please note that just avoiding those triggers that set off your rosacea may not be enough. It’s always best to see a dermatologist who can assess the severity of your condition and create a bespoke treatment plan to suit your individual skin. 

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