What Foods to Eat or Avoid to Help Rosacea

By Ash 5th July 2021 Category: Advice
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Medically Reviewed June 2023, by Daron Seukeran, Group Medical Director, for sk:n. Next review due June 2024.

Rosacea is an incurable, chronic skin condition that mainly affects the face, causing redness and flushing over the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. Keeping track of your triggers and following a dedicated treatment can help you manage your symptoms. 

If you have rosacea, you may have noticed certain foods and drinks, activities, temperatures, or even emotions could cause your rosacea to flare up; these are called rosacea triggers. If you suffer from repeated flare-ups caused by one of your triggers, rosacea can often become much more challenging to treat. 

Becoming aware of how different things affect your rosacea will help you to keep your discomfort to the minimum whilst also finding the most effective treatment. Food could potentially be a natural rosacea treatment.  

Read on to find out more about the foods that commonly trigger a rosacea flare-up, which foods can help you and which to avoid. Research has shown that your diet can have a significant impact on rosacea, and thinking about the foods you eat, also known as a “rosacea diet, “ can significantly affect your condition. 

What Foods to Avoid? 

Rosacea triggers will vary from person to person, but research has found five foods that most commonly affect people with the condition. 

  • Hot Drinks

Heat tends to be one of the most common conditions that worsen rosacea symptoms. Hot drinks can be something that can exacerbate your rosacea. 

It may help you to eliminate or reduce the number of hot drinks you have. This might include coffee, tea, hot chocolate or any heated drink you consume. 

Fortunately, the trigger might well be related to the temperature of the drink, rather than the drink itself, so if not drinking these at all is hard for you, you may be able to consume them in a cold form, like iced coffee, iced tea – green and herbal teas are often delicious iced.

It could also be helpful to keep a journal or digital diary, recording whether hot drinks make your symptoms worse or whether the temperature you drink them at affects your rosacea.  Read our blog about tracking your triggers here. 

  • Spicy Foods

Spices also create a type of heat; they can cause your skin to heat up and bring on your symptoms. 

You might find that you need to scrap all the hot spices, sauces and chilli peppers you may add to your food. Vinegar can also create heat, so you may need to swap this out too.

You could use milder salsas or get creative with other herbs and spices, or try some fresh herbs instead. 

  • Alcohol

When you drink alcohol, it causes the blood vessels under your skin to dilate. This means that drinking makes it more likely for you to find your rosacea symptoms, especially facial redness, increase. 

Any alcohol can cause flare-ups, but we are all unique and different types, and amounts of alcohol will affect you specifically. 

However, red wine and spirits are the most common triggers for rosacea. Again, it’s probably best to try eliminating these types of alcohol for a while to see if your symptoms change or keep track of them through your journal or digital diary. 

  • Dairy

Another leading cause of rosacea outbreaks is dairy products. Milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt and even chocolate are known to be problematic for some people. 

You could test whether dairy affects you by removing it entirely for a few weeks, cutting down or even trying each dairy item in turn by just not consuming one of them. 

Food Containing Histamine

Some foods contain varying amounts of histamine, and some are histamine releasers. This naturally occurring chemical can cause your red blood vessels to dilate and can lead to an outbreak. 

You can find a complete list of foods that contain or release histamine here, but the most common foods that trigger symptoms tend to be tomatoes, citrus fruits, legumes, chocolate and nuts. 

If you find histamines worsen your rosacea, it’s probably worth doing a little research into all the different foods that either have or release histamines so that you can really understand how they affect your body. 

What Foods are Good for Rosacea? 

It’s good to know that research shows certain foods can help to manage rosacea. Two groups of food offer promising results.

Healthy Fats

Studies have shown that healthy fats, particularly those foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids, may help to manage some forms of rosacea. 

In particular, flaxseed oil has been used by dermatologists, as this oil is high in Omega-3. 

Other foods high in this essential fatty acid are:

  • Fish, like salmon, herring, mackerel and trout
  • Nuts and seeds, particularly walnuts, hemp seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds
  • Peanut Butter 
  • Eggs 
  • Olive oil

Probiotic and Prebiotic Rich Foods

Studies are beginning to show the link between a healthy gut and rosacea. It seems there is a link between inflammation in the gut and the skin. We may be able to use the digestive system to treat rosacea. 

Research suggests that both pro and prebiotics may be effective in managing rosacea symptoms, particularly in chronic cases. It’s thought that probiotics may help soothe inflammation internally and externally. 

Probiotic foods to try are:

  • Cheeses like cheddar, parmesan and swiss cheeses
  • Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and miso
  • Fermented drinks like kombucha 

Foods rich in prebiotics are:

  • Whole grains
  • Bananas 
  • Onions and leeks
  • Asparagus 
  • Garlic 

Remember that everyone is unique, and these foods can have different effects on each individual; some of these foods could soothe one person whilst they trigger another. Try introducing these foods one at a time, using your diary to keep track of whether they help you or not. 

Key Takeaways

  • Though rosacea is an incurable, long term condition, it can be significantly managed. 
  • Rosacea can be triggered by certain foods, such as alcohol, spicy foods, and dairy.
  • Rosacea can be soothed through certain foods, such as healthy fats and probiotic-rich foods.
  • You can identify and track the foods and drinks you consume to find out which trigger or soothe your symptoms. 
  • It’s important to get medical advice if you’re worried about changing your diet. 

Find your nearest clinic and arrange a consultation with one of our dermatologists for advice on how to manage redness and rosacea.

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