Rosacea is pitta related skin problem according to ayurveda. Both ayurveda and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), think that there is excessive heat (toxins) accumulated in the lung, liver and stomach channels, and flare up onto the face. Facial flushing, caused by the dilation of blood vessels, is the trigger mechanism for rosacea. So simply avoid anything that makes your face flush. Many heart or hypertension related modern drugs, coticosteroids, also provide trigger. Research the side effects.
The top five flushing triggers are emotional stress, heat, humidity, spicy foods, and alcohol. Also activities that cause sweating, hot beverages, and sunlight. And certain foods, like chocolate, can bring it on. Hot spicy food, sleeping late in the night, excess TV, excess computers, excess salt, so on… You need to find your own triggers for rosacea. Treatments and therapies that involve excessive use of facial or whole body steam can be counterproductive for your type of skin. Tthe emphasis should be on therapies that have a calming influence on the skin. Avoid synthetic chemicals. Be sure to wash off your makeup each evening. Use a moisturizer with herbs such as Sensitive Plant that nourish and rejuvenate the nerve endings. Flame of Forest is another excellent herb for Pitta skin as it helps protect against photo sensitivity.
Herbal pastes made from margosa, mint, coriander, fullers earth, sandalwood powder, green gram floor, rose water are very cooling to the skin in the author's experience. Another ready paste in Indian ayurveda pharmacies is Dashang Lep. In addition cats claw, tea tree, ginger, and lavender have also been reported to give ease to the suffering of rosacea.
Apply a cold compress. When the flush hits, soak a soft cotton pad in ice-cold water (or equal parts cold milk and ice water) and hold it on the affected area. The cold will cause dilated blood vessels to constrict and will halt the inflammatory process. The cold compress can be used up to 3 times a day, 10-15 minutes maximum. The cold compress becomes more effective if a handful of pure chamomile or several chamomile tea bags are steeped in three cups of boiling water for 10 minutes and put water in the refrigerator and straining. Use this liquid for compress. You may use herbs such margosa, cats claw, tea tree, lavender here in place of chamomile.
Healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, reduced dependance on non-vegetarian food, reduced caffeine, regular exercise, and adequate sleep. All these can be achieved with some meditation and breathing techniques, which help reduce cravings, stress and anxiety too. According to author and some of his practitioner friends, one reason for rosacea is inadequate phase-2 liver detoxification This goes on during 1 to 3 am local time. Hence it is better to sleep before midnight and take dinner at least by 10 pm. Keep dinner light, easily digestible simple carbohydrates, fruits. Avoid hot spicy foods, vinegar and fried dishes as these are too heating for you. Avoid Tomatoes, bakery items, fermented items, sandwiches, pizza, Pavbhaji, fried items. Reduce pickles, apalam(Papad). Chilies, garlic, onion, jaggery (not soaked), Pearl millet wheat tortilla, Papaya, Drumstick, asfoetida, black pepper, Peeperimul. Avoid going out in hot sun and intoxicants like nicotine and alcohol.
answered by S B