Here, three very surprising triggers and causes of rosacea.
is an essential part of the skin's function and makeup, providing a wide range of roles from reducing oxidative stress to keeping skin hydrated and calm. Thus an imbalance in the skin microbiome can certainly cause skin concerns—rosacea being a prime example.
"It's thought that there is an abundance of Demodex mites, which is a tiny mite found on everyone's skin but in slightly greater numbers in rosacea patients," she says, noting more research is needed in this area ."All these little microbes living on us—whether they're bacteria or fungi or in this case, mites—are constantly playing a part in skin function, whether that's in normal skin or in disease states.
"The National Rosacea Society came up with the list of many triggers that were commonly reported by rosacea patients, and foods were off the charts," she says, noting items like coffee, tea, red wine, avocados, citruses, nuts, spinach, soy, and spicy herbs."It's a very long list, so it would be unmanageable to avoid everything on it—especially because many of these are healthy foods. It's not just cookies and cake.
Rather, she says, if you can identify a few that give you particular issues—just be mindful of their effects and don't consume them in excess.