A rosacea flare up in the days or weeks before your wedding is the worst timing. Unfortunately the common skin condition that causes redness on the nose and cheeks, that can lead to flushing, heat and sensitivity in the skin is triggered by a lot of the things that go hand in hand with planning and celebrating a wedding. Understanding what triggers cause your rosacea to flare up is the first step towards dealing with the condition, and finding the treatment that suits you, and here we break down what those triggers might be, and what you can do to prevent and treat a rosacea flare up before your wedding day so you can look your most radiant.

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is an inflammatory but non-contagious skin condition that affects thousands of Irish people, particularly those with fair skin. Flare ups of redness and enlarged blood vessels around the nose, cheeks and forehead are caused by certain triggers and can make the skin sun-sensitive, inflamed and even cause permanent redness over time. On average, it appears between the ages of 30 and 50 and it is more prevalent in women than men. The severity of rosacea differs from person to person and your GP is the first port of call if you think you have the condition, and they can help or refer to you to a dermatologist to learn how to manage it.

Common Rosacea Triggers

Rosacea should be addressed early to prevent it from worsening or causing permanent damage to your complexion. Knowing what triggers cause your rosacea to flare up is the first step in dealing with the condition, and finding the treatment that suits you so we advise using a diary to track your flare ups inthe lead up to your wedding to identify them.

Unfortunately stress is a factor, and that can go hand in hand with wedding planning. Heat and time spent in the sun can also lead to facial redness that takes longer than it should to subside so if you're planning a destination wedding or hen or stag party, this might be on your mind too. We're sorry to say food and drink can also be triggers; especially alcohol, particularly red wine, beer, gin, vodka or Champagne which can hamper your pre-wedding celebrations!

Rosacea triggers vary from person to person, so here's a list of the most common:

• Stress or anxiety
• Sunlight
• Wind and cold weather
• Alcohol, especially red wine, beer, gin, vodka or Champagne
• Hot drinks like coffee, tea
• Chocolate
• Spicy meals or thermally hot food
• Excessively warm situations like a hot bath, sauna or steam room
• Beauty products like hairspray and cosmetics that contain alcohol, fragrance or witch hazel
• Exercise or exertion
• Certain dairy products like yoghurt, cheese or sour cream
• Some medicines

Good Choices & Lifestyle Changes to Make

Knowing what triggers a rosacea flare up will help you alter your diet, beauty routine and lifestyle to manage the situation. But there are other small changes that you can make too such as:

• Instead of hot baths have a warm shower
• Let your tea cool down to lukewarm
• Switch red wine for white
• Have a medium curry rather than a hot one

These are all good first steps. Next look at your hair, fragrance, skin and makeup products to identify what alcohols, fragrances, parabens and preservatives could be a contributing factor. Common ingredients like witch hazel, camphor, menthol and sodium lauryl sulfate (or SLS) found in shampoo and toothpaste are all common rosacea triggers.

• Switch to low shampoo (less foam, but as effective as regular shampoo)
• Choose SLS-free toothpaste which you can find in pharmacies and health stores.
• Bin anything that causes stinging or itching, but not before checking the ingredient list to nail down what's causing the reaction.

How to Avoid a Weather-Related Rosacea Flare Up

Because the weather can cause a rosacea flare up, changing how you enjoy being outdoors is a must. If a few minutes of sunlight causes a reaction wear a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. Physical sun protection creams contain ingredients like zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both, which work best for sensitive skin and block out UV rays more effectively than a chemical sunscreen.

• In summer when it's hotter wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face from getting too warm.
• In cooler months cover the face as much as possible with a scarf.
• Use a silk or acrylic scarf to protect the skin, and avoid wool or any rough fabric that might cause a rosacea flare up from brushing off the skin.

Check out our list of the Best SPFs for Brides here!

Pre-Wedding Skin & Makeup for Rosacea

To avoid a last-minute rosacea flare up, here is a checklist of how to keep your triggers under control and enjoy blemish-free skin on your big day. Chat to your makeup artist at your trial to let her know of any ingredients or products that cause a flare up. The same goes for your hair stylist. If your nerves are riding high it's worth tweaking your skincare routine in advance as a pre-emptive measure, even if you've made all the other changes to your liftstyle as sensitive skin can be intolerant of certain skincare formulas and lead to itchy skin, redness or burning. We have a great list of skincare and makeup products for rosacea here you should check out!

Dos & Don'ts To Avoid A Rosacea Flare Up

1. Do brief your makeup artist and hair stylist at your trial about your rosacea especially if hairspray or makeup are your triggers.
2. Avoid any last-minute facials or treatments that include heat to keep your skin calm and soothed.
3. Watch your diet and try to avoid triggers.
4. If your wedding is somewhere warm, use SPF and stay in the shade as much as possible.
5. Handle stress your way - try reading, exercising or meditation when anxiety rises.
6. If the start of your bridal skincare timeline allows for medical treatment of rosacea, talk to your doctor or dermatologist about prescriptive skincare, medication or laser treatment to clear your skin of redness.

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