I used to steam every single facial client for a full 10 minutes, but now I skip it completely for anyone with rosacea.

I learned the hard way about 6 months ago. A regular client, Sarah, came in for her usual and her skin was having a flare-up. I did my normal routine, including the steam, thinking it would help open things up. Big mistake. She called me the next day, really upset, saying her face was red and angry for two days straight. I felt awful. Did some digging and talked to a derm at a conference in Chicago. Turns out that heat can be a major trigger. Now my intake form has a specific rosacea checkbox, and if it's checked, no steam, no hot towels, nothing above room temp. It changed my whole approach. What's your go-to move for calming rosacea skin during a treatment instead of steam?

3 comments

3 Comments

lucas_bell16d ago

Switched to a chilled aloe vera gel mixed with a drop of chamomile oil. I keep it in a small fridge in my room and apply it with a fan brush for a really light, cooling layer. It calms the heat instantly without any harsh rubbing.

thomas.tyler23d ago

Yeah, @iris175 is right about the vasodilator thing, but a gel mask straight from the fridge can be too much of a shock for some people lol. I'd just use a cool, damp cloth instead.

iris17523d ago

Oh wow, that's a really important lesson. I was reading a skincare blog last week that said the exact same thing about heat being a big problem for rosacea. They called it a "vasodilator," which just means it makes your blood vessels open up more, so of course that makes redness worse. It makes total sense to cut it out. That blog said cool things are the way to go, like using a gel mask that's been in the fridge or a cold roller. I guess it's all about calming things down instead of heating them up.