Rosacea is never fun to have.

With the redness, acne and swelling that go with it, it’s easy to feel embarrassed, frustrated and hopeless. Add to that is the fact that there’s really no cure for rosacea. However, with proper diet, there’s a good chance you can reduce your flare-ups. By eliminating rosacea triggers from your diet, you are less likely to experience all those nasty things. So, to help you out, here are the top 5 foods you need to avoid if you’re dealing with rosacea.

Alcohol

As these vessels increase in size, more blood will flow and this can make your skin appear redder. If you are struggling with rosacea, this is the last thing you want to happen.

Alcohol isn’t only bad for those who have existing rosacea. In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, drinking too much alcohol, specifically white wine, is linked to an increased risk of developing rosacea. One good reason for this is the higher alcohol content of white wine and its lack of anti-inflammatory substances which are typically present in red wine.

Now, if you are thinking that red wine is better- it’s not. Red wine is still a common trigger for rosacea flare ups.

Hot drinks

People with rosacea experience a thermal response when consuming hot drinks. This research finding of the experts in Wake Forest University School of Medicine debunked the common myth that coffee and caffeine cause rosacea to get worse.

When you drink something hot, you get a similar reaction when you drink alcohol. Hot drinks cause vasodilation, particularly at the receptors found at the back of your throat and this trigger a handful of rosacea symptoms.

So, the next time you make yourself a cup of coffee, make sure to not drink it while it’s still steaming hot.

Chocolate

This might sound like bad news but for your skin’s sake, skip your daily dose of chocolates.

A survey from the National Rosacea Society suggested that one out of five people who suffer from rosacea react negatively to chocolates. One good reason is its alkaloid content.

Chocolate has theobromine which can contribute to skin flushing. It causes increased blood flow by increasing the diameter of the blood vessels. Apart from that, chocolate also has a high amount of sugar. This makes it not just a trigger for rosacea but it can cause acne, too.

Spicy Food

Foods that have strong and spicy flavours should have no spot in your meal plan. Spicy foods can create flushing because of their histamine content. When histamine is released, your body experiences itching and flushing. Take note, however, that spicy foods aren’t the only things that can cause a histamine reaction. Histamine is actually present in the body. Your system releases it whenever you are under stress or you’re experiencing an allergic reaction. Take, for example, tartrazine. It’s a yellow food colouring you can typically find in packaged desserts.

If you happen to be allergic to tartrazine and you eat it, your body will go into an alarmed state and release antibodies to protect itself. These antibodies attach to your mast cells, causing histamine to be released. And you know what happens from there.

In essence, this means that spicy foods aren’t the only foods you should be concerned with. You also have to pay more attention to foods that contain histamine so you can avoid flare-ups. The list includes:

• Canned foods
• Fermented drinks
• Eggplant
• Avocado-Processed
• Meats-Roasted nuts and cashews
• Cheese
• Anchovies

Processed Foods

Processed foods are obvious rosacea-triggers but they’re still the hardest ones to avoid. With most stores and restaurants offering them, they can be quite difficult to stay away from. However, if you really want to avoid rosacea, you’ll have to work harder to eliminate processed foods from your diet. They contain a high amount of sugar which can worsen the inflammation that goes with rosacea.

In addition to processed foods, you should also skip fried foods. They are high in omega 6 fatty acids which can increase your body’s inflammatory response. Dairy products are linked to rosacea and acne. However, the exact mechanism as to why isn’t clear yet.

Knowing your triggers can be quite challenging. But, if you pay a closer attention to how your skin reacts to each food you eat, you’ll have a clearer idea. One of the best ways to start is to keep track of what you eat on a daily basis. List down your food intake and take note of what kind of reaction you get from them. This way, it’ll be easy for you to avoid the bad ones for your skin.

In addition to your diet, being more cautious of the products you use on your skin counts, too. Make sure you are cleansing, moisturizing and protecting your skin with the right products so that it stays calm and healthy.

This is guest post authored by Hannah Do

Hannah Do is the founder of Thank Your Skin, a beauty blog dedicated to providing honest skin care advice and information. She aspires to help her readers achieve their most beautiful skin by sharing personal tips learned through both years of experience and thorough research.