Washing with warm water = huge improvement

[Driven]

I've mentioned before that I've been improving a lot through managing my triggers. Well, I've had an interesting experiece. Over the past few months, I've been able to tolerate my triggers much better. For example, I just had a huge lunch at Soup Plantation, including pasta, frozen yogurt with chocolate sauce, and chocolate milk. No reaction at all. This is common for me now. A few weeks ago I was at a party, sitting at a table in a very hot room, bright lights on me, drinking beer after beer, discussing sometimes embarrassing subjects. No blushing at all.

The only things that cause a reaction now are doing cardio in a hot room (although flushing during exercise is greatly reduced), and certain supplements like vitamin C and EFA's. I also only take a multivitamin once a week, but I take zinc, DHEA, magnesium (to help with sleep), and a B-complex daily.

For a while I attributed the improvement to the Rosacea Control Serum or the oregano oil supplements I recently started taking, but I wanted to be sure and so stopped using both. It's been over a month with no change. That leaves one thing - washing my face with very warm water morning and night. I've been raising the temperature over the past few months, so when I say warm, I mean borderline hot, but not so much that it's uncomfortable. I rinse for 30 seconds to open the pores up before even starting to lather. This has also had the effect of eliminating flakes.

For years I've been washing in cold water. This felt good and helped for a few minutes, so I guess I always assumed cold water was a good thing. In reality I think it was leaving harmful bacteria and preventing my skin from passing toxins properly.

Of course the warm water isn't treating the cause of the problem, but I can't help but think that maybe the mites are partly responsible for the symptoms, and that this is effectively reducing their number and getting my face much cleaner than it was. Combine that with mostly avoiding my triggers, and suddenly I have a life again!

The soap doesn't seem to matter, but I've had a good experience with Suave body wash.

Anyone else who's bored and out of ideas feel like trying this?

[Steve95301]

I know this was only a minor part of your post, but what effect do you think the DHEA has had?

[Driven]

I know this was only a minor part of your post, but what effect do you think the DHEA has had?

That's a good question, I don't know. I've been taking it for a year or more. I know it isn't making things worse, at least, and it might be helping. I remember reading a post from someone who said it helped a lot, but that it made him more prone to anger. It doesn't seem to have that effect on me.

[Artist]

I think washing the skin thoroughly is important because you cleanse away bacterial byproducts - especially LPS, which causes irritation and breakouts. I notice a big difference when I take my time washing. I use a gentle cleanser and tepid/lukewarm water; not cold. I often use a clean washcloth (not laden with fabric softener fragrances). I soak it and press it onto my face several times for a few minutes. This opens the pores and cleanses more thoroughly without the need for a harsh cleanser.


Cheers!

Artist

[TheMediumDog]

Just thought I'd add my voice to the chorus.

A while ago I stopped showering with warm/hot water in the morning because I was still kind of red half an hour later, when I had to walk to work...or at least my forhead was, as I'd put makeup on the rest of my face...which must have made me look interesting...

Anyway, after about a month of cold showers, I started getting little spots that seemed like trapped sebum under my skin. Basically I think I wasn't cleaning out my pores enough.

So now I'm back to using warm water for a shower. But I would say that this is something where the right ground is in the middle. It is not a case of the warmer the better. If you have hot showers too often, the oils in your skin leech out, your skin dries up, becomes irritated, flaky, red etc. I personally try now to have a fairly hot shower about once a week (or, which is probably better, an extended warm (rather than hot) shower, giving my pores the time to open up), to act as a mini-sauna-sort-of-thing.

[Maria]

In washing with hot water and soap, you are opening up your pores, and then killing demodex with the soap. Keep it up!! they HATE it

[Jane-Natalee]

Ive stopped washing my face except for some avene spring water spray for a few days and then moisturising, I think my face has only got worse and feels awful, burning away. maybe i will go back to washing!