“Yeah, unfortunately this is definitely rosacea,” was the dermatologist’s “verdict” three years ago. At the time, I was 23 years old, had struggled with acne throughout my teenage years, and now apparently had rosacea, too. Rosacea typically appears between the ages of 30 and 50 and often runs in families. Neither applied to me—so, quite the jackpot. There’s no known cure for rosacea, which meant this condition would be with me for life. I’ve always had fairly sensitive skin, so I’ve had to be careful with skincare products—rosacea didn’t really change that. The hardest part was mental, though; I’d never have perfectly smooth, even skin again.
Rosacea Is a Chronic Skin Disease
Rosacea is a common skin disorder affecting nearly 10% of Finnish adults. Typical symptoms include facial redness, a burning sensation, visible capillaries, and red bumps. It can also affect the eyes, causing dryness and eyelid inflammation. A rarer form of rosacea is rhinophyma—an overgrowth of the sebaceous glands on the nose. Over time, the nose becomes bumpy and thickened. Rhinophyma is more common in men.
Rosacea is a chronic, incurable condition. The exact cause is unknown, but factors may include dysfunction in the skin’s surface blood flow regulation, an excessive inflammatory response, or an increased number of demodex mites on the skin. Treatment can help relieve symptoms and keep flare-ups under control.
Rosacea symptoms tend to fluctuate—periods of clear skin can suddenly be followed by flare-ups, for instance when the seasons change. Many people notice worsening symptoms in spring as sunlight increases. Alcohol, hot drinks, spicy foods, and stress are also common triggers. It’s important to recognize and avoid these factors and to protect the skin adequately from UV rays.
What Does Rosacea Look Like?
My type of rosacea is “papulopustular rosacea,” meaning red, inflamed bumps appear on my cheeks and forehead. It’s easy to mistake for acne, but in my case, the telltale signs are sudden redness and flushing, which are typical for rosacea. When it’s at its worst, I also get eye symptoms—redness, dryness, even conjunctivitis (almost half of rosacea patients experience eye issues).
So, rosacea is more than just occasionally flushed cheeks. It’s a constant struggle with skincare products—never knowing whether something will help or end up being another expensive mistake. It’s dealing with painful, burning skin that makes you want to stick your face in the freezer. I’ve tried so many different treatments and products that it’s almost scary to think what all I’ve put on my skin.
Rosacea symptoms typically come and go—there can be months of calm followed by flare-ups. What works for one person may not work for another. Visible improvement in skin conditions usually takes at least a month, with the best results seen after about three months. The wrong product can worsen your skin in a week, but it takes three times as long for it to recover. So much for easy experimenting.
CBD Brings Relief to Rosacea Challenges
When I learned that cannabidiol has anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties, I immediately got interested. It made sense that it could help with rosacea—CBD is known to calm and treat acne, atopic eczema, and psoriasis. CBD has already been studied to some extent in the context of rosacea, and the results look promising. Typically, dermatologists prescribe topical creams or several-month-long antibiotic courses for rosacea. Personally, I wanted to find a more natural alternative.
It makes logical sense that anti-inflammatory CBD could help reduce inflammation on rosacea-prone skin. CBD effectively soothes redness and irritation and calms the skin—addressing several rosacea-related symptoms at once.
I had been hesitant to try CBD oil for rosacea myself, but after seeing the photos below, I decided to give it a go. Veera, whose photos we were allowed to use, saw improvement in her severe rosacea within just a week:
Veera has been using Blank& Neo CBD Booster (20%).
So, I’m now starting my own trial with Neo and will update this article with my experiences later this year. Stay tuned!
The author is a 26-year-old third-year beauty and cosmetics student who has struggled with various skin issues since her teens and is currently interning at Blank&.
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