Soft flannel face cloths for Rosacea: Before and After

Meet Haley, a lovely Fairface Washcloths customer who found us after an unfortunate incident with a microfiber cloth: 

"I have rosacea, and even gentle exfoliation flares up my skin. I bought microfiber cloths thinking their softness was the answer and I immediately regretted it. They burned my skin so bad - I looked like a tightly stretched shiny plastic tomato (it's funny now but at the time I freaked out). 

A dermatologist suggested a soft flannel cloth and when I typed it into Etsy these came up. Shannon was so kind and helped me decide on these and it's like I'm washing my face with my fingertips.

I'm attaching a pic of my face (for everyone's benefit haha I did not plan on posting these) after a microfiber cloth (it's not greasy my skin was squeaky-shiny/polished like a shoe & badly stripped/burned), & a pic of the first day using a Fairface. A week after using them I had an even (not red) skin tone that honestly I've never had. WORTH it." - Haley   (reposted with permission)

The best soft face cloths for Rosacea 

Have you been there yourself? You tried something new on your face and it turned out to be a very bad idea? Maybe your face got really red, broke out, or felt like it was melting off? Sensitive skin can be very finicky like that, especially if you have Rosacea.

We wanted to share Haley's honest Fairface Washcloths review with you, in case you are looking for the right soft face cloths for your Rosacea-prone skin. Like Haley, maybe you have tried other washcloths on your sensitive skin, hoping they would be gentle enough, but ended up causing irritation and redness.  

Dermatologists recommend using soft, cotton flannel cloths, like Fairface Delicates, to wash your face gently, without using anything harsh that can cause your skin to get red and irritated, like the microfiber cloths did to Haley's skin.

Rosacea-prone skin also means skin prone to irritation, inflammation and redness, so gentle products are a must for keeping your skin calm and even. And that's where Fairface Washcloths come in.

What washcloths should I use on Rosacea prone skin? 

What do you currently use to wash your face, if you have Rosacea or sensitive skin? Have you tried Fairface Washcloths? 

Fairface Washcloths help reduce redness and irritation when you wash your face because the soft flannel glides across your face and doesn't drag or pull. If you're using a cloth, or heaven forbid a tool on your face (eek!), that causes redness and irritation, it is most likely because the material it is made out of is too harsh and abrasive to your skin. You don't need to scrub to get your face clean. It can actually do more harm than good.

If you have Rosacea or sensitive skin and haven't found a cloth that is gentle enough to wash your face with, look no further. You've found it. Fairface Washcloths are the only face cloth you should be using on your sensitive skin and like Haley, after using Fairface Washcloths, she's never seen her skin tone so even, and it's definitely worth it!

BUY THE SAME FACE CLOTHS HALEY IS USING that calmed her Rosacea skin

Prevent Rosacea break-outs while you sleep

If I had my way, pillow cases would be sold in the skin care aisle. 

Most people don't know that a clean pillow case is a really important part of keeping your skin clear. You don't want to work hard all week at following your skin care routine, only to put bacteria back on your face for 8 hours a night!

Keeping your skin clear and free from breakouts and Rosacea flares is something we all strive for. 

Since prevention is key to keeping your skin clear, washing your face every night and morning with gentle products, staying away from Rosacea triggers, and faithfully sticking to your skin care routine is of the utmost importance. 

So what happens, after all your diligence, when you wake up in the morning to a Rosacea flare or breakout that seemingly came out of nowhere? It can be devastating.

If you're like me, you instantly begin mentally scrolling through the previous day's activities and food consumption. It can be a little tortuous trying to pinpoint what could have caused your flare or break-out.

One thing you shouldn't ever have to wonder about, though, is whether your break-out was caused by a dirty pillow case. NOPE! NO WAY, NO HOW!

One of the easiest ways to prevent break-outs, *in tandem with a Rosacea friendly skin care routine*, is to sleep on a clean pillow case.  A clean pillow case can help prevent the dirt & bacteria that collects on your pillow case, from transferring onto your skin, which can lead to break-outs and Rosacea flares while you sleep.

How often should you change your pillow case?

Dermatologists recommend changing out your pillowcase anywhere from every few days to every day, even if you wash your face every night.

I am a clean pillow case fanatic, and use a clean pillow case every other night...but sleep on a clean pillow case every night. Huh? No, it's not a riddle (I've never been one to love riddles), it's a method.

The Clear Skin Pillow Case Method

Night 1: Put on a clean pillow case and sleep on one side

Night 2: Flip that same pillow case over and sleep on the clean side

Night 3: Put on a clean pillow case and start the rotation over again

Is it a little obsessive? 

Maybe.

But does it work? 

Yes. 

So is it worth it? 

Yes!

How many pillow cases do you need?

My philosophy? You can never have too many washcloths or pillowcases 🥰

We recommend having at least 4-5 pillow cases if you do laundry every week. That way, if you start with a clean pillow case on Sunday, and follow the Clear Skin Pillow Case Method, you'll always have a clean pillow case to sleep on. 

And if you travel? Always bring your own pillow case and extras with you, so if you're like me, you own a lot more than 4-5.

What kind of pillow case is best for Rosacea?

I've mentioned before how much I love my new silk-cotton pillow cases.

Silk-cotton pillow cases are great for preventing fine lines & hair frizz, & silk is also a good temperature regulator so your face won't get hot through the night and flush (important for Rosacea!).

Silk-cotton pillow cases are also known to produce less friction against your skin and hair and don't absorb moisture so are less drying and provide a cleaner sleep surface through the night.

100% cotton pillow cases also come recommended by Dermatologists due to cotton's breathable qualities. Just be sure to choose cotton that is soft against your skin so it doesn't cause unwanted friction against your face.

Personally, I love both silk-cotton and soft cotton pillow cases. Both feel good against my skin and don't make my face feel hot at night.  From what research indicates, both a silk pillow case and breathable, soft 100% cotton are excellent choices for Rosacea and sensitive skin types.

Avoid anything that makes your face feel hotter during the night (like satin or microfiber), which can contribute to Rosacea flares.

How should I wash my pillow case?

How you wash your pillow case can be just as important as your efforts to use a clean one.

For sensitive skin and Rosacea, use a fragrance-free detergent made for sensitive skin (right now I'm using All's Free and Clear) & NO fabric softener. 

Standard detergents and fabric softeners often use added scents and other chemicals that can be irritating to sensitive skin. Detergent is washed out, but fabric softeners stay on. 

For facial skin, it's best to avoid fabric softeners on anything you will be putting against your face, even if it says fragrance free.

Don't over-do it on the detergent! I know I have been guilty of this. More often than not, too much laundry soap is added to a load and not all washed out during a rinse cycle. Sensitive skin, in particular, can get irritated by remnants of detergent left behind. 

When in doubt, run another quick rinse cycle to make sure everything is rinsed properly, and take it easy on the laundry detergent!

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Do you have any Rosacea Skin Care Tips you follow that help you? Leave us a comment or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram @FairfaceWashcloths. We'd love to connect with you!

And don't forget to add Fairface Washcloths to your Rosacea or Sensitive Skin care routine! Wash without worry! Our washcloths are made soft and gentle for Rosacea, Eczema and sensitive skin and the only thing you should be using against your skin...besides a clean pillow case. ;)

Can I use Grapeseed oil with Rosacea?

If you have Rosacea, it can be scary to try new products. I know, because I have it, and I did it.

I have been using my tried and true skin care products for my Rosacea going on many years now and don't stray from it.  However, when I started following a skin care esthetician on Instagram named Devyn @PureSkinOC, and listened to her podcast, I kept hearing her say how much she loved Grapeseed oil and how much her sensitive skin and Rosacea clients loved it too. 

The benefits alone made me very curious...and how could my skin not like something so soothing, moisturizing and natural? So I took the plunge.

Can you use Grapeseed Oil if you have Rosacea? 

This is what happened when I used it.

But first, here's what got me hooked:

Benefits of Grapeseed oil for the skin

• Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, high amounts of omega chain fatty acids and vitamin E
• Protects your skin's skin-firming collagen
• Contains antioxidants to protect your skin from free radicals that harm and age your skin
• Moisturizes and helps bind moisture to the skin
• Penetrates the skin quickly so it doesn't leave it feeling oily
• Great for all skin types
• May help skin tone become brighter and more even
• Safe for Rosacea and sensitive skin

How to use Grapeseed Oil on your skin at night

• Wash your face (I use Vanicream gentle cleanser with a soft Fairface Washcloth)
• Apply toner if you use one, followed by any topical medications (I apply Metronidazole for my Rosacea) and/or serums
• Apply a small amount of Grapeseed oil to your skin as your moisturizer (linked: I bought mine through Devyn's practice). Massage it in (it feels really good) and let it sink into your skin at least 15+ minutes before bed.
• Wake up to softer, healthier skin
• Wash your face in the morning

source: PureSkinOC

You can totally see why I wanted to try it, right? It sounds like a dream!

What happened when I used Grapeseed oil on my Rosacea-prone skin

Night 1

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it was definitely different putting oil on my face. The truth was, it took a little getting used to. It felt like I had oil on my face. Imagine that. ha! And I had to keep touching my face to see if the oil had finally sunk in yet.  Did I put too much on? Is it supposed to feel like this? Will this ever sink in?

Then my eyes started to sting a little bit. Did I get the oil too close to my eyes? 

As is the case with Rosacea, some may also have ocular Rosacea (I have it mildly, as in dry eyes). My ophthalmologist said when my eyes sting I should put some eye drops in, so I did. A word to the wise, it would have been better to put in eye drops before the oil, in case the drops can pull any stray oil in your eyes that may have touched your eye lashes.

Once I laid down in bed, worried that the oil on my face was going to ruin my silk pillow case, I felt slight itchiness on my skin. Here's me all night, "Am I just making this up or is my face actually itching?"

My internal dialogue is exhausting sometimes. I'm so high maintenance when it comes to my skin.

And BTW, I did put some grapeseed oil on my arms and hands before bed but they didn't itch.

Morning After

My face, arms and hands felt soft and there were no visible signs of irritation.

My silk pillow case looked like I hadn't slept with oil on my face (ha!)...and since it was wash day, I tossed it in the wash and it came out looking perfectly normal. No greasy aftermath.

I posted my night 1 experience on my Instagram feed and Devyn kindly let me know that the itchiness may have happened because my skin may have been very dry. She went on to say that her clients love it and it's really helped those with sensitive skin and Rosacea. I wanted to give my skin a grace period to get used to it, so I felt encouraged to try it again the next night.

Night 2

The whole "putting oil on my face" experience wasn't so foreign this time and I did use less and made sure to put eye drops in BEFORE applying the grapeseed oil. I'm not so hard to train.

I didn't notice much stinging of my eyes and had a little itch, but not too bad.

Morning After

Although my arms and hands still tolerated it well, I woke up with an itchy welt on my cheek and another itchy spot on my forehead. Bummer. My face was not liking this grapeseed oil. I hadn't had that kind of skin response in a long time, so my enthusiasm to extend my skin grace period was growing smaller.

One more time

At this point I gave my skin a break from the grapeseed oil and went back to my favorite Vanicream lotion to moisturize and in no time, my skin went back to normal.

So what did I do? About a week later, because I wanted my skin to like it SO bad, I tried the grapeseed oil again...and my skin broke out. Boo. It's time to face the fact that this is probably not going to work for me.

I reached out to Devyn and asked her if she had clients who haven't reacted well to grapeseed oil? She kindly responded by asking about the other products I was using (both night and morning) so she could determine what might be going on.

Her clients with Rosacea have had their skin improve with her products and the grapeseed oil, but decided it might be the oil reacting to the Metronidazole topical gel I put on my face at night. It made sense. So I tried the grapeseed oil one night and didn't apply my Metronidazole gel...but my face still didn't like it.

Am I still using Grapeseed oil?

No, but I haven't ruled out using it on my arms and hands at night. Because I know it is a great hydrator, is beneficial to my skin, and can leave it feeling softer, I haven't put it away forever.

Am I disappointed I can't use grapeseed oil on my face? Yes! Will I still try it again? Probably. ha! Maybe in the winter when the air gets colder and drier my skin will drink it up without breaking out? We'll see. I'll let you know if my skin decides to like it!

And here's the thing, everyone's skin is different. Devyn has clients with Rosacea who love using grapeseed oil. Even if we share Rosacea, you can have a different experience with products than I do. There are definitely benefits for your skin, so if your face tolerates it well, it's a win! If not, you can always use it on your body for the healthy and soft skin benefits. 

Have you already tried Grapeseed Oil on your Rosacea or sensitive skin? Leave me a comment - I'd love to know what your experience was like!

xo Shannon

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A huge part of my skin-calming skin care routine for Rosacea, has been using soft Fairface Washcloths (the soft flannel is so smooth and gentle to my skin) + using a gentle non-irritating cleanser. My current favorite is by Vanicream.

Head over to Fairface Washcloths on etsy or the Fairface Washcloths website and see if these soft, gentle washcloths can help you with your Rosacea or sensitive skin too!

Stress and Rosacea: how to calm your skin

"With all the stress I'm under right now from the fears and anxiety surrounding the Coronavirus, how will my skin be able to handle the stress? The last thing I need is for my Rosacea to start flaring. Are stress and Rosacea related? And if so, what can I do about it?"

Do these questions sound familiar to you? Maybe you've been thinking about this yourself as the stress mounts, the home-stay weeks feel more like months, and we have more questions than answers.

You're not alone in your quest to find peace amidst all the worry and anxiety. And for those of us with skin conditions, like Rosacea, we can't help but wonder how long it will be before the stress starts to show up on our skin?

Luckily, I am prepared and have all my favorite Rosacea-friendly skin care products stocked up at home, but is that enough to keep my Rosacea at bay? Will my skin start to show the stress, currently plaguing my mind?

Never fear, let's look at what one very reputable source (one of my favorites) says about stress and Rosacea flares: The National Rosacea Society.

Can Stress cause Rosacea flares?

From all the information I devoured on their website, the answer to whether stress and Rosacea flares are related, is an undeniable YES. 

Emotional stress has been identified as a common trigger among people with Rosacea. One study cited almost 80% of respondents identified emotional stress as a Rosacea trigger for them.

I know I could raise my hand right along with them. Emotional stress, particularly when I get flushed from feeling all the feelings, totally gets my Rosacea flaring.

They went on to say that the tricky thing about Rosacea, is that if you are flaring because of emotional distress, the Rosacea flares only make the emotional distress worse. And no one wants that.

So, what can we do to prevent the stress in our lives from triggering a Rosacea flare, creating a cycle of chaos on our face?

How to Prevent Rosacea Flares during Stressful Times

Dr. Grossbart, as cited in an article from the National Rosacea Society, suggests implementing stress management techniques of mind and body to reduce emotional stress, thereby reducing the chances of having stress-related Rosacea flares.

Care for your body and mind by: 

• Paying attention to what you are eating

• Drinking plenty of water throughout the day

• Making time for exercise

• Making sure to get enough good sleep

• Practicing meditation - like deep breathing, visualization, relaxation exercises

• Taking positive action by focusing on things you can take action on, instead of getting stuck in the worry of things out of your control.

How to Reduce Stress on your Rosacea Prone Skin

In addition to reducing overall stress to your mind and body, it's also very important to maintain or enhance your normal Rosacea skin care routine so there aren't additional stressors to your skin.

Care for your Rosacea-prone skin by:

• Keeping up with your regular cleansing routine

• Using a clean soft washcloth for each wash to maintain clear skin

• Adding additional products as needed, with healing ingredients

• Continuing to use your topical medications 

• Getting an extra prescription on hand if you are running low *I actually did this myself. I use Metronidazole gel and asked my dermatologist for one refill during this period of home-stay and she graciously called it in for me.

• Sleeping on a clean pillow case each night can also help keep skin clear. I love to sleep on *my favorite silk pillow cases that are super soothing to my skin and hair. Sleep on one side and flip the pillow over for the next night. Then change pillow cases. *affiliate link - see disclosure below

Are we all totally stressed out right now due to the Corona virus? Yes. But it doesn't mean we can't still find ways to bring our minds,  bodies and skin back to a place of peace and calm.

By implementing these changes (or continuing the good habits you've already made) you can get through this *temporary* change of life in a mindful way with lower stress and anxiety and your skin will follow suit.

*As an Amazon Associate I may make a small percentage on any purchases made through my links.

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How are you handling the stress of the corona virus? Have you seen your skin react in a negative way to the stress? Do you have any good tips that have helped you and your skin right now? Please share your experiences below in the comments. I'd love to know!

You can also check in with us on social media:
@FairfaceWashcloths on Instagram and Facebook

Wishing you the best and stay well!