EDITED October 2023 / IMPORTANT NOTES: I initially wrote this post in 2019 and some of my opinions have changed since then. Instead of completely re-writing this post which contains useful information on healing rosacea naturally, I’d like to invite you to read my latest articles on my new website healrosaceanaturally.com.

Early on in my journey looking for natural solutions for rosacea, I was lucky to find a Naturopath and Functional Medicine practitioner who both shared a holistic approach to skin healing.

Working with these practitioners taught me a lot about healing rosacea from the inside-out. But I also wanted to empower myself to take the healing process into my own hands and learn everything I can on the clear skin diet, gut health, liver detox, holistic nutrition and organic skincare.

So, I fell down the rabbit hole called the internet. 🙂

Very quickly, it became clear to me that a lot of the articles on the topic of ‘natural solutions for rosacea” offer “surface” information.

These articles talked about the usual triggers (sun, heat, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee….) but offered NO REAL solutions.

Even more frustrating was realizing who was behind these articles (more on that later).

The cookie-cutter information and pharmaceutical-based treatments didn’t resonate with me. Intuitively, I knew there was more to healing rosacea than managing triggers or using internal and external antibiotics. 

I also knew, deep down, that rosacea is fully and completely “healable”. I don’t believe in a cure in the form of a pill or cream plus, the current medical paradigm has told us rosacea is incurable BECAUSE big pharma hasn’t manufactured a drug to “cure”. 

Yet, after interviewing 60+ Holistic Skin Healing Experts, many of them womxn who have COMPLETELY healed rosacea naturally and holistically, I believe it’s way overdue to change the narrative around our skin’s capacity to fully heal.

If you’ve been going down the rabbit hole researching the internet, you’ve probably noticed that articles ranking on the top pages of Google on the topic of “natural solutions or natural remedies for rosacea” often sound the same and contain no substantial information whatsoever.

These articles are paid content written by internet marketers hired by big media firms (and big pharma) or paid writers who have zero understanding of skin health or rosacea. These posts aren’t designed to provide quality information but to “rank high” to get the most traffic and make money from targeted Google ads.

YouTube is another search engine built on an algorithm designed to feed you content based on popularity, not quality, and make money through advertisements.

Search “natural solutions, cure or remedies for rosacea” on YouTube and you won’t be shown a video from a Ph.D. in skin health (which could actually be of REAL VALUE). Instead, you’ll be shown a 20-something influencer whose video has millions of views because it was strategically titled “I CURED MY ROSACEA OVERNIGHT!!!”. Unfortunately, undiscerning people click on these videos in the hopes of finding a miraculous cure for rosacea. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that this influencer has never had rosacea in her life and that she’s an affiliate for a brand that promises overnight results from their miracle cream/pill.

So….After a few weeks of research and realizing it was much harder to find high-quality information on healing rosacea naturally, I decided to do something about it.

I sought out the help of the best skin experts in the field of holistic medicine, then got trained in functional nutrition and herbal medicine. You can learn more about my work on healrosaceanaturally.com.

The disclaimer

1. This blog post does not constitute medical advice, I’m not a doctor. If you need medical advice, seek the help of your trusted advisors.

2. This is by no means an exhaustive list of natural solutions or remedies for rosacea. I plan on adding to this article, so feel free to bookmark it or sign up to the Glowletter to be notified when new resources become available to you.

3. What’s working for me might not work for you. There is no “one size fits all formula”. There are, however, effective principles that, if followed, will support the healing of your skin from the inside out. The key (and I say this all the time on the podcast) is for you to feel empowered to take the healing process into your own hands.

Hear this: you can heal your skin.

Yes, that means rosacea, too.

I was talking to a Naturopathic ND specializing in Integrative Dermatology who admitted (off-record because she can’t speak freely about this) that rosacea is absolutely curable.

The problem is, doctors aren’t permitted to say so for fear of being sued or giving false hope. (Why they can, however, say that there is “no cure for rosacea”, which can cause severe emotional trauma in patients suffering from this skin condition, points to how broken the medical system is.)

Speaking to womxn in the Journey to Glow community, many of whom are frustrated and even depressed because of their skin, I feel that it’s time to shift the conversation into a more empowering one: one that addresses the root cause and focuses on FINDING solutions.

These podcast interviews feature real womxn who have found effective natural solutions to heal rosacea. Every post includes untouched, unfiltered, unphotoshopped before-and-after photos of their skin. To say that we have gathered evidence that rosacea can be fully healed is an understatement.

Our mission at Journey To Glow and healrosaceanaturally.com is to invite readers and listeners to examine their beliefs about healing and to connect with the body’s innate healing intelligence.

If you hold the belief that rosacea is incurable or that a natural approach isn’t going to work, you won’t make progress because your mindset will stop you from actually trying something new, whether it’s, at the very least, changing your diet or trying out a holistic healing modality.

Our mind is a powerful thing: it dictates the actions we take and the changes we make.

Healing a skin “issue” whether acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis… is, first and foremost, about pinpointing the root cause and bringing the body back into balance.

But it’s also about mindset or “state of mind”: being aware that your inner state and inner dialogue will dictate a lot of the outcome.

Personally, I’ve had to become really discerning about my thoughts and my daily practice is to ask: “Are these thoughts coming from a loving, accepting place?” or “Am I nasty and critical about my skin?”

Another avenue to explore is the emotional root cause of rosacea. This is a fascinating topic and one we explore in our 4-week program Self-Heal.

So, having established that clear glowing skin is attainable no matter what your skin looks like now, let’s explore natural solutions for rosacea.

The foundation for clear glowing skin is very much linked to the foods we eat. That some dermatologists still don’t see (or ignore) the link between food and skin (or gut microbiome and skin microbiome), makes absolutely no sense to me.

If you have food sensitivities, gut issues, an overburdened liver with heavy metals (often found in food!), a histamine intolerance, eat a highly-processed diet laden with pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs, clear skin just ain’t gonna happen.

Want a simple yet effective, natural solution to heal your rosacea? Look at the foods you eat!

Finding the right anti-inflammatory, rosacea-diet for you

There are so many books that offer food and diet guidelines to help clear skin issues but I find that the best approach is one based on bio-individuality. I write about the rosacea diet here if you’re interested.

Anthony William (The Medical Medium) talks a lot about celery juice and the benefits of heavy metal-detoxifying foods. I had a strong skin reaction drinking celery juice for 30 days but I know a lot of people get great results following his principles.

I’m an epicurean who loves cooking organic foods and prefer local, in-season fruits + vegetables as much as possible. Living in Quebec, Canada means I don’t have access to fresh fruits in the winter and tend to crave warm foods rather than a green smoothie in the morning, especially when it’s -30 degrees Celcius outside.

So I’ve learned to trust my body to navigate which foods are best for me during different seasons.

Ultimately, it’s about finding what works for you.

The bottom line on food

Making simple changes such as eating an organic plant-based diet, drinking pure water, cutting out inflammatory foods (sugar, gluten, corn, dairy, highly processed foods), and keeping caffeine and alcohol in check is essential if you have rosacea.

Since there’s no one size fits all formula as to the best rosacea diet, you’ll have to do some investigative work to find out the best healing foods for your skin.

When diet changes are not enough to heal rosacea naturally

Even though foods play a major role in skin health and potentially healing rosacea, sometimes changing our diet isn’t enough, which is why you may need to investigate further.

Sometimes there is more to the equation than changing our diet and cutting out inflammatory foods which is why a functional approach is key.

Some people make simple dietary changes and see a HUGE improvement in their rosacea (like Eva!) others will have to dig deeper to find out what else is going on. (This was certainly the case for me.)

One of the books that were instrumental for me in learning about toxic burdens on the liver (toxicity that can translate into dermatoxins that trigger skin issues such as rosacea, acne, eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis)) is the Medical Medium’s The Liver Rescue.

This is an excerpt from the book:

“Almost every single skin condition comes from the liver. The intestinal tract often becomes involved by default in a forced collaboration; however, conditions labelled eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, lupus, cellulitis, vitiligo, age spots, other discolorations, and more start and end with the liver.

Your liver releases dermatoxins (formed by viruses feeding off heavy metals and other toxins in your liver) to the surface of your skin to protect you. The skin knows your liver is getting overwhelmed with pathogens and their byproduct and toxins, and in a panic, it pushes poisons up to the surface in a rush. The dermatoxins, which are at least far away from your internal organs now, do make life uncomfortable; they’re highly inflammatory to skin tissue, causing blemishes, fissures, cracks, scabs, flaking, scarring, bleeding, and rashes of all kinds. The associated irritation occurs because of tiny nerve endings all through the epidermis. When inflammation occurs, the nerves get squeezed and pulled apart, causing the itchiness, discomfort, and outright pain of the rash.

The level to which these symptoms disrupt your life can depend on the strain of EBV or other virus present, the levels of heavy metals or other toxins present inside the liver, how sluggish the liver is, and your current diet, which could contain unhelpful foods that are feeding the underlying cause, the viral strain.

Rosacea is usually mercury-based, with that mercury present in both the liver and the small intestinal tract, plus a virus, most commonly EBV.”

Mercury fillings (yuk!)

Besides looking at heavy metals in foods, water and in my home/environment, the Liver Rescue prompted me to do more research on mercury fillings which I still had in my mouth even though they were over 35 years old!!! YUK!!!

Now, a quick Google search shows that quite a few studies connect skin/health issues to mercury fillings so I oriented my research toward functional medicine which, turns out, has been talking about the effects of heavy metal toxicity and skin issues for years.

Here are some resources to get you started on the subject:
https://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/mercury-get-this-poison-out-of-your-body/
https://draxe.com/health/heavy-metal-detox/
https://wellnessmama.com/302581/detox-heavy-metals/

Podcast: Wendy Myers https://myersdetox.com/category/podcast-category/

Even though there are sources out there trying to discredit the link between mercury fillings and health/skin issues, intuitively I knew I was on to something. So I promptly booked a series of visits to my holistic dentist and got mentally prepared to get my old mercury fillings replaced with non-toxic ones.

I also talked to my naturopath, who suggested a gentle protocol to support my body’s detoxification before and after the removal of mercury fillings.

Without getting into details here (because you should absolutely talk to a holistic expert about detoxing the body of heavy metals) it involved daily doses of cilantro (fresh herbal form or the essential oil), spirulina, adding chlorella to my water, shilajit, and milk thistle.

I’m now happy to say that I’m mercury fillings FREEEEEEEE and I’m so glad I made the investment, even though it was painful on the wallet and mouth!

And, to my amazement, I saw a HUGE improvement in my skin, within days. Specifically, the redness on my cheeks went down drastically. More on this topic in this video.

If you feel intuitively called to explore if and how heavy metals are burdening your liver and possibly impacting your skin, a great investment is to work with a knowledgeable Functional Nutrition Practitioner, Naturopathic ND, or Functional doctor who can order the right tests for you.

Before embarking on my journey to glow a few years ago, I had no idea there was such a thing as functional testing!

New to functional medicine? Dive into these episodes.

Functional tests are used by Naturopathic or Functional NDs to get straight to the root cause of an issue as opposed to treating symptoms.

Because of advancements in functional medicine in the last 5 years, we now have access to an incredible variety of cutting-edge tests to help us get to the root cause quickly and effectively.

These tests are not typically used in allopathic/conventional medical hospitals or clinics where doctors focus on treating symptoms, not getting to the root cause. (Hence saying that rosacea is incurable. Because a pill or cream hasn’t cured rosacea doesn’t mean it’s incurable, it just means they haven’t investigated the root cause yet.)

Functional testing can get pricey, so working with a functional expert is key and in the end, will save you time and money.

Personally, I invested my fair share in functional testing partly because I’m interested in learning more about functional medicine and because I’m determined to get to the root cause of my rosacea. But you don’t have to spend a tonne of money to get answers when you work with an expert.

Testing your water

We’ve talked about the importance of drinking pure water. Well, unbeknownst to me, my well water –—  which I was convinced was “free of heavy metals or pathogens — could be better which we found out thanks to a water test my Naturopath suggested.

If you’re currently drinking tap water, you might want to skip the test (save some money) and invest in a good filter asap instead. Tap water needs to be filtered as we talked about with Melissa in this episode.

Heavy metal test + DUTCH Test + SIBO Test + Live Blood Test

I also did a heavy metal test (a urine test done from home), the DUTCH test (also a urine test) which is a complete hormonal panel, a SIBO test and, when I visit my naturopath’s office, she’ll do a live blood test (a prick on the finger) which is always SO TELLING as to what’s going on in my body, blood, or gut (urgh, hello parasites!).

Without getting hyper-focused on ALL the tests available today (food sensitivities! MRT!) I wanted to mention it here as a possible natural solution for rosacea as it can really help you make incredible progress on your journey to glow.

The last test I’d like to mention is the MRT test (Mediator Release Test) which is a blood test to detect very specific food sensitivities. It’s also quite pricey (around $500USD) but if you have the extra cash, it might be worth checking out. Learn more about the MRT test here.

Also, this interview with Ramona Remesat is INCREDIBLE and gets into the details of testing for SIBO, EBV and Lyme. Plus, Ramona’s journey to glow is very inspiring: she’s now free of SIBO!

There’s no denying that plant medicine in the form of supplements, tinctures, powder or tea is an incredibly reliable option when looking for a natural approach to healing rosacea or any other skin conditions.

The challenge, however, is finding the right plant combination at the right medicinal dosage, which is where, again, working with a Naturopathic doctor or Skin herbalist is very beneficial.

Supplements that support skin health:

✔ Milk Thistle (liver support)
✔ Turmeric (protects the skin from free-radical damage)
✔ Vitamin C (an immune-boosting antioxidant that prevents cell damage)
✔ Polypodium Leucotomos (a powerful antioxidant)
✔ Astaxanthin (said to promote healthy skin tone, texture, elasticity & moisture levels)
✔ Zinc is said to relieve the symptoms of acne, pimples, and minor skin eruptions
✔ Burdock is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine as a blood cleanser and to relieve minor skin eruptions and symptoms of mild eczema and dermatitis
✔ Calendula can be used externally to repair skin tissue + reduce redness as well as repair gut tissue

Since finding the right supplements or herbal protocol is key, I can’t emphasize enough that the best way to go about it is to resist the temptation to buy everything that promises clear skin but to work with a herbalist that can craft the right formula for your own unique need.

I also wanted to mention flower essences because they’re really not that well known and hold tremendous healing powers.

If you don’t know about flower essences, they work very differently than essential oils as they work on an energetic level.

So what are flower essences exactly?

They’re a bioenergetic imprint of a flower that has been transferred to water via the sun or moon.

The process was first discovered in the 1930s by Dr. Edward Bach and has since been created and used by many holistic practitioners.

Flower essences work on our energy bodies and help support emotional, mental, and spiritual healing by shifting energy blocks, limiting beliefs or destructive/sabotaging behaviors.

Since flower essences are energetic in nature, their benefits are not due to a biochemical interaction with the body. Instead, they work on the various energy pathways (such as the acupuncture meridians) to create health and well-being in the body, mind, and spirit.

What does that have to do with healing skin issues you ask?

So much!

If you feel stuck on your journey to glow because you’re just not making progress, you’re not implementing the lifestyle and diet changes you know you need to make, you’re feeling depressed or beat yourself up every time you look in the mirror, you’ll need to change a deep-seated belief or energetic pattern in order to fully heal.

That’s where flower essences come in. Plus, they’re super safe, and affordable, and you can’t do it wrong.

I’ve been working with flower essences for years and they have supported me through big life transitions, grief, emotional blocks, and mental well-being. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without them!

PS: If you’re interested in flower essences and botanical skincare, check out my new website shop.journeytoglow.com

JTG #33 Naturally Glowing Skin From Within With Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Nadia Neumann

In this episode of the Journey To Glow podcast, we talk about naturally glowing skin from within with nutritional therapy practitioner Nadia Neumann.

Nadia Neumann is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who specializes in female adult acne and women’s whole body wellness. After struggling with breakouts in her early 20s, she made it her mission to learn as much as possible about the root causes of acne and now helps other women bring balance back to their bodies and skin in her private practice and 6-week group nutrition and skin coaching program Holistically Clear.

She is the author of Glow: The Nutritional Approach to Naturally Gorgeous Skin, and founder of the healthy living website Body Unburdened, which has helped millions of readers adopt a holistic approach to health and wellness since 2013. A natural skincare junkie, Nadia recently took her obsession with face oils to a whole new level with the Body Unburdened Beauty Blends – her line of small-batch, handmade face oil blends – and plans to offer more products in coming months.
She loves spending time hiking in the beautiful San Francisco Bay area where she lives with her husband and considers dark chocolate to be an antioxidant-packed, anti-aging, skin-loving superfood.

In this episode, Nadia Neumann and Journey To Glow host Caroline Frenette explore:

• Nadia’s journey to healing acne
• Why do women experience post-pill acne
• What is androgen rebound and how does it affect your skin
• The toll the pill takes on your liver and the rest of your body
• Cortisol (the stress hormone) and skin
• The importance of balancing blood sugar and clear skin
• Glowing skin breakfast ideas to feel satiated and nourish your skin
• Collagen as a protein powder to support your skin and help with leaky gut
• Nadia’s favorite protein powder
• Loving your liver for hormonal balance
• The antioxidants you need for clear skin
• Nadia’s 2 favorite supplements to support the liver
• How to support your bodies’ detox pathways
• The small, incremental changes that lead to optimum health and clear skin
• How to implement change from the inside-out
• Why choose a mineral sunscreen
• The importance of vitamin production from exposure to the sun

1. Nadia’s website bodyunburdened.com

2. Follow Nadia on Instagram

3. Body Unburdened on Facebook

4. Skin Deep database ewg.org/skindeep

5. My comprehensive blog post on nontoxic sunscreens journeytoglow.com/nontoxic-organic-sunscreen

FREE ROSACEA MASTERCLASS

Get FREE access to a 30-minute masterclass where you’ll explore 9 misconceptions about rosacea and how to create momentum on your healing journey.

Links & Resources

1. Dr. Lynne Racette’s website drlynne.ca

2. Connect with Lynne on Instagram instagram.com/drlynnend

3. Shop green beauty products, organic skincare and non toxic makeup on The Detox Market Canada

4. Shop The Detox Market USA

FREE ROSACEA MASTERCLASS

Get FREE access to a 30-minute masterclass where you’ll explore 9 misconceptions about rosacea and how to create momentum on your healing journey.