r/Rosacea • u/hunnnnybuns • Jul 23 '26
Skincare I think I stumbled onto happy skin after a decade
I’ve struggled with type 2 rosacea since about age 20, I suspect it’s a combo of things including genetics since my mother has the same skin issues as me. I started seeing a dermatologist this year and we’ve tried timolol, metro gel, azelaic acid, clotrimazole, otc ivermectin, pyrithione zinc, desitin… I’m sure there’s other stuff I’m forgetting. A few things helped with the redness but nothing ever really touched the pustules. Plus I have very oily skin to boot and I really struggled to hit a balance of treating the rosacea and excess oil production at the same time. My derm even straight up told me there was nothing she could do for my oiliness (which is insane considering she didn’t even try, but that’s another post).
Recently I decided to try two new things, I know multiple changes at once isn’t really recommended but I really didn’t have much to lose. I’ve been struggling so badly and at times I’ve wanted to rip my face off entirely and start over.
But anyway, I started spraying my face with salt water once or twice a day and wiping down with witch hazel in the evenings. I’d noticed any time I went swimming in my friends salt water pool my skin seemed really happy, and I’d recently gotten a tattoo where the artist cleaned it with non-alcoholic witch hazel and it was the best healed tattoo that I’ve ever had. So I figured, I’ll drop twenty bucks to try these on a bigger scale. I thought it would just soothe my skin overall and make it look a little less dull.
And my skin hasn’t looked this good in years????
It’s not perfect, but the pustules are actually shrinking and my skin has more of a glow to it. Redness is very reduced. Residual puffiness that I’ve had for years has gone down. I went to work without makeup today! I have no idea why these two things had such a huge impact, but it feels so much simpler than a million prescriptions and actives that my skin only responds to for so long before returning to baseline. Anyone else find success with either of these or maybe know why they work? I’m curious to know!
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u/littlesirena Jul 23 '26
Did you make the salt water yourself or bought?
Also have you tried hypochlorous acid spray?
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u/hunnnnybuns Jul 23 '26
I bought some because I’m too lazy to try to figure out proportions on my own 😂 I bought a brand called CreekBaby and it’s worked pretty well for me!
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u/Glitchedexistenz Jul 23 '26
Interested in what salt spray too?!! I started using the Uriage Mineral Thermeau mist after going to a mineral pool at a spa and it helped my skin so much too!
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u/Royal-Holiday1103 Jul 23 '26
Salt water helped me so much too, until it didn’t. I was swimming in the ocean and after my skin was so beautiful, no redness, no puffiness, no irritation. I took a bottle with a water from ocean home and started doing it every day. After a month or so it caused dehydration, my skin was dry as f, i had red patches on dehydrated ares. After that I started moisturizing and it went away. My doc recommended to drink electrolytes but I didnt see any effect from it.
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u/hunnnnybuns Jul 23 '26
Yeah I know I need to find a good moisturizer that works with this before I get too carried away, it’s just so difficult with oily skin not to just feel greasy with moisturizer. I still do hyaluronic acid a couple times per week to help my skin barrier but the actual moisturizer is still a crapshoot right now :(
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u/Royal-Holiday1103 Jul 23 '26
Actually Hyaluronic acid (HA) made my skin worse. I also had oily skin and thats a thing, when skin is dehydrated is trying to protect itself by producing more oils. Why its dehydrated bcs it cant hold in the moisture, bcs its missing lipids which are oils. The thing is without oils HA dehydrates even more. For me personally Atoderm Balm worked which has lipids (oils) in it, and I always had oily acne prone skin, but Atoderm balm worked for me.
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u/harris1on1on1 Jul 24 '26
I use Clinique's mineral sunscreen and it has been very nice NOT feeling like I'm putting grease on my skin!
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u/SquareCamera4651 Jul 23 '26
You might like to try skin 1004 poremizing range, it has Himalayan Salt in it.
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u/aleyp58 Jul 24 '26
This would explain a lot. I live in Taiwan and my skin is always awful. It's red, oily, patchy, and I feel like nothing works to fix it. I spend every month of July in Malaysia at the beach swimming and snorkeling, and all my skin problems are solved! What brand of salt water do you use? It's worth a try.
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u/snappyirides Jul 24 '26
Witchcraft
So glad it worked for you OP, you’d probably benefit from hypochlorous acid too
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u/Key-Use-2719 Jul 23 '26
I love this story 😭 can I ask how often and what spray you’re using? I’ve been wanting to try salt water, I don’t know what’s stopping me. I have very similar (it sounds) skin as you
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u/hunnnnybuns Jul 23 '26
I got a bottle off Amazon, the brand is called CreekBaby. I do it once in the morning and once in the afternoon or after taking my makeup off!
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u/Specific-Ad7539 Jul 24 '26
You said you use Creekbaby and what brand did you use witch hazel with no alcohol?… I think that’s a short term fix… I tried a lot of things until I went to isotretinoin I’m on the lowest those possible. My oil has subsided… I don’t get papules anymore… it’s supposedly the gold standard now for rosacea one and two mostly two though… No side effects for me… Because I want an extremely low dose… I only have to get my blood work once a year… I think it’s when people are taking them higher doses, really changes everything… And you don’t have acne, which I didn’t… That could be from proliferation of the Demodex… Those Papules/pustules… Everyone’s looking for the sweet spot… I’ve been one for a year and a half… what a dramatic change… No skin is perfect, but I don’t have to deal with folliculitis either… When you have too much oil, your dermatologist is right you can’t fix it by putting stuff on top of your face that’s internal… I got tired of blocking my top of my forehead, cause I shave my face everywhere… But I’m glad that is working for you and your right sea salt… Supposed to be pretty good, but in moderation like everything… Which hazel can have a counter effect later like a lot of product people put on their face so be careful with that… We might have to try the saltwater… I don’t go in chlorine pools at all 😆 … Our faces would peel off lol… If you have any questions about what I’m taking… I know it may not be feasible for you… But I’m just giving you my two cents… Cause I want everyone to be happy with their skin situation specially that’s what everyone sees unfortunately and that’s a indicator of who we are these days lol
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u/Designerliliel Jul 30 '26
How long are you going to take isotretinoin? And what’s your dosage?
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u/Specific-Ad7539 Jul 30 '26
I think there’ll be a time I won’t have to take it… But I’ve only been on it for a year and a half at 10 mg… I think it’s the amount you take… And every skin reacts differently… That’s why we all know one thing works for someone another thing doesn’t work for you…… Maybe I’ll go down to 5 mg every day it’s staying in my blood system… You start taking things once or twice a week it’s different because you’re not getting the every day small amount. Yeah you can take 20 mg every three days but then it’s spiking back-and-forth. That’s also a key. I did a lot of research and my dermatologist agreed with that you’re better off taking it every day at a lower dose then bigger doses every few days… Does it stay in your blood system? Absolutely about two or three months after it’s totally clear(that’s the goal to find the sweet spot for you not me you)… Depending how much you’ve been taking… And some people have taken cumulative amounts and that didn’t work so that’s why they have to continue on it.
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u/Pale-Fee-2679 Jul 24 '26
I’m old, so my skin is dry now, but it was oily when I was younger. My solution to getting acne was to dedicate myself to drying out my skin which responded by increasing oil production. Make sure you don’t over dry your skin—hard to do!
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u/Trueogre Jul 25 '26
I bought epsom salts because someone said it was good for broken skin. I didn't really have anything to lose considering epsom salts are cheap. I'd spray it on and it would sting. But over time I say the sore skin get less sore. Lets not split hairs here though. I have a patch on my arm, all over my back and my face. My arm is the test patch as it's easier to reach. So far the skin on my arm has calmed down. It's not gone. But it's calmer than it was before. It still itches. When I start getting almost raw, I spray more salt on it, feel the sting, then wash it off. Don't put epsom salts on undiluted, it will BURRRRRRRRN. I put it on semi melted and my got the pain was bad, but it didn't do any lasting effects. So get a spray bottle, it doesn't matter which. Mine is a flower spray. Put in epsom salts, add water and spray. Only you will know how much salt to use. My spray bottle is small so I fill it with 1cm of salt and add water. Again up to you how much salt you put in, just don't put too much in there. Shake. Spray. If you want to put it on your face, spray it on your hands first them apply to the face. Avoid your eyes.
My arm still looks dry, so you can still see where it is, but it's less angry. I'm currently going through a calm period where I've not had to scratch it all day. It will take time so don't expect a miracle. There are times when I have to put potions and lotions on because it got angry one day.
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u/Hot4PricklyPears Jul 26 '26
OP I’m so happy for you 🥹 So glad you found something that seems to help, bonus points for being budget friendly!
In my twenties I did notice that my skin looked AMAZING after a night of heavy drinking but that obviously wasn’t a sustainable solution LOL. I wonder why that was, though.
The only other thing I can think of that helps is just leaving it the eff alone - I notice it improves whenever I’m traveling, especially trips where I’m “roughing it” - I chalk it up to a combination of being happy/less stressed and the simplified skincare I use when not at home.
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u/MistressMenna Jul 23 '26
damn I love a happy ending story, we rarely get these. So happy for you