Reducing the Redness of Rosacea

There are many natural anti-inflammatories that can help reduce the redness of your skin. This treatment will focus on two different cleansers: a facial wash and a homemade salve.
* a) The facial wash will be made out of cool green tea. Find either pure green tea leaves, or a tea bag with no additional ingredients.
* b) The homemade salve includes aloe vera and licorice root extract. Aloe vera gel is the preferred ingredient, but you can use aloe vera juice instead.

Star by boiling some water for the tea. You can either make a little tea as you need it or make a lot and save the leftovers.
* a) Heat the water until it just starts to boil. Try not to let it get any hotter, or you will scald the leaves.
* b) To make concentrated green tea, pour 1/2 cup of water over 1 tablespoon of leaves, or one tea bag. You can adjust these proportions to fit the amount you are making.
* c) Allow the tea to sit for around five minutes, then strain out the leaves. Place the tea in the refrigerator to cool.

The aloe vera gel and licorice are both natural anti-inflammatory agents. Because the essential oil is so strong, you will need to dilute it in the aloe vera gel. Use 1 cup of gel for every six drops of licorice oil to start with. As you use the salve, you can adjust this ratio to fit the needs of your own skin.

Before you apply anything to your face, wash it thoroughly with warm water. Don't put too much pressure on your cheeks; you don't want to pop any blood vessels. Clean off any dirt or makeup, and pat your face dry with a clean towel.

Make sure that the tea is completely cold before you apply it; you don't want to scald your face.
* a) Dip a clean washcloth in the tea, and lay it over your face.
* b) Using your fingertips, massage the towel into the affected areas.
* c) Dip the towel again, and repeat until your entire face has been washed with tea.

The next step is to apply the salve. Since it isn't as time consuming as the green tea, you can apply the salve multiple times a day if you desire.
* a) Place a small dollop of the salve in your palm. Rub your hands together to warm the salve up and make it easier to spread.
* b) Gently massage the salve into your face, paying careful attention to the areas most affected by your rosacea.
* c) Wipe off any excess salve with a clean towel.

Continue to use this method for a few weeks, and monitor the progress of your condition. If the redness doesn't get better, try adding a little more licorice oil to the salve. If you notice a skin irritation, consider using less.