Following my rosacea post from last week, I received many questions about the skincare products I use. I couldn’t even keep up with the messages, so without further ado, I wanted to tell you about the products I’ve been using since the day I was diagnosed with rosacea, in order.

If you want to read the first post in this series, you can click this link.

If you want to read the second post in this series, you can click this link.

By the way, I also want to mention that you don’t need to have a skin disease to give up chemicals. To maintain our current health, we should use products that are as close to natural as possible.

What I did after my initial rosacea diagnosis:

When I was first diagnosed, I threw all my cosmetics in a bag and threw them away.

My doctor gave me a special liquid and cream mixture made at the pharmacy. The cream smelled absolutely awful. My husband and I nicknamed it “Mustafasavar” (a term referring to a specific type of skin cleanser). It was very difficult to stand next to me after wearing it. It was that uncomfortable, but it healed me…

In three months, I saw a noticeable improvement in my skin. However, as I mentioned last week, I had also started cutting out gluten.

For about 2-3 years, I only used a special cream prescribed by my doctor, and I washed my face only with pure water. Of course, I should also mention that since I didn’t wear foundation, blush, concealer, etc., washing my face with just water was enough. For those who wear makeup, I will describe a facial cleansing soap below.

What I used after I recovered:

Once I was convinced my skin was improving, I started using a chemical-free, natural, cruelty-free moisturizer and face cream from a large German cosmetics store chain’s own brand. This made me happy, but I was also gradually entering the world of aromatherapy. I had set out to explore it out of an inexplicable curiosity. Luckily, I had friends around me who could guide me in this area. As I delved into the world of aromatherapy and became familiar with those completely natural, wonderfully scented oils, I couldn’t stop.

At first, things like making your own cream at home seemed like a distant prospect. I kept saying, “I can’t keep up with that anymore” (see, I do it all now), and during that time I met some very sweet people who made exactly the products I had dreamed of. I can’t write the names of these companies here, but I will share them on my Instagram account. I started buying from places that made creams so natural you could eat them with a spoon. I continued like this for about a year. I would mention that I had rosacea and use the creams they recommended. I usually bought those for sensitive and dry skin.

Skin, Rosacea, and the Relationship Between Diet and Skin

Meanwhile, in March, I did an elimination diet. During this diet, the scaly patches around my chin, which I suspected were due to rosacea, disappeared. During the reintroduction process, I realized that eggs were damaging my skin. I still eat very few eggs now. Whenever I eat them every day, the scaling starts again immediately. So I realized that eggs were also affecting my rosacea.

The relationship between skin and diet varies from person to person. Eggs might bother me, but peppers might bother someone else. These are just examples, of course. You can actually find this out yourself by doing an elimination diet.

Natural skincare products

Last week I told you about my homemade eye makeup remover. This week I want to talk about my moisturizer, toner, and facial cleanser.

Although the ingredients I’ll mention might seem expensive at first, a can of shea butter is actually about the same price as a box of moisturizer from a regular brand, but you can make the same size cream many times over from the shea butter we bought. So buying it once and making it regularly is much more economical.

Facial Cleanser

Since I don’t wear makeup, I rarely need a cleanser like this, but it’s fantastic when deep cleansing is desired.

50 ml Castile soap

5 drops lavender essential oil

Castile soap is made from 100% natural oils. As far as I know, it’s the healthiest and most natural liquid soap. The original mixture doesn’t contain liquid, but I add 3-4 tablespoons of water and mix it. It breaks down the thick consistency of the Castile soap and makes it easier to rinse. It’s a wonderful cleanser that doesn’t dry out or strip my skin of moisture.

Toner

For rosacea, rose water is said to be the best herbal water, following the principle of “like cures like.” I spray rose water directly onto my face as a toner and let it absorb on its own. It’s very important to use a product that is genuine, 100% rose water.

Moisturizer

I’ve fallen in love with my moisturizer. My skin is so soft and it feels so good.

30 ml shea butter

5 ml cold-pressed sesame oil

10 ml rosehip carrier oil

4 drops lavender oil

4 drops ylang-ylang oil

This formula includes lavender oil and ylang-ylang for a lovely aroma and scent. It’s not essential, but it soothes the skin so beautifully.

We mix all these oils together and store them in a glass jar. Once you get the ingredients, it only takes a minute to make. It’s so enjoyable and wonderful to use something you’ve made yourself. And knowing what’s in it makes it even more enjoyable.

These last three formulas are suitable for those with sensitive and dry skin like mine. I learned them last week at a natural skincare workshop in Kuzguncuk. I’ve always been hesitant to make them myself, but going to the workshop made it so easy. I think I’ll always make them myself from now on. If you say “I can’t do it,” I’ll share the addresses where I’ve bought these kinds of things on Instagram.

Note: These recipes were learned from my dear friend Yıldız Kurt. I’ve shared them with her permission. If you have any health issues, I recommend consulting your doctor before using them.

I think I’ve shared and explained everything I used during this process. I hope it will be helpful to you too.

I wish everyone healthy, happy, and sugar-free days.