Sun protection vs Vitamin D

[JulieBC*]

I know that I have to protect my face from the sun. Even 2 minutes in direct heavy sunlight causes my rosacea symptoms to flare. But I also know that I need more vitamin D than I'm getting. In fact, getting too little vitamin D could make rosacea and a lot of other health conditions worse.

Is there a happy medium somehow? I don't think supplements work very well (at least according to recent studies).

What's the best way to get vitamin D without rosacea flare-ups? Is it possible?

[talkhealth]

Hi Julie,

This is a really good point. Do you eat foods high in vitamin D? The NHS have information about foods that are high in vitamin D- http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-m ... min-D.aspx

Do you find the amount of vitamin D foods you eat affect your rosacea?

Helen

[JulieBC*]

This is a really good point. Do you eat foods high in vitamin D? The NHS have information about foods that are high in vitamin D- http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-m ... min-D.aspx

Do you find the amount of vitamin D foods you eat affect your rosacea?

Thank you, Helen! That's a super handy list. I do eat foods that contain vitamin D. But indeed, as you pointed out, a lot of the foods that actually contain vitamin D are also often ones that will flare some of my symptoms.

Red meat and liver are foods I can tolerate only in extremely small amounts - not enough to boost my vitamin D levels in any meaningful way. Oily fish are my main source, but I can't eat that every day. Not only would it be unappealing to have fish every single day, but I've read that too much fish increases the risk of mercury poisoning.

I live in Canada where milk is vitamin D fortified and I have a small amount of that every day, but again, too much causes the rosacea symptoms to flare.

It's like my face is working against itself!

I had been taking supplements for a while, but one study after the next is now saying that vitamin D supplements don't actually work.

I've been trying to keep my face coated in sunscreen/covered in shade while still allowing my arms to get some direct sunlight, but I don't want to overdo that, either, because skin cancer is always a concern (I'm pale as a ghost and have suffered many blistering sunburns in my lifetime, so I know my risk is higher).

I feel like every time I take a step toward getting more vitamin D, I take a couple backward.

Am I just being dramatic? Is anyone else this obsessed with trying to get vitamin D?

[talkhealth]

It sounds like its a tricky balance and one where there isn't clear evidence/guidance on.

Maybe a research project in the making!

Helen

[JulieBC*]

It sounds like its a tricky balance and one where there isn't clear evidence/guidance on.

Maybe a research project in the making!

Helen

I sure hope there is! There's a lot of rosacea research underway at the moment, so that's pretty exciting. It's just hard to be patient for results when you're living with a condition every day. I guess all we can do is our best

[talkhealth]

Definitely. Which sun creams do you find suit your skin best? Is there any ingredients to avoid in sun creams for rosacea?

Helen

[JulieBC*]

Good question.
I've found that I have the best luck with the "natural" sun creams. The ones with zinc oxide tend to leave a white/chalkiness behind but they don't make my skin react. I've found a tinted one that is close to my skin colour so it's not bad at all.
Nearly every regular chemical drugstore type of sun cream has either caused my skin to react right away or it has been fine but my skin develops a sensitivity to it over time and then the rosacea flares up from it. I'm not sure which specific ingredients are responsible for that.

[hundalmarck@gmail.com]

Definitely. Which sun creams do you find suit your skin best? Are there any ingredients to avoid in sun creams for dryness.