What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a painful skin condition that runs in my family. Women between ages 30 and 50 with fair skin can suffer from rosacea that is aggravated by sunlight, diet soda, stress and heat. I contacted my friend Sepi from CT Organics in 2016 when my skin was in such a bad state that I was at my wit's end.

I've been using Clinique "Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser With Probiotic Technology" since around 2007. I also use Clinique "Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Cream" and more recently Clinique "SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid For Face." They say the mineral sunscreen is virtually invisible, which is to say that it is like wearing clown white makeup. But for days when I'm out in the sun all day, I feel it provides better protection than the face cream.

To treat the skin irritation, Sepi first gave me a sample of pure borage oil to make sure that wouldn't aggrevate the condition. Then she gave me a sample of Borage Pearl Powder cream to try. I've been applying it only to the areas of extreme redness. It's definitely working. The redness in my cheeks is less but I still get irritation on my chin that I'm trying to tame. I think maybe the chin is something that still gets sun even when the rest of my face is covered by a hat. Also, I was using only SPF 30 for awhile but I've gone back up to SPF 50.

Oct 2016

Nov 2016

March 2017

April 2018

I can't say enough wonderful things about the Borage Pearl Powder cream. The only thing I need to do is make sure I have a travel size. Last month, when I went to New Orleans (on a plane) I was limiting myself in terms of how many ounces I brought in my carry-on luggage. 3-1-1 for carry-ons = 3.4 ounce (100ml) bottle or less (by volume) ; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. The thing is that I brought a bunch of hair products which left less room for skin care in the 1 quart bag. Priorities~!

March 2018, New Orleans

Every day on top of the Borage Pearl Powder cream, I put Clinique "Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+" and I use that to cover areas outside of the T-zone where my rosacea isn't. I sometimes use Clinique "All About Eyes" but not every day. Especially since I hardly go anywhere without my glasses these days, and then on top of that I wear goggles in lab 5 days a week. So nobody is really looking at my crow's feet. Then I put "Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen Face Cream" on top of all that. Or SPF 50 if I'm planning to be outside for more than 20 minutes at a time.

When I've got TOO much sun or TOO much wind or if I've done TOO much gardening and my skin has been hit with dirt, I use Clinique "Moisture Surge™ Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator" together with Clinique "Repairwear Laser Focus™ Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream." I keep this on overnight or all weekend (plus staying indoors) to let the skin heal itself.

But I will say that this entire regimen WITHOUT the Borage Pearl Powder cream didn't work.

Hello spring 🌼 #SLOLA #seeds #flowers #pollinatorfriendly #borage #edible #bloom #spring #bees

A post shared by Seed Library of Los Angeles (@seedlibraryofla) on Apr 16, 2018 at 7:24am PDT

According to CT Organics website, borage seed oil contains high amount of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) fatty acids that help reduce inflammation naturally.

Introducing 🌼Borage Pearl Powder Cream🌼 absorbs quickly and hydrates deeply giving you silky firm skin. 🌱Borage oil contains Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) 🌱Pearl Powder contains 20 amino acids that help with collagen production 🌱Turmeric Oil (CO2 extract) helps with acne and healthy skin production. Now available on our website. #ctorganics #naturalskincare #organicskincare #organicskincare #borageoil #turmericoil #pearlpowder #naturalprimer #primerbeforefoundation

A post shared by CT Organics Natural Skincare (@ctorganics) on Jun 3, 2017 at 2:42pm PDT

I could say more about a BUNCH of other CT Organics products that I love, but that's all the time I have for today AND this product has been a game changer for me.