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Snorkeling in Salt Water Cleared Up Rosacea

Q. I am a 53-year-old man. When I turned 50, I developed severe rosacea. I tried everything and nothing helped.

I just returned from a two-week vacation in the South Pacific. I learned to snorkel and scuba dive and was in the ocean every day. By the time I left, all signs of rosacea were completely gone.

I don’t know why salt water works to clear up the skin but it’s almost miraculous.

A. Thank you for sharing your great results. For those who may not have the opportunity to go snorkeling, other readers have suggested some unconventional ways of calming rosacea. This skin condition causes redness of the cheeks, nose and forehead. Sometimes there are fine red lines visible just under the skin, and there may be pimple-like blemishes.

Use trial and error to determine which of these remedies helps:

* Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo with selenium sulfide. Apply it in the morning and leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse it off.

* Milk of Magnesia. Dab it on the affected areas morning and night, let it dry and apply the usual moisturizer.

* Elimination diet. Several readers report that eliminating gluten or sugar or all carbs makes rosacea disappear.

If you have found a home remedy that helps rosacea, tell us about it below.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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