You have the diagnosis. Now what?

Maybe a doctor looked at your red cheeks and said “rosacea.” Maybe it was your flaky, itchy scalp and eyebrows, and the word was “seborrheic dermatitis.” Either way, you probably left with a cream or a shampoo, and it either didn't help or helped for a while and then stopped. Plenty of people end up right there: they have a name for it, they've tried several things, and the redness or flaking keeps coming back. This Saturday Connie is spending the whole morning on these two conditions and what's going on underneath them.

It starts with the “-itis.” Connie's way of looking at it is simple. Anything ending in “-itis” is inflammation, so the inflammation is where she starts. Rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis show up differently, with flushing and redness in one and greasy, itchy flaking in the other, but both are the skin telling you something is inflamed. Covering up the surface without asking why it's inflamed is often why nothing seems to stick.

Then the questions that matter. How long has it been going on? Is there an allergy or sensitivity involved? What sets it off? Heat, sun, wind, hot drinks, alcohol, spicy food and stress are the usual rosacea triggers. Seborrheic dermatitis tends to flare with stress and with the cold, dry air of fall and winter, which is why so many people notice it getting worse right about now. Connie will explain how to track your own triggers so you know what you're working with.

Then calming and supporting the skin. Inflamed skin does better with less: gentle cleansing, protecting the skin barrier, and mineral sunscreen every day of the year. Connie will cover the soothing plants herbalists have reached for over generations, including aloe, calendula, chamomile and green tea, and tea tree oil for the scalp along with how to dilute it properly. She'll also talk about the gut, diet and the inflammation connection, and why what happens inside often shows up on your face.

And when to see the doctor. Eyes that feel gritty, burning or sensitive to light can mean rosacea is affecting them, and that needs a doctor. So does a rash that spreads quickly or blisters, or one that comes with joint pain or fatigue. If you're using a steroid cream on your face, don't stop it or change it without talking to your doctor first. Nothing on Saturday replaces your doctor, and Connie will say so first.

This week we're covering

• Why “-itis” means inflammation, and why that's where Connie starts
• Rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis: how each one shows up, and why many people have both
• Why the first cream or shampoo so often stops working
• The questions that matter: how long, what allergies, what triggers
• Rosacea triggers: heat, sun, wind, hot drinks, alcohol, spicy food and stress
• Why seborrheic dermatitis flares in cold, dry weather and under stress
• Gentle cleansing and protecting the skin barrier
• Mineral sunscreen and why inflamed skin needs it year-round
• The traditional soothing herbs: aloe, calendula, chamomile and green tea
• Tea tree oil and a flaky, itchy scalp: how to dilute it and use it safely
• The gut, diet and inflammation connection
• Eye symptoms, steroid creams, and the signs that mean see your doctor

New to our workshops? You're very welcome. Connie starts each one from the ground up, so nothing this Saturday assumes you've been before. Feel free to bring your questions.

Join us Saturday, October 24

⏰ 11:30 am – 12:30 pm CST

In person: Wise Women Botanicals, 1011B Hwy 24 West, Moberly, MO 65270. $10 per person, limited seating — call (660) 263-1033 to reserve your spot.

Online (free): Can't make it to Moberly? Join the live webinar at no charge. Register on our Wellness Workshops page and we'll email you the meeting link.

Our Wellness Workshops happen every Saturday. Sign up once and you'll get each week's topic and meeting link in your inbox.