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6 Tips to Enjoy Happy Hour Without a Rosacea Flare
When you have the skin condition rosacea, having a glass of red wine could have a surprising effect on your skin.
Rosacea causes redness on the cheeks, chin, forehead, and nose and affects more than 16 million Americans, according to the National Rosacea Society (NRS). Facial redness can come and go, with different factors triggering flares. These factors include too much sun exposure, stress, exercise, spicy foods — and yes, drinking alcohol.
RELATED: What to Eat and Avoid to Reduce Rosacea Flares
How much alcohol it takes to trigger rosacea seems to vary. “Each person has a different tolerance,” says Tanya Kormeili, MD, a dermatologist in Santa Monica, California. “What triggers one person may not be enough to do so for a different patient.”
This raises a question: What’s the connection between rosacea and alcohol?
Because rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition, the effects of drinking alcohol have a lot to do with inflammation, notes one study. When evaluating rosacea risk in American women, researchers found that drinking alcohol increased the production of inflammatory cytokines that cause blood vessels to widen.
The fact that alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate exacerbates rosacea, says Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with offices in New York City and Hicksville, New York.
So, what are your options if alcohol bothers your skin? Try these science-backed tips to help minimize a red reaction.
Choose Alcoholic Drinks That Don’t Irritate Your Skin
Keep track of flares to determine which alcoholic beverages you’re able to tolerate. For example, some people with rosacea have less of a problem with beer than with wine.
Research on the effects of beer on skin diseases is limited. But according to one article, some compounds in beer have shown anti-inflammatory properties. Still, more research is needed before knowing what role they may have in treating skin conditions such as rosacea, the researchers wrote.
It’s important to note that a drink that triggers flares in one person might not be a trigger for another. “It’s very much about finding your individual triggers,” says Mary Lupo, MD, a dermatologist and founder of the Lupo Center for Aesthetic and General Dermatology in New Orleans.
For example, a NRS survey found that red wine was a trigger for more than 72 percent of people, white wine for 49 percent, and beer for 42 percent. Liquor, on the other hand, affected far fewer people. A margarita, then, could be a smarter choice than a glass of sangria.
Drink Slowly to Take In Less Alcohol and Reduce Flares
“I tell patients that they can drink but not to excess,” Dr. Kormeili says.
Consider keeping a diary, noting each time you drink alcohol, as well as the type of drink. This can help determine the amount of alcohol you can tolerate, allowing you to stay under your trigger amount.
It also helps to drink slower, as this can lower your cumulative alcohol intake, Dr. Lupo says.
Dr. Mudgil adds, “The less alcohol ingested, the less vasodilation, which can also minimize rosacea flares.”
Order Your Alcoholic Beverages On the Rocks
Lupo also recommends chilled wines and spirits, which can be easier on your skin than warm or room-temperature drinks.
Saryna Young, MD, a dermatologist and founder of Young Skin Dermatology in Stamford, Connecticut, agrees. “Heat is another vasodilator,” Dr. Young says. “So chilled beverages are going to cause less blood vessel expansion than warm beverages, including room-temperature alcohol.”
Alternate Your Drinks With a Glass of Water
Alcohol is a diuretic and promotes urination, so there’s the risk of dehydration from too much alcohol, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. And Young says that dehydration can lead to skin sensitivity and compromise the skin’s barrier.
Also, “rosacea-affected skin tends to be dehydrated at baseline,” Mudgil continues. “The more dehydrated the skin gets, the more prone it is to flaring. Since alcohol is dehydrating, it’s important to be mindful of your hydration status when you have rosacea.”
How can you combat this? Having a glass of water between drinks helps dilute the alcohol and prevent some of the pH changes in your system, says Lupo.
In addition, Mudgil says, “Alcohol pushes our body into an acidic state, which is thought to be pro-inflammatory. Drinking water helps to balance the body and draw it closer to an alkaline state, which is anti-inflammatory.”
Everyone’s water needs are different, but the National Academy of Sciences advises a total water intake of 3.7 liters for adult men and 2.7 liters for adult women a day. This includes foods and beverages. Put differently, a 150-pound person should swig around 15½ cups of fluid each day. Check with your healthcare team to find out how much fluid your body needs for optimal health.
RELATED: 6 Unusual Signs of Dehydration You Should Know About
Avoid Other Known Triggers of Rosacea When You Drink
Hot and spicy foods are rosacea triggers for some, so stay away from things like horseradish dip and hot sauce when you’re drinking alcohol, Lupo advises. “Heat dilates the blood vessels in the skin, and since hot foods generate heat, peppers are a big no-no,” she says.
Instead, stick to safe foods that help fight inflammation. These include spinach, kale, broccoli, salmon, tuna, sardines, blueberries, strawberries, nuts, beans, and olive oil, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
While on the subject of food, keep in mind that it takes longer to absorb a cocktail when it’s combined with food, slowing the rate at which alcohol enters your body, notes the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Foods high in fat are especially good at slowing the absorption of alcohol in the body, including the risk of flares.
At the bar, skip the Buffalo wings and jalapeño poppers and opt for anti-inflammatory yet high-fat cauliflower bites, salmon, or nuts.
Sidestep Alcohol and Ask the Bartender to Whip You Up a Mocktail
If you’d like to minimize your risk for a flare but don’t want to feel left out of happy hour, have a glass of sparkling water with a twist of lime. It will look like you’re enjoying a gin and tonic, and no one will be the wiser, Lupo says. The NRS even suggests trading in your Champagne for a ginger ale.
A virgin version of your favorite cocktail is another option — perhaps a virgin daiquiri or a virgin piña colada. More bars and restaurants are also adding mocktails and other nonalcoholic drinks to their menus.
Additional reporting by Beth W. Orenstein.
- If You Have Rosacea, You’re Not Alone. National Rosacea Society.
- Li S et al. Alcohol Intake and Risk of Rosacea in US Women. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. June 2017.
- Chen W et al. Beer and Beer Compounds: Physiological Effects on Skin Health. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. February 2014.
- Red Wine Named Top Alcohol Trigger. National Rosacea Society. Fall 2010.
- Alcohol’s Effects on Health. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. March 2021.
- Report Sets Dietary Intake Levels for Water, Salt, and Potassium to Maintain Health and Reduce Chronic Disease Risk. National Academy of Sciences. February 11, 2004.
- Anti-Inflammatory Diet Do’s and Don’ts. Arthritis Foundation.
- Alcohol Facts. California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
- Tips for Controlling Alcohol Flare-Ups. National Rosacea Society. Winter 2014.