Talking of transmission from pets, don't forget humans. I've always
been prone to flushing) but my rosacea -- the pustular and papular,
red lumpy, bumpy type -- developed after living a few years in Europe.
I suffered for ten years. I tried everything, believe me;
dermatologists, diet, no alcohol, staying out of the sun, supplements,
cleanses inside and out, intense pulsed light (ILP) treatment, various
cover-up makeups, and of course the Rosacea Forum, and it did not
really completely disappear until I used Z-cream. Before that I was
only managing the situation.

Just the Z-cream. Nothing else had changed.

Z-cream convinced me my rosacea was demodosis. With my first attempt,
I gave up after five days because the red eruptions were so bad,
covering my entire face, that I believed it must be the cream causing
them (you can see my photos in the database; view not download, this
is a private Forum). What you cannot see is that every sweat gland on
my skin was also raised, sort of like sandpaper or orange peel.

Then I read more about the life cycle of the mites. That it takes at
least two weeks for the adults and larvae to be killed, then you have
to keep it up to deal with the eggs as they hatch and the younger
larvae maturing deep within the skin glands. That when the adults and
their own bacteria die they release tons of irritants that aggravate
the skin to a massive degree, much more than when they are alive.

That made sense. So I tried Z-cream again and persevered this time
through the stinging, itchy and unsightful phase. Clear skin at the
end of two weeks. I continued for three months religiously, Z-cream
every day, clearing up the emergent larvae.

I count myself a recovered rosacean. I've been clear for two years .
My general pinkness has also gradually reduced. No one would guess I
had a problematic skin condition (one reason I have not been so active
in the Forum).

I still follow most of the health and lifestyle practices that I
developed during my rosacea days. Every month or I use Z-cream.
Rarely I then get a single red bump develop. So I assume I've been in
contact with a person from whom I've picked up a travelling mite. I
continue to treat the bump in case it was a female with eggs. But I
never have the "orange peel" skin texture and recurring bumps of the
old days. I think of the latter as colonies of mites that lived with
me for years and now are exterminated.

Other observations consistent with this interpretation.

Topical lavender and tee tree oil always improved my spots. Why?
Viewed from the demodosis angle, the natural chemicals in such oils
are both antibiotic and antiseptic.

ILP always improved my condition. Then over some months it would come
back and I'd go for another session, until after six the dermatologist
said she could do no more. We thought we was reducing the
vascularization of my skin. Indeed I have no doubt we were, and I saw
those benefits, but viewed from the demodosis angle the light
treatment was also probably killing adult and larval mites. Many
people report skin eruptions after ILP. I had them (in addition to
the general but transient red oedema). The mites dying? I think so.
But then then eggs would hatch and a new cycle would start.

Why is sugar a key? Skin parasites need food. Sugar is the simplest
food. Mites pierce the skin and feed on our cell fluids and blood.
They are probably addicted to sugar and get a real boost of activity
when it is abundant.

I mention Europe because after all this I thought, how did I get the
mites in the first place? And I thought of all the face touching that
happened with greetings in Europe. Cheeks in contact, many times on a
daily basis.

Remember, a person can have perfectly healthy skin and still have
mites. In fact we all have mites, but only some of us are sensitive
to them. A good friend began getting blerpharitis (red eyelids).
Turned out he had mites living in the base of his eyelashes, which
cleared up with the eyelash cream that comes from the Z-cream people.
But his skin was always clear. Perhaps I picked up my first dose of
mites from him?

I don't have a pet so have no personal experience to share of other
species. But I do believe some of us can get our mites from animals.
I don't care whether they are dog or cat mites, or whether our dogs
and cats have human mites. On this forum can find my correspondence
with Rosura. It looks very much to me that her rosacea was linked to
her cat. Particularly because it recurred after some months during
which she had stopped using the cream (she used X-cream with
metrodiazole).

In conclusion, I'm certainly not saying that all rosacea is
mite-related. Like Brady, I believe rosacea, as called such by those
who have it and as described in the medical literature, is a complex
of conditions, poorly understood. I am recommending anyone with
rosacea to try Z-cream or X-cream with M. If the condition gets much
worse for a week and then gets better, mites are certainly involved
(then make sure you continue with Z-cream for at least two months).
If you have no reaction to Z-cream, you cannot rule out mites. Anyway
keep trying all other options until you get results. Then share them
and your insights.

Best
Nadia