Rosacea Club is now on Substack!

Let's get acquainted, shall we?

In case you’re stumbling across this Substack and have no idea who or what Rosacea Club is, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Lex, I’ve had rosacea for 19 years, and I’ve been educating people about this common but misunderstood skin condition on the internet for 11 years – way before the skin positivity movement was even a thing! I share information on everything you could ever need to know about rosacea: skincare, lifestyle, make up, trigger management, mindset… the list is endless.

I’ve been sharing my story and my knowledge on my website and my social media for over a decade but only started a newsletter at the beginning of 2024 and now I’m moving that newsletter – Rosacea Club – over to Substack.

What is Substack and why are you moving?

In the most simple of terms, Substack is a place where writers can share their work, whether that’s newsletters, audio, video, or podcasts. I’ve really enjoyed writing my newsletter in its current form but I miss the interaction, the community, the conversations. I wanted somewhere that combines all of my favourite things about the work I do on the internet. I basically wanted:

• a space to write and share long-form, interesting, informative posts (like my blog);

• a place where I could not only chat to you in an informal and fun way, but where you could also chat to other people in the community (like my facebook group)

• somewhere I could post quick updates on things I think you’d like - people to follow, pictures, links to products, competitions (like instagram stories)

• a place to follow other interesting people who are being vulnerable and honest online, focusing on actually writing rather than feeling pushed into making daily videos and chasing viral, repetitive ideas (unlike instagram…!)

Substack allows space for all of the above in one place: a combination of short- and long-form writing, more community-focused fun (like discussion threads, which have a very fun, forumy chat vibe), off-the-cuff updates through Notes (that are like status updates but without the weird spambots and trolls), and more.

My website will still exist as the ultimate rosacea information hub – I’ve been writing on talontedlex.co.uk for over a decade and I could never let that go – but this Substack is where I will share more timely writing: opinion pieces, things I want to share from the news, quick recommendations and updates, and – most importantly – this is where I will be able to connect with you all on a more personal and fun level.

Do I have to join Substack to subscribe to Rosacea Club?

Nope! If you just want to subscribe to my newsletter and updates, you can do that with just your email address, no need for a Substack account.

If you want to join in with discussions and chat with the community, you will need to sign up for an account but it’s free and you can control the notifications you get and you decide whether you want to do that through the app or emails.

I’d also recommend having a look around for other people to follow on Substack: there are people talking about everything under the sun on here, for example, my husband uses his Substack to share his horrifyingly terrifying short stories, and some of my favourite influencers are here sharing their writing on all sorts of topics (e.g. Alexandra Stedman, and Jessica DeFino). If you search for people or topics you’re interested in, you’re bound to find all sorts that will appeal to you.

Is it free?

My content on Substack is free, although in future I will be offering extra perks for paid subscribers – there’s more info on that below.

Here’s a sneak peek into what free subscribers have access to:

• Bi-monthly newsletters (including interesting articles, research updates, posts you may have missed, product reviews, TV/book/film recommendations, competitions etc.)

• Weekly discussion threads where you can meet the community and receive and share advice. I’ll set a different topic each week and you can join in the conversation or just lurk and take what you need.

• More personal writing from me that doesn’t quite fit on the blog.

• I’ll regularly share recommendations for other Substacks to follow so you can get the most you can out of the platform.

Future plans, exclusively for paid subscribers, include:

• Monthly Q&A sessions: ask your rosacea questions directly to me and the community.

• Monthly competitions.

• Exclusive chat access.

• And more, as I find my feet here!

Substack has a cool feature to ‘pledge’ a future subscription, basically saying that you'd be front of the line for a paid subscription when that feature becomes available. If you appreciate the work I've been doing in the rosacea space for the past decade, and you would like to help me continue to do this work, I would really appreciate you pledging to support my Substack in the future. There’s no pressure or obligation, so if your circumstances change between now and then you can change your mind. It’s just a nice gesture to show your support for the work that I do.

I am so excited to start the Rosacea Club Substack and I’m thrilled to have you here with me. Welcome to the club!

Lex