Caring for your skin when you have rosacea isn’t simply about the products you use, but about how you use them. You may be working with a dermatologist to treat your rosacea, but if you can make a good skincare routine for rosacea stick, you can make a big difference in how your skin looks and feels. Here’s how to find the best rosacea skin care products to help you get rid of the red and make way for clear, glowing skin.
The Basics of the Best Skincare for Rosacea
What can the best skincare for rosacea do for you? If you have this condition, working to establish a good routine with the best skincare products can:
- Help reduce the rate of rosacea flare-ups
- Improve results from any treatment you’re receiving
- Boost the health of your skin
- Make your skin feel better and make you more comfortable
In order to achieve the best results, you must make sure to:
- Wash your face two times a day, in the morning and at night, with a gentle cleanser
- Moisturize
- Protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays
- Avoid certain ingredients in skincare products and makeup (see below)
- Test new products on a small patch of your skin before you put them on your face
- Understand your triggers
Gentle Cleansing
Most people with rosacea aren’t washing their skin enough, which is easy to understand since some cleansers dry skin out and make the condition worse. You should wash your face two times each day, once in the morning and once at night, but you have to use the right kind of cleanser for rosacea.
What does that mean? Well, avoiding harsh scrubs and cleansers is the first step. These types of cleansers can strip the natural oils from the skin, leading to inflammation and dryness. For skin impacted by rosacea, you should use soap-free, gentle cleaners that remove dirt and makeup without stripping away the skin’s moisture.
You should avoid any cleanser with these ingredients:
- Peppermint
- Menthol
- Alcohol
- Eucalyptus oil
- Witch hazel
- Added fragrance
Using gentle cleansers can help to avoid triggering a flare and keeps your skin healthy.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!
One of the best products for rosacea is moisturizer. That’s because applying a moisturizer to rosacea-prone skin can help to maintain a barrier that keeps irritants from coming into contact with the skin and keeps resulting symptoms at bay.
Choosing the right face moisturizer is essential, or symptoms and redness could worsen. Always opt for a moisturizer that is free from fragrance and oil, as well as one that is hypoallergenic. A general rule is the fewer ingredients on the label, the better for your skin.
Protect Skin From the Sun
When you have rosacea, one of the best rosacea skin care products in your arsenal is sunblock. It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, either. You should apply sunblock in both the summer and the winter if you have rosacea because sun exposure can make symptoms worse and lead to a big flare-up.
Choose a sunscreen that won’t irritate your skin. This can be a challenge, but if you can find a sunscreen that fits these criteria, you should be good to go:
- Offers broad-spectrum coverage with an SPF of 30 or higher
- Contains silicone (oftentimes listed as cyclomethicone, or cyclomethicone, or dimethicone on the label)
- Is free from fragrance, not simply “unscented”
Avoid Certain Ingredients in Skincare Products
When choosing the best skincare products for rosacea, it’s often what you don’t choose that can make all the difference. In order to reduce irritation, you should avoid skincare products and makeup that has any of these ingredients:
- Alcohol
- Fragrance
- Lactic acid
- Urea
- Menthol
- Sodium laurel sulfate
- Glycolic acid
- Camphor
The best skincare products for rosacea often come in gel or lotion form. Try to avoid toners, which can be too harsh.
Test It Out
Whenever something new is added to your skincare routine for rosacea, you will need to test it out before applying it over a large portion of your body. To test a skincare product for rosacea properly, place a small amount near the impacted area. If you feel a burning or stinging sensation there within a 72-hour window after application, you should not use that product.
Know Your Triggers
Rosacea may be a condition that impacts many people, but it’s also a condition that can impact two people in different ways. Your triggers are individual to you, so you should take the time to figure out what triggers your rosacea flare-ups. If you’re having trouble figuring it out, try keeping a journal that indicates the things you ate, the stress you’ve been under, the weather, and skincare products you use.
Once you figure out your triggers, you can take steps to avoid them. If you do experience a flare, then you can soothe your red, angry skin with a bit of gentle cleansing or a cool shower. Just make sure to avoid scrubbing, as that will make things worse.
Rosacea can be a difficult condition to learn about and navigate, especially when it comes to finding the best skincare for rosacea. With these tips, you’re well on your way to achieving healthy, glowing skin that will make you feel confident.
Best Skincare Products for Rosacea
Your rosacea-prone skin can be sensitive, which is why you must choose products that are gentle and protective like EltaMD’s UV Clear Tinted SPF. This daily sunscreen is formulated with zinc oxide to protect your skin from the rays of the sun. It goes on clear and won’t worsen rosacea, allowing daily use.
Provide a powerful punch of antioxidants to your skin with Skinceuticals Phloretin CF. It harnesses the power of Ferulic acid, Vitamin C, and phloretin to help improve your skin’s appearance, evening out skin tone, reducing the appearance of fine lines, and improving discoloration. An ideal choice for skin that’s prone to redness and inflammation.
SkinMedica Lytera 2.0 Pigment Correcting Serum
Want to address stubborn skin discoloration? Now you can with SkinMedica Lytera 2.0 Pigment Correcting Serum. As a part of a skincare routine specifically formulated to target redness, discoloration, and irritation of the skin, this serum is designed to help improve your skin’s overall tone and evenness as it optimizes the effectiveness of other treatment approaches. A fabulous choice for all skin types.
Revision Skincare Vitamin K Serum
Vitamin K is essential for skin recovery, helping to correct and protect your skin from the symptoms of rosacea. With Revision Skincare’s Vitamin K serum, you can deliver the healing power of Vitamin K directly to your skin, reducing the appearance of damage while hydrating skin and protecting the cells. It’s lightweight, oil-free, and a great choice for all types of skin.
Alastin Skincare Restorative Eye Treatment
The skin around the eyes is delicate and can show signs of aging, fatigue, and other skin issues easily. This restorative eye treatment helps to improve the elasticity of this fragile skin around the eye area, tightening it and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also brightens skin, reducing dark circles and puffiness while being gentle enough to use in both the morning and evening.
Biopelle Tensage Intensive Serum 40 Ampoules
Calm the redness and irritation of rosacea with this face serum. A special Secretion from the Cryptomphalus aspersa Snail contains growth factors that will help to restore elasticity, tone, and texture.
iS Clinical Cleansing Complex
For those who suffer from rosacea, balance is key. You want a cleanser that will clean the skin but also is gentle enough not to make symptoms worse. iS Clinical’s Cleansing Complex is a great choice to help prevent making rosacea worse while cleaning away oil, dirt, and debris from your pores for fresh, clean skin.
Alastin Skincare Restorative Neck Complex
In the fight against rosacea, don’t neglect your neck! The skin of your neck skin care is unique and has its own challenges. From discoloration to sun damage to the effects of aging, this Restorative Neck Complex utilized botanicals and peptides to firm and tighten the skin. Address redness and dry skin with this specialized formula, too.
SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator
Smooth and soothe your skin as you support its natural ability to heal and protect with SkinMedica’s HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator. This oil-free, fragrance-free moisturizer is a great choice for all skin types and promotes the health of your skin by encouraging it to replenish its own stores of hyaluronic acid and stay moisturized.
Alastin Skincare Gentle Cleanser
This self-foaming cleanser gentle enough for daily use on even the most sensitive skin. It’s uniquely formulated to soothe your skin as it cleans and softens without causing irritation or dryness. Free from parabens and sulfates, this is a great choice for a daily cleanser for those with rosacea.
Improve the appearance, texture, and firmness of your skin with Sente Skincare Dermal Repair Cream. This formula was created specifically to address the appearance of damaged skin, enhancing your natural skin tone and leaving your skin youthful looking and luminous. Check out our blog to learn more about using Sente in your skincare routine.
Revision Skincare Gentle Cleansing Lotion
Those with rosacea need to clean skin without stripping away it’s natural moisture and antioxidants. Revision Skincare Gentle Cleansing Lotion does just that, removing dirt, debris, and makeup from your skin while still helping to maintain your skin’s natural moisture balance.
Help your skin to heal naturally with the help of Alastin Skincare Skin Nectar. Their patented TriHex technology enhances healthy skin and supports the skin’s ability to produce collagen and elastin. The antioxidants contained in this product also help to calm the skin and reduce redness, a must for anyone dealing with rosacea.
NazarianSkin Collagen Boost 1 & 2
Keep your skin young with the help of this AM and PM treatment that helps to rebuild and restore your skin’s collagen production as it promotes hydration. The Boost AM reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles adding plumpness to your skin as the Boost PM helps rebuild the skin and protect it from more damage. These products pack a powerful one-two punch to premature aging and inflammation.
Fight back against free radical damage as you tighten and firm your skin with iS Clinical Active Serum. Specifically designed to rapidly reduce fine lines & wrinkles, evening out skin tone, and even banish blemishes for more acne-prone customers, it's great for all skin types .