Having rosacea means that you’re incredibly limited with what you can put onto your skin. The slightest irritants can send you into an outbreak of redness and discomfort. We get it if you take a hands-off approach to dealing with your face out of fear of those red splotches, but rosacea-prone faces still need a proper skin care routine to clean, tone, moisturize and soothe. While sticking to just using water on your face may seem like the cautious way to go, a developed routine using sensitive products can improve the health and appearance of your skin and possibly even reduce the effects of rosacea.
To help you care for your skin the right way, we’ve created a rosacea-friendly routine, including products backed by real people who suffer from skin sensitivities, to keep your face bright, clean and redness-free.
1. Paula’s Choice SKIN RECOVERY Cream Cleanser
Every skin care routine should start with cleaning the face. Paula’s Choice is a smooth cream-based cleanser that is designed specifically for people with rosacea and redness. The cleanser is fragrance free to avoid extra irritants that most cleansers have and it softens skin while intensely hydrating, thus remedying skin dryness that aggravates rosacea. Customers say this cleanser helps even their skin tone, smooth their faces and prevent breakouts, all while soothing their rosacea.
2. ACURE Brightening Facial Scrub
Most people suffering from rosacea can’t use any exfoliators because they irritate the skin too much. That being said, gentle exfoliation helps to remove dead skin and excess oil, completely clean skin, promote healthy cell regeneration and leave skin glowing. ACURE’s Brightening Facial Scrub is about as sensitive on skin as an exfoliant can get, utilizing nutrient-rich ingredients like sea kelp, lemon peel, French green clay and Madonna lily to deeply moisturize. Reviewers with rosacea swear this is the only scrub that doesn’t irritate their skin or cause flare-ups. It’s best to use this product every few days rather than daily to avoid increased sensitivity with rosacea-prone skin, but if your face needs a pick-me-up, this is the scrub to use.
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3. Teddie Organics Organic Alcohol Free Rose Water
Over the past few years, rose water has become the go-to toner for anyone suffering from skin sensitivities. Toners help to even out skin tone, balance pH and moisturize, but rose water goes the extra step by calming irritations and inflammation and tightening pores. Teddie Organics’ rose water toner doesn’t include witch hazel, a common ingredient in most toners, which can trigger rosacea flare-ups. Customers have heralded this a must-have for rosacea-sufferers because it eliminates redness, itchiness and bumps, and it helps to reduce acne without drying surrounding skin. Feel free to spray or dab your face with this toner throughout the day to refresh your skin or soothe redness.
4. HoneySkin Face & Body Cream Moisturizer
Moisturizing your skin is one of the most important things anyone with rosacea can do to prevent flare-ups. This cream moisturizer was created with skin sensitivities, especially rosacea, in mind and uses natural, gentle ingredients to hydrate and nourish skin. Manuka honey and aloe vera, the two primary components, soothe irritated skin, re-balance pH levels and tighten pores. Users say they have noticed significant decreases in the severity of their rosacea within days of introducing this moisturizing into their routines and have noticed that their skin is much softer and less patchy.
5. EltaMD UV Clear Facial Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 46
Sun exposure is one of the worst triggers for rosacea, which is exactly why SPF protection needs to be a main priority every day. EltaMD’s UV Clear Sunscreen is just for people with rosacea, acne or hyperpigmentation. It’s mineral-based, so there are no harsh and irritating chemicals being packed onto your face every morning. The sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays using ultra-protective zinc, which has been shown to have little to no impact on sensitive skin. Reviewers love that the sunscreen isn’t oily like leading drugstore brands and that it feels light on the skin.
6. Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder
Mario Badescu’s Special Healing Powder absorbs excess oil and skin pollutants to prevent pores from clogging and becoming irritated. It also calms skin and reduces redness with Kaolin clay and zinc oxide. Customers say that the powder helps to keep their faces cool and dry so that they don’t have head-induced rosacea flare-ups and that it works quickly to clear up rosacea acne breakouts. This is a great secret weapon for anyone who suffers from extreme oiliness on top of redness.
If You Have Rosacea or Redness, You Need These 8 Skin Care Products in Your Drawer Now