This is my best skin care routine for rosacea. These are my tips for products that have helped with my redness and sensitive skin. I've found that natural cleansers and a few moisturizers give me relief from rosacea symptoms. Warm water and products with clean ingredients have really helped me control rashes and redness.
Use a Gentle Cleanser
It's very important to use a cleanser that isn't too harsh in your rosacea skin care routine. Your cleanser shouldn't make your skin feel tight or dry after you've washed your face. I like a cream cleanser, cleansing wipes or a gentle cleansing balm.
I've also found it important to wash my face with warm water. I never use hot water as that will make my face red and irritated. There is already going to be a bit of redness just from washing my face, so I don't want to add to that by scrubbing too hard or using hot water.
Some of my favorite cleansers:
- CeraVe Hydrating Oil Face Cleanser
- La Roche Posay Lipikar Wash AP+ Gentle Foaming Moisturizing Face Wash
- La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Wash with Ceramide
- e.l.f. Skin Pure Skin + Dermatologist Developed Cleanser
- Acure Brightening Cleansing Gel
- Acure Seriously Soothing Cleansing Cream
My Favorite Products
Find Your Triggers and Avoid Them
Triggers for rosacea come in many forms and can be different for each person. I highly recommend keeping a journal so you can see what is causing flare ups. For me, heat, wind, harsh products (retinol) and alcohol (drinks and in products) cause my rosacea to flare up.
When you find your triggers you can replace products that are causing them and make slight changes to your routines for rosacea to keep symptoms away. Although, there are going to be times when you just can't avoid a hot day, working out or other triggers.
If you are having a flare-up cool water on your face may help. It may also be helpful to use a product with or straight aloe vera (be sure it's pure and doesn't have chemicals) to calm your skin.
Find a Moisturizer Without Irritating Ingredients
I've found that anti-aging ingredients tend to irritate my skin. Even though I'm in the age group of using anti-aging I typically skip those products in favor of more gentle moisturizers in my routine for rosacea. I'm a big fan of these moisturizers:
- e.l.f. Holy Hydration Face Cream Fragrance Free
- e.l.f. Skin Pure Skin + Dermatologist Developed Moisturizer
- BYOMA Moisturizing Rich Cream
- Acure Ultra Hydrating 12 Hour Facial Moisturizer
- Acure Seriously Soothing SPF 30 Day Cream
Patch Test New Products
Whenever I get a new product to try I apply it to a small patch on my cheek to see how my skin will react. If I get redness or the spot starts to itch I use a gentle, trusted cleanser to remove the product.
I know that some people will try a product a few times to see if their skin will get used to that product. I'm just not a big fan of the waiting period where I have irritated, red skin. I return the product and try something else. There are so many options out there that I don't see the point in being uncomfortable while trying to make a skin care product work for me.
Keep Your Home's Air Moist
Dryness in the air can cause rosacea flare-ups and skin irritation. To counter act this I run humidifiers and diffusers in my home. I like to add a couple of drops of essential oils to make my house smell amazing. I've replaced all my candles in my home with diffusers.
Favorite Diffusers & Humidifiers:
- White Ceramic Cutout 300ml Large Diffuser
- URPOWER 500 ML Ultrasonic Oil Diffuser
- Mid-Century White and Black Footed Base 300ml Large Diffuser
Sunscreen Is Your Friend
Sun exposure is one of my main triggers. Good natural, non-chemical sunscreens are my favorite for protecting my skin. I also really like a foundation that has sunscreen in it so I can get both in one application.
I like to wear a hat to keep the sun directly off my face and keep ice water nearby to stay hydrated and to cool my body. If you find that you've gotten a sunburn you can use an all natural aloe vera product and cool water to treat the redness, itching and irritation. Here are a few of my favorite options:
- Native Mineral Face Lotion Unscented SPF 30
- e.l.f. SKIN Suntouchable Invisible Sunscreen
- Eucerin Sensitive Tinted Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 35
- Aromatica 95% Organic Aloe Vera Gel
- Solara Suncare Daily Defense Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30
Exfoliate Your Skin Sparingly
I stay away from chemical exfoliators. I like to use a gentle facial scrub a couple of times per week. If I am having a rosacea flare-up and my skin is irritated I skip exfoliating until the redness and irritation subsides.
Avoid Fake Fragrances
Be sure to check all of your products with the EWG app. It is the quickest way to see if a product is a clean option. The EWG app may give a product a higher score for fragrance even if that fragrance is created with essential oils.
Since some people have reactions to essential oils you will need to go to the brands website to see what they are using for fragrance. Most reputable brands will have the ingredients so they are easy for you to find and decide if the fragrance they are using will work for you.
I can handle most essential oils on my skin, but you may find some trigger your rosacea. For instance, I can't handle cedar wood essential oil on my skin. A spot test of new products with essential oils is important to be sure that they are going to work for you.
Other Ingredients I Avoid in My Routine for Rosacea
- Alcohol
- Lactic Acid
- Glycolic Acid
- Sodium Laurel Sulfate
I've found these ingredients don't work with my skin. They have all caused rosacea flare-ups for me. You may want to start your own list in your journal or somewhere else that you keep the ingredients that don't work for you.
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