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People with rosacea tend to have an enviable skincare shelf with top-notch products. There’s always some luxurious soothing serum, a redness-reducing toner with rose petals, or pads pre-soaked in some herb that takes away redness. It’s not because we love to splurge. It’s because we kind of have to! Shopping for skincare products for rosacea is a lot like shopping for gluten-free food. It’s expensive and people think we’re faking it. The same goes for makeup removers for rosacea.
Finding a good makeup remover can be difficult, not to mention expensive. You need to sift through dozens of products to find one that won’t aggravate your condition.
Sleeping with makeup on is bad for all skin types. You might clog your pores or wake up to fresh breakouts. And when you have rosacea, you really don’t want to roll the dice on sleeping with your makeup on.
On top of clogging pores and causing breakouts, you might wake up to red, itchy bumps, and facial redness that lingers throughout the day.
The best makeup removers for rosacea make sure you go to bed with a fresh, clean face. But they also make sure they don’t cause any rosacea flare-ups while getting rid of makeup and the day’s dirt.
The Best Makeup Removers For Rosacea
From micellar waters to cleansing balms, below are the best makeup removers for people with rosacea.
1. Bioderma Sensibio H2O Make-Up Removing Solution
Keeping it minimal, just the way rosacea sufferers like it, this makeup remover is a must-have for reactive skin. It’s free of all that is sketchy; no alcohol, no fragrance! And it’s a gentle micellar water to remove makeup and grime. It’s simply infused with cucumber water to soothe the skin and calm redness.
Size: 16.7 oz/500 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free
2. Cosrx Pure Fit Cica Clear Cleansing Oil
Formulated around Centella Asiatica, this Korean cleansing oil is as non-irritating as it gets when makeup removal is concerned. Centella Asiatica, aka cica, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, which are super helpful for rosacea skin. It calms irritation and reduces redness. The cleansing oil also contains skin-restoring oils like avocado oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil. It gently dissolves makeup and leaves the skin pure, nourished, and super soft.
Size: 6.76 oz/200 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, cruelty-free
3. RMS Beauty The Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes
These are super simple makeup-removing wipes. If you’re confident that you won’t be stretching your skin while wiping away makeup, you can safely use them. They’re soaked in coconut oil to dissolve any makeup on the eyes and on your face. And they leave the skin replenished and soft.
Size: 20 counts
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, cruelty-free
4. The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm
Cleansing balms are some of the most nourishing cleansers. They melt away makeup and make it easy to just rinse it off. But a mindful choice of the exact formula is important when you have rosacea. This cleansing balm has one of the most common skin-soothers people with rosacea utilize in their skincare products.
It packs oatmeal, which is known to reduce redness and irritation. The balm removes makeup while infusing the skin with lipids. That way, it supports the skin barrier and prevents dryness and irritation, leaving the skin incredibly soft.
Size: 5 oz/150 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, cruelty-free, vegan
5. Cetaphil Gentle Oil-Free Makeup Remover
This is a super gentle makeup remover for people with rosacea. It’s free of fragrance, oil, and alcohol but full of lifesaving skin calmers. It has aloe, cucumber, allantoin, and green tea to avoid redness and rosacea flares while removing face makeup as well as eye makeup.
Size: 6 oz/177 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free
6. Glossier Milky Oil Waterproof Makeup Remover
This one is an amazing makeup remover, including waterproof makeup, that has a unique formula. It works both like micellar water and cleansing oil to dissolve stubborn makeup. It’s free of common irritants and unlike regular micellar water, it needs rinsing off.
And to care for rosacea skin, it has vitamin B5, which is hydrating as well as soothing for the skin. Plus, it has anti-inflammatory comfrey root extract to calm irritation and redness. It removes any waterproof makeup and leaves the skin clean and pure.
Size: 3.4 oz/100 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, cruelty-free
7. Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover
Speaking of waterproof makeup, if you often wear waterproof makeup, you’re more likely to irritate your skin with constant rubbing. This doesn’t only cause rosacea flare-ups but also hurts your skin’s elasticity. Plus, if you have ocular rosacea, you need to go extra sensitive with your eye makeup remover just as your eye cream.
This is a gentle drugstore eye makeup remover to get rid of waterproof mascara and eyeliner. It’s alcohol-free and fragrance-free. And it’s perfectly suitable for sensitive eyes to wipe away makeup. The oil-free formula also contains soothing aloe, allantoin, and cucumber, making it an amazing eye makeup remover for rosacea.
Size: 5.5 oz/162 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free
Related: The Best Mascaras For Ocular Rosacea
8. Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Cleanser and Makeup Remover
Again, this is an all-around gentle makeup-removing micellar cleanser for rosacea. And the best part is that it’s super budget-friendly. It’s not comedogenic and it’s free of alcohol, fragrance, and oil. Whether you’re using it for eye makeup or all-over face makeup removal, it’s gentle on the skin, and easily dissolves makeup without needing much rubbing.
Size: 13.5 oz/400 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, oil-free, cruelty-free
9. Drunk Elephant E-Rase Milki Micellar Water
No-rinse cleansers are tricky when you have rosacea. On the one hand, they take away unnecessary facial cleansing when you don’t wear makeup or when you have very dry skin. On the other hand, everything has the potential to aggravate rosacea when it stays on the skin too long. But if you’re going to use a no-rinse makeup remover, you might as well use this. Because it packs super replenishers that are great for people with rosacea, and dry, sensitive skin.
It contains nourishing marula and sweet almond oils. They are rich in fatty acids that restore the skin barrier and prevent moisture loss. It also contains the antioxidant vitamin E as well as ceramides to increase the skin’s moisture retention. The formula is free of alcohol and fragrance and removes any makeup and dirt. The micellar water is one of the best makeup removers for people with rosacea.
Size: 8 oz/240 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, cruelty-free
So these are some of the best makeup removers for rosacea. Personally, I love Bioderma Sensibio H2O Make-Up Removing Solution. You absolutely can’t go wrong with it. You can use it all over the face, including the eye area. And it doesn’t sting or burn my eyes. It completely removes makeup as well as dirt and grime. And it does it really, really well. Also, it’s budget-friendly. So it offers everything you’d expect from a gentle cleanser to use on sensitive, rosacea skin.
How To Choose a Makeup Remover For Rosacea
Avoid Common Irritants
As a general rule of thumb, avoid makeup removers that contain common irritants such as alcohol and fragrance. Alcohol can cause dryness and fragrance can cause rosacea flare-ups. And needless to say, these can irritate your eyes, which can be a whole other issue when you have ocular rosacea.
Look For Hydrating Ingredients
While makeup-removing micellar waters, cleansing balms and oils are usually minimal products, look for hydrating and soothing ingredients if it’s possible. For example, makeup removers made with hydrating ceramides and soothing oatmeal can actually help with rosacea flares while dissolving your makeup.
FAQs
Read Next: The Best Face Masks For Rosacea
