Face Serums For Rosacea to Tackle All Skin Issues, Not Just Redness

Best Serums for Rosacea

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The moment you step inside a beauty store and blurt out rosacea, the salesperson comes back with an armful of all things anti-redness. Well, I find that to be incredibly presumptuous! Just because we have rosacea, our skincare isn’t all about canceling out redness. Do people think that we moisturize our faces with avocado? Or that we blush our cheeks with green? Frustrating! And the same goes for face serums for rosacea!

When we’re looking for skincare products for rosacea, we simply want skincare products that happen to not trigger rosacea. But people seem to be too hung up on the redness aspect of it. Move past it, will you?

Everyone else’s enjoying a good antioxidant serum, an anti-aging one, or a hydrating one. It doesn’t mean that we can’t make use of those just because we have rosacea. It just means that we need to dig deeper and come up with non-irritating versions of those face serums.

And that’s exactly what we did. Ahead, find the best anti-aging serums, vitamin C serums, hyaluronic acid serums, and all kinds of serums for people with rosacea. And if, in fact, you are looking for an anti-redness serum, we’ve got that too.

These are serums with minimal ingredients and non-irritating formulations. However, keep in mind that sensitivity is highly relative. And there’s always a chance that your skin might react to something in there.

To minimize the risk of sensitivity and irritation, remember to check out the tips on how to use these serums at the bottom of this page. Scroll down for the best face serums to use on rosacea skin.

Best Serums For Rosacea

Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum For Rosacea: Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum

Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum For Rosacea  - Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum

Hydration and moisture are extra important for people with rosacea. The best way to enhance moisture is by layering a hydrating serum under your moisturizer. This one has hyaluronic acid to attract water to the skin. It also has provitamin B5 and barrier-restoring ceramides.

Plus, it has watermelon and apple extracts to increase the skin’s moisture retention. The formula is fragrance-free and alcohol-free and overall a deeply hydrating serum for people with rosacea that’s prone to dryness.

If you’re on a budget, you can also try La Roche Posay’s Hyalu B5 serum. It’s super hydrating and gentle too. But know that it contains fragrance. Though I have no problem with using it on my rosacea skin, it’s something to keep in mind in case you have very, very sensitive skin.

What It Has: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, ceramide, sodium PCA
What It Does: Replenishes skin, plumps skin
Size: 1.69 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free, fragrance-free, silicone-free

Best Retinol Serum For Rosacea: CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum

Best Drugstore Retinol Serum For Rosacea -  CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum

Retinol is the absolute best anti-ager! And it’s irritating. But it’s irritating for everyone! If you’re thinking about dialing up your anti-aging routine, you might as well try this gentle formula that contains encapsulated retinol. It releases retinol slowly, making the ingredient tolerable even for sensitive skin.

The serum stimulates collagen production and helps with acne, scars, enlarged pores, and overall skin texture and tone. It also contains ceramides and niacinamide to ensure minimal dryness, which usually comes with retinol.

Also, it contains licorice extract, which is both anti-inflammatory and brightening for the skin. So you target redness as well as hyperpigmentation on rosacea skin. If you have rosacea and are dealing with wrinkles, remember to see our round-up of the best anti-aging products for rosacea.

What It Has: Encapsulated retinol, ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid
What It Does: Gently encourages skin turnover, evens skin texture and tone
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free

Best Bakuchiol Serum For Rosacea: Beautycounter Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum

Best Bakuchiol Serum For Rosacea Beautycounter Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum

If you’re still on the fence about retinol, then a bakuchiol serum is the next best thing. It’s more commonly referred to as vegan retinol, nature’s retinol, or plant-derived retinol.

And several studies show that it’s just as effective as retinol to reduce lines, wrinkles, sun damage, and pigmentation. But it doesn’t cause redness or irritation. That’s why bakuchiol makes an amazing anti-aging ingredient for rosacea.

This bakuchiol serum is formulated with hydrating squalane and amino acids. And to double the anti-aging effects, it contains peptides to encourage collagen synthesis. More on peptides below!

What It Has: Bakuchiol, amino acids
What It Does: Firms and tones skin without irritation
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, vegan

Best Niacinamide Serum For Rosacea: Alpha-H Vitamin B Serum

Best Niacinamide Serum For Rosacea - Alpha-H Vitamin B Serum

As we’ve established, hydration is essential. Because one cause of rosacea is a compromised skin barrier. When that’s the case, the skin is more prone to aging, dryness, irritation, sensitivity, and external skin aggressors.

The solution is skin-restoring ingredients like niacinamide (vitamin B3). It reduces redness and inflammation and increases moisture retention. And this niacinamide serum does that perfectly. Besides vitamin B3, it has vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid to plump up the skin without irritation.

It also has the antioxidant ferulic acid. But more importantly, it contains copper peptides, which are anti-inflammatory and incredibly helpful in healing the skin.

What It Has: 5% niacinamide, vitamin B5, ferulic acid
What It Does: Hydrates, brightens, supports the skin barrier
Size: 0.85 oz/25 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

Best Peptide Serum For Rosacea: Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster

Best Serum For Rosacea - Paula's Choice Peptide Booster

Besides retinol and antioxidants, there’s one more ingredient you should consider for anti-aging. And it’s peptides, specifically signal peptides. They stimulate new collagen production, improve the skin’s elasticity, work as antioxidants, and so much more.

In general, peptides are non-irritating for the skin. But with rosacea, you need to pay attention to the base of the product. And this one is a non-irritating hydrating base made with amino acids and antioxidants.

The booster serum is packed with various signal peptides. And it turns your basic moisturizer/serum into an anti-aging one instantly. No alcohol and no fragrance!

What It Has: Peptides, amino acids
What It Does: Stimulates collagen, softens wrinkles
Size: 0.67 oz/20 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, cruelty-free, vegan

Best Vitamin C Serum For Rosacea: SkinCeuticals Serum 10 AOX+

Best Vitamin C Serum For Rosacea - SkinCeuticals Serum 10 AOX+

Just stop looking because this is the best vitamin C serum for rosacea! It’s made for people who have sensitive skin or who are just starting with vitamin C. Ascorbic acid or L-ascorbic acid is a powerful antioxidant. It reverses free radical damage on the skin, protects the skin against further damage, and reduces hyperpigmentation.

It also brightens the skin tone and accelerates collagen formation. And nobody does ascorbic acid better than the skincare nerds SkinCeuticals. This minimal vitamin C serum is less likely to irritate and is alcohol-free and fragrance-free.

The gentle formula also contains the antioxidant ferulic acid, hydrating hyaluronic acid, and soothing provitamin B5. It’s the sensitive skin version of C E Ferulic. Vitamin C can be of great use for people with rosacea. If this isn’t your cup of tea, check out my round-up of gentle vitamin C serums for rosacea.

What It Has: Pure vitamin C, ferulic acid, hyaluronic acid
What It Does: Increases radiance without irritation, minimizes sun damage
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free

Best Exfoliating Serum For Rosacea: Neostrata Tri-Therapy Lifting Serum

Best Exfoliating Serum For Rosacea Neostrata Tri-Therapy Lifting Serum

Rosacea or not, we all need exfoliation. The trick is picking the right chemical exfoliant for your skin. If you’re not familiar, polyhydroxy acids (PHAs) are the gentlest of all hydroxy acids. Lactobionic acid and gluconolactone are the two PHAs. And they’re the ones to use to exfoliate sensitive skin.

This is a super gentle exfoliator for rosacea to get rid of dead skin cells and smooth out the skin texture. It packs gluconolactone to soften pores and reduce acne, scarring, congestion, and flaky skin. It’s perfect for unclogging pores and illuminating lackluster skin.

It also has hyaluronic acid and Aminofil, which are amino acids that plump up the skin and soften lines. Use this in your evening routine because it’s not very pleasant for daytime use.

What It Has: Gluconolactone, hyaluronic acid
What It Does: Exfoliates and clears up skin without irritation
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free

Best Antioxidant Serum For Rosacea: Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Instant Firming Serum

Best Antioxidant Serum For Rosacea -  
Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Instant Firming Serum

For the ultimate skin renewal, nighttime is the best. And your rosacea will also love a good night serum that’s not irritating. If you have very sensitive skin and are not sure about vitamin C, there are several antioxidants you can try.

And resveratrol is one of them. It’s a potent antioxidant that neutralizes the damaging effects of free radicals from sun exposure and pollution. And let me tell you, this is the best antioxidant serum for people with rosacea.

It’s brimming with resveratrol and topped with vitamin E to maximize the effects and reduce the signs of aging. I use it day and night and I swear that it not only does not give me any redness but calms my redness. It also packs hyaluronic acid and collagen to instantly smooth fine lines. And oh, it smells amazing!

What It Has: Resveratrol, hyaluronic acid, collagen
What It Does: Hydrates and plumps skin, boosts radiance
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, vegan

Best Calming Serum For Rosacea: First Aid Beauty Hydrating Serum with Hyaluronic Acid

Best Calming Serum For Rosacea - First Aid Beauty Hydrating Serum with Hyaluronic Acid

Well, we do need a good soothing, and calming serum for redness. This serum has some of the most well-known skin soothers to care for rosacea skin that itches, burns, and stings.

Oatmeal, green tea, allantoin, feverfew, and licorice extract… This powerhouse of anti-redness ingredients is formulated into a hydrating base.

So the serum not just calms redness and rosacea, but also keeps the skin plump, bouncy, and replenished with vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid. It gives instant relief to inflamed skin that’s reactive. It’s also super handy for post-shower rosacea flare-ups.

What It Has: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, colloidal oatmeal, green tea
What It Does: Hydrates, calms irritation and redness on rosacea skin
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, fragrance-free

Best Redness-Reducing Serum For Rosacea: Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat Serum

Best Redness-Reducing Serum For Rosacea - Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat Serum

Last but not least and to make sure I address the red elephant in the room, here’s another calming and redness-reducing serum for rosacea that’s also budget-friendly.

Just like FAB’s formula, this one is like an anti-inflammatory bundle. It contains three forms of oatmeal, which is incredibly soothing for the skin. And it has feverfew extract to maximize the soothing benefits. It’s also fragrance-free, and alcohol-free.

If your skin is acting up, or if you’re looking for an affordable serum simply to manage redness and rosacea, this is the one to reach for. It’ll calm rosacea flares, and nourish the skin.

What It Has: Colloidal oatmeal, feverfew extract
What It Does: Soothes rosacea, calms redness, irritation, and sensitivity
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free

So these are the best face serums for people with rosacea. If it’s the redness you’re trying to get rid of, you can’t go wrong with Aveeno. But as I explained, you can deal with your skin concerns and not deal with redness too.

How to Use Face Serums on Rosacea Skin

  • Serums, by definition, are more penetrating than creams. That’s why they’re so effective.
  • If a serum is irritating for normal skin, it’s likely to be more irritating when you have rosacea.
  • That’s why it’s important to look for products where the active ingredients are in low concentrations.
  • It’s important to slowly introduce the serum to your skin, especially if it’s retinol or vitamin C.
  • Use your serum 2-3 times a week at first and then watch how it tolerates.
  • Also, wet skin is more permeable than dry skin.
  • Even a non-irritating serum can irritate your skin if you apply it on wet skin.
  • Make sure your skin is bone-dry before you apply your serum.
  • If you start slow and let your skin adjust, there’s no need to be held down because of rosacea.
  • Among all skincare products, serums are the ones that deserve the splurge.
  • They’re effective and they work! And when you have sensitivity, you shouldn’t play around with cheap and sketchy products.
  • SPF is a must for people with rosacea. But your skin is more prone to sunburn when you’re using exfoliants or retinol.
  • Never ever forget to use sunscreen in summer & winter + indoors & outdoors.

Read Next: Best Cleansers For Rosacea

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