9 Must-Have Skincare Products for Rosacea

Best Skincare Products for Rosacea

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I’ve been dealing with rosacea for almost a decade now. My type is between 1 and 2. And I’ve lost count of the number of skincare products I’ve used over the years to manage it. From anti-inflammatory skincare to calm redness to anti-bacterial skincare to reduce acne rosacea. From treatment serums to barrier creams to tinted products, I’ve used them all! So I know a thing or two about using skincare products to manage rosacea.

I must tell you that some of the products I tried, which were touted to be incredibly gentle, were underwhelmingly insufficient. And among those were some overlooked products that turned out to be surprisingly helpful. And I know how unique rosacea is and what works for one person may not always work for the other.

That’s why I take a minute before giving recommendations when my readers ask me what products to use. What I’ve concluded from all those conversations is that they usually don’t know what kind of products are available out there, and which ones are essential, especially when they’re new to skincare.

That’s why I’ve created this round-up of must-have skincare products to create your skincare routine. Below are some of the best skincare products for people with rosacea.

Best Skincare Products For Rosacea

1. La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser

La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser - Best Skincare Products For Rosacea

The type of your cleanser is as important as the ingredients when you have rosacea. Go for a cream or gel cleanser and free of irritants. This rosacea-friendly cleanser is as clean as it gets for people with rosacea, redness, and sensitive skin. It’s soap-free, fragrance-free, and sulfate-free to avoid any irritation.

It’s also oil-free to avoid congestion. The minimal, non-foaming formula has a creamy texture and contains ceramides and niacinamide to support the skin barrier. It also has soothing thermal water and vitamin B5 to reduce redness. You can wash away without worrying about rosacea flare-ups.

Product Type: Face cleanser
Key Ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide, vitamin B5
Key Benefits: Cleans without irritation, protects skin barrier
Size: 13.5 oz/400 ml
Good To Know: Soap-free, paraben-free, oil-free, fragrance-free

2. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner

Toners, similar to serums, are lightweight and more absorbing. That’s why it’s important to choose one that’s non-drying and free of harsh ingredients. Plus, there’s a face toner for every skin issue, not just for redness. This face toner is full of antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory benefits.

A soothing blend of oatmeal, licorice, feverfew, and green tea keeps redness at bay while squalane and hyaluronic acid replenish the skin. It’s perfectly suitable for sensitive skin. Apply it after cleansing to soothe your face and enjoy soft and calm skin. If you want to see what else is out there, see my recommendations for the best toners for rosacea.

Product Type: Face toner
Key Ingredients: Squalane, oatmeal, green tea, feverfew
Key Benefits: Hydrates, calms redness, and sensitivity
Size: 6 oz/177 ml
Good To Know: Alcohol-free, cruelty-free, fragrance-free

3. Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Repairing Serum

Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Repairing Serum - best skincare products for rosacea

This is one of the best skincare products for rosacea that’s a must-have when your rosacea is acting up. It has all you need to repair the damaged skin barrier, soothe redness, and calm irritation. Because when your skin barrier is intact, you’re less prone to dehydration, irritation, and redness.

This is an overall amazing serum for rosacea. It hydrates with hyaluronic acid, and glycerin, and improves the skin barrier with ceramides. It contains licorice and feverfew extracts, which are anti-inflammatory botanicals with major redness-reducing benefits. And they help manage sudden flare-ups.

Product Type: Face serum
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, licorice extract
Key Benefits: Hydrates, provides antioxidant benefits, calms
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, fragrance-free

4. CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 - Best Skincare Products For rosacea

If you don’t care for layering products, this SPF moisturizer should cover your basic needs for the day. It’s a lightweight, oil-free lotion that hydrates with glycerin, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. And it contains both chemical and physical sun protection with SPF 30. It also has niacinamide, which helps both dry skin and oily skin. You can use it as a daily moisturizer to prevent transepidermal water loss and redness from sun exposure.

The formula is fragrance-free, budget-friendly, and multi-tasks big time! Remember that sunscreen is a big deal for people with rosacea. So you need one in your routine way or another. Even though this formula is very gentle on the skin, chemical sunscreens can be irritating for certain types of rosacea. In that case, mineral sunscreens tend to work better. So keep that in mind.

Product Type: Daily moisturizer with SPF
Key Ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid
Key Benefits: Multi-tasks, moisturizes, provides sun protection
Size: 3 oz/89 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free

5. Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30

Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30

Color-correcting creams, primers, and concealers are super useful products to create an even skin tone with no sign of redness. And this multi-purpose product is the only green-tinted product you need if you have rosacea. It calms redness with Centella Asiatica and gives you daily sun protection with mineral SPF.

Its green tint instantly neutralizes redness. You can use it as a color-correcting primer before you apply your makeup. But you can also use it instead of a foundation! This is one of the best skincare products for rosacea if you want to actually treat redness while looking great with an even skin tone.

Product Type: Primer/color-corrector/SPF
Key Ingredients: Centella Asiatica, niacinamide
Key Benefits: Neutralizes redness, soothes, skincare/makeup hybrid
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml

6. Kiehl’s Calendula Petal-Infused Calming Mask

Kiehl's Calendula Petal-Infused Calming Mask - Best Skincare Products For Rosacea

It’s always handy to keep a face mask when you need quick solutions for whatever skin issue you have. And when you have rosacea, keep more than one. You might not always be in the mood for a 45-minute skincare routine, but a quick anti-redness face mask is too practical to get lazy about. Calendula extract is highly anti-bacterial as well as anti-inflammatory.

Honey, of course, is a natural humectant that draws in moisture. It’s also anti-bacterial and is a common ingredient in acne-fighting products. This face mask is like an anti-redness treatment to calm reactive skin. It’s perfect for normal/dry skin to even out the skin tone, and reduce redness. It’s also super-hydrating with aloe and honey as well as glycerin.

Product Type: Face mask
Key Ingredients: Calendula extract, aloe, Centella Asiatica, squalane
Key Benefits: Hydrates, plumps, instantly calms redness
Size: 3.4 oz/100 ml
Good To Know: Paraben-free, fragrance-free

7. La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral Zinc Oxide Sunscreen SPF 50

La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral Zinc Oxide Sunscreen SPF 50

Sun protection is an important step in managing rosacea. Because UV rays are among rosacea triggers. They can even worsen existing rosacea, not to mention cause wrinkles. This mineral sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection with SPF 50 and enhances it with antioxidants to promote more resilient skin.

No parabens, no fragrance, and no oil! There’s literally nothing in this to cause irritation. It disappears into the skin and is practically weightless. Whether you’re prone to acne or flaky skin, the mineral sunscreen is perfect for sensitive and rosacea skin.

Product Type: Sunscreen
Key Ingredients: Zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, vitamin E
Key Benefits: Prevents sun-induced rosacea flare-ups
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Paraben-free, fragrance-free, oil-free

8. Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream

Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream - Best Skincare Products For Rosacea

When your skin barrier is damaged, your skin doesn’t have the proper mechanism to guard against bacteria or free radicals. That’s why it’s important to maintain a healthy skin barrier by regularly moisturizing your skin. This alone will help a lot with reducing redness, inflammation, and dryness.

This one is a super-effective moisturizer to rebuild the protective layer so that your skin is less prone to external damage. It contains probiotics and green tea to calm inflammation. It has squalane formulated into a nice emollient, non-comedogenic base to restore the lipid barrier so the skin holds on to moisture. It’s fragrance-free and an overall great moisturizer for rosacea.

Product Type: Daily moisturizer
Key Ingredients: Probiotic, green tea, squalane, shea butter
Key Benefits: Moisturizes, calms sensitivty and irritation
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free

9. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension Brightening Cream

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% - best skin care products for rosacea

Last but not least, this super affordable azelaic acid cream is going to be your new go-to multi-tasker. Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring acid that’s found in the sebum of normal skin. So it’s easy to tolerate for all skin types. When used in your skincare, it has anti-inflammatory benefits for the skin.

And it also helps with hyperpigmentation and acne. Plus, azelaic is one of the most commonly prescribed ingredients for people with rosacea because of its gentle nature. This one is free of common irritants and is a great option to care for your skin while managing rosacea symptoms.

Product Type: Face cream
Key Ingredients: Azelaic acid
Key Benefits: Reduces hyperpigmentation and acne on rosacea skin
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free, cruelty-free, vegan

So these are some of the best skincare products for rosacea. It should work as a guideline to show you what to prioritize in your daily skincare routine. You don’t need to go out of your way to care for your skin. You just need to be purposeful with the products you use and selective about ingredients. Below are some of the things you should keep in mind when choosing your products.

How to Choose Skincare Products for Rosacea

Your Skin Type

First and foremost, you need to keep your skin type in mind when choosing your skincare products. If you have oily skin, you need to choose non-comedogenic, oil-free products. If you have dry skin, you need to choose hydrating, moisturizing products. Whether it’s a toner or a moisturizer, make sure the product you choose is suitable for your skin type.

Look for Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients

In general, soothing products work best for rosacea. Serums, moisturizers, or toners made with anti-inflammatory ingredients like green tea, aloe, cucumber, or Centella Asiatica work to calm redness and inflammation, which is helpful for rosacea.

Avoid Irritants

Certain ingredients are known to irritate the skin. Try to avoid these ingredients in skincare products or make sure they’re low in concentration. For example, high-concentration fragrances, essential oils, and alcohol usually cause irritation and sensitivity.

How To Care For Rosacea

Below are some skin care tips to help you better manage rosacea flares.

1. Know your triggers.

First of all, the best way to manage rosacea is by knowing your triggers. They vary from person to person. However, some of the most common triggers for rosacea are irritating skincare, unprotected sun exposure, and hot weather.

2. Choose your products wisely.

Avoid any skincare products with harsh ingredients like mainstream exfoliating hydroxy acids, soaps, or sulfates. The same goes for makeup products for rosacea.

If you keep it simple without too many ingredients and additives, you’ll be able to wear makeup without irritating your skin. It’s a no-brainer that uncomplicated products lower your chances of getting irritation.

3. Establish a rosacea-friendly skincare routine.

Regardless of what condition you’re suffering from, a skincare routine is essential for maintaining healthy skin. Cleanse, tone, and apply serums and moisturizers.

The problem is not with the routine but the ingredients of the products. If you choose your products consciously and follow a healthy skincare regimen for rosacea, you’ll be able to reduce your redness significantly.

4. Be gentle with your skin.

Be very gentle with your skin in general. Picking or rubbing the face can cause even more broken capillaries. When taking off your makeup, for example, avoid using wipes or tugging/pulling with washcloths.

5. Be aware of the temperature.

Avoid too hot/cold showers. Temperature is tricky when it comes to rosacea. Likewise, protect your skin when going out in harsh weather.

6. Use SPF regularly.

It is known that sun exposure is the most common trigger for rosacea. For that reason, never leave the house without SPF. Use sunscreen regularly and reapply it every 2 hours.

Read Next: Best Anti-Aging Products For People With Rosacea

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