Work with your rosacea-prone skin for your dream complexion this spring
A model uses Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturising Cleanser
While managing the condition means monitoring what you put in your body, products you put on your skin can also help your symptoms. Inconveniently, cosmetic information that suggests rosacea safety is still lightly regulated. While it is illegal for a brand to claim that a product cures rosacea outright (there is no cure), products labelled 'hypoallergenic', 'for sensitive skin', and 'anti-redness' aren’t subject to any independent standards. This creates a lot of trial-and-error shopping for rosacea sufferers. Rosacea can be used as an umbrella term for different issues involving redness. If you think you have it, it is important to visit your GP for an assessment and diagnosis. Sometimes dubbed 'the curse of the Celts', rosacea is especially prevalent in people of Irish heritage and can cause embarrassment and discomfort. On the upside, your personal trials and notes could help a family member.
It is a good idea to keep a diary of behaviour that may be inflaming rosacea (eg., alcohol or sugar consumption, wind exposure), so that you don’t bin any skincare unnecessarily. Typically your skin will redden, grow cold or start to tingle immediately if it doesn’t like a product, and a flare-up hours after you’ve cleansed or moisturised is probably unrelated. However, there are ingredients that have benign effects at first instance but increase sensitivity over time, stealthily making skin more rosacea-prone. You can identify these before you buy as even online retailers are required to provide full ingredients lists.
Ingredients really matter: what it says on the back or bottom of a product’s packaging is always more important than the front. Each rosacea case is unique but it doesn’t hurt to be wary of repeat inflamers in your skincare. Products that contain denatured or pure alcohol (fatty alcohols are fine), essential oils, or witch hazel should be left on the shelf. Fragrance is a red flag, even if it is not synthetic. Cinnamon, bergamot, lavender, and rose (though not rosehip) are among the natural fragrances that can severely irritate skin. Lemon, lime, cedar, sandalwood, and anything in the mint family (e.g., eugenol, camphor and eucalyptus), can also cause significant irritation. All skin types need UV protection but chemical filters such as avobenzone are more sensitising than natural zinc and titanium oxides. It is also wise to avoid rough facecloths, facial brushes, and abrasive scrubs.
, €37 at brownthomas.com, is a great way to start your regimen because the formula is not at all disruptive and leaves no residue. Goat’s milk has the same pH as human skin and is rich in protein and amino acids. The coconut-based cleansing agent is gentle, as are the other plant-based antioxidants in the mix.
Rosacea can happen to any skin type and you may deal with two or three concerns at once. Anti-spot and oil-controlling products aim to kill acne-causing bacteria and curb shine but rosacea is a vascular problem, and harsh ingredients (e.g witch hazel) can really turn you red.
Salicylic and azelaic acid exfoliants can minimise, cleanse and regulate the size of pores while reducing redness. , €32 at paulaschoice-eu.com, is a mild leave-on treatment that combines salicylic acid with a host of soothing and restorative antioxidants, including beta-glucan, green tea and liquorice.
This type is typically easier to shop for because lots of formulas for dry skin factor in the anti-inflammatory needs of eczema and psoriasis sufferers. The problem is often the fragrance ingredients mentioned under ‘What to Avoid'. Pai Skincare founder, Sarah Brown, is extremely conscious of easily inflamed skin types — she started her brand after developing urticaria, an allergic condition involving redness and welts. , €49.95 at lookfantastic.ie, is fragrance-free and rich in natural ceramides, the building blocks of skin’s own moisture barrier. Schisandra and cacao are soothing antioxidants.
Rosacea-prone skin may not tolerate the glycolic and lactic exfoliants often recommended for dry types. Brightening exfoliants are extremely popular and rosacea shouldn’t stand in your way if you really want to try them. Staggering your applications or choosing products with lower concentrations (around 2%) of these acids can keep redness in check until you’ve sussed out what your skin can tolerate.
