Rosacea: how to care for skin with redness without aggravating it

Content reviewed by Souad Charifi Hadj, licensed pharmacist no. 2676.

If you have rosacea, you've probably already tried half a dozen creams, and some may have left you worse off than before. This article isn't about finding a miracle product. It's about understanding what's happening to your skin and stopping irritating things from being applied to it.

What is rosacea?

It is a chronic condition concentrated in the central area of the face: cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin. It presents with persistent redness, a feeling of heat, and in some cases, small visible vessels or pimples similar to acne.

There is no known single cause. It is associated with genetic predisposition, an altered immune response, the presence of the mite Demodex folliculorum, and a skin barrier that functions less effectively than it should. It appears more frequently in fair skin and from the age of thirty and over.

What triggers it?

Flare-ups rarely come out of nowhere. The most common triggers are sun exposure, sudden temperature changes, stress, alcohol, very spicy or very hot foods, and cosmetics with alcohol, perfume, or harsh exfoliants.

Of all of them, the sun is the most significant and the easiest to control. If you're only going to change one thing, let it be that.

What to look for in a cosmetic routine

With reactive skin, less is more. Four well-chosen steps work better than eight products fighting each other.

• Gentle cleansing. Without harsh sulfates and without hot water. If you feel tightness afterward, that cleanser is not for you.
• Hydration that strengthens the barrier. The goal is not to "calm the redness," it is for the skin to recover its protective layer. When the barrier works, it reacts less.
• Mineral sunscreen. Physical filter is better than chemical, as it is usually better tolerated by reactive skin. Every day, even in winter.
• No harsh exfoliants, alcohol, or perfume. No retinoids on your own. That's for your dermatologist to decide.

The routine we've put together for reactive skin

We combine the four steps in a single pack, with products that work well together and without ingredients that usually cause problems in reactive skin: gentle cleanser, prickly pear hydrating serum, nourishing cream that works on the barrier, and mineral SPF 30 sunscreen.

How to use it

In the morning: cleanser, serum, cream, and sunscreen. At night: cleanser, serum, and cream. Without rubbing, with the skin at room temperature and allowing time for each step.

And an honest warning: give it at least four weeks before judging. Changing products every two weeks is one of the reasons why many people with reactive skin never improve.

Keep reading

If your redness is not diagnosed rosacea but rather skin that reacts to everything, you might be more interested in this other article: Sensitive skin: why it reacts and how to calm redness with natural cosmetics.

Doubts about whether this is your case? Write to us at info@biovardi.com and a pharmacist will answer you, not a form.