The ESK blog

Skincare For Rosacea In 2022

03 March 2022

Dr Ginni Mansberg

WHAT’S THE BEST SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR ROSACEA?

Got rosacea? You’re not alone! This fun skin condition affects around 10% of Caucasians (including me!) as well as – to a lesser extent- Latin-American, African-American, African, and Asian people. Some of us get redness, some get pimples, most get irritated, sensitive skin. I get the lot.

WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT ROSACEA?

For all forms of rosacea, the best skin care, a good broad-spectrum sunscreen and avoidance of your specific rosacea triggers is essential. Choosing the right skincare can be fraught. The National Rosacea Survey from 1997, found that skin care products were big culprits when it comes to skin irritation- with toners and exfoliators the biggest offenders! Soap, cologne, sunscreens and makeup were also triggers. One in 4 even reacted to a moisturizer!

SO WHAT SKINCARE SHOULD YOU USE?

1. Gentle cleanser minus the soap.

Go for soap free cleanser, ideally with emollients and humectants to protect the skin. In a couple of studies, any foaming cleansers, even soap free ones triggered flare ups. Using either very hot or cold water may trigger a flush while vigorous scrubbing or even a rough face cloth can irritate your already sensitive skin. Use your fingers to gently rub in the cleanser. Wash off with water and gently pat your skin dry. And new data suggests you should only cleanse once a day, especially when your rosacea has flared up.

Calming Cleanse

Our Calming Cleanser is a non-foaming, coconut sugar-based formula with a gentle pH of 4.5-5, making it ideal for sensitive skin types, including those with eczema and rosacea.

This creamy cleanser effectively removes impurities while preserving the skin’s natural hydration and pH balance. Its non-soap formula minimises irritation and dryness, providing a soothing cleanse without disrupting the skin barrier.

Designed for sensitive skin, Calming Cleanser avoids harsh ingredients like astringents, camphor, and menthol, which can trigger irritation. Gentle yet thorough, it supports a healthy microbiome and barrier, leaving skin calm, soft, and ready for the next step in your routine.

Featuring;

A coconut sugar base with soothing botanical
A thorough yet gentle cleanse
Suitable for daily use and even as a make-up remover

A creamy soap-free cleanser for skin that needs a gentle, silky wash.

Coconut based with soothing botanicals
Leaves skin clear & hydrated
May be used as a make-up remover

2. A broad-spectrum sunscreen like Zinc Shade.
UV Rays are often triggers for a rosacea flare. Making sure you use a sunscreen free of irritating ingredients and that protects you against both UVA and UVB rays will help prevent flares

Zinc Shade

Zinc Shade is a lightweight matte day cream and primer. Its non-greasy, matte finish allows for smooth application and works well under makeup.

We spent countless iterations perfecting this lightweight, non-greasy formula to avoid the typical white cast and thick feel of zinc products. The results? A matte finish that works beautifully under makeup. With well tolerated matte finish, it's also well suited to irritable and blemish and bump prone skin. With SPF 15 it also provides broad-spectrum sun protection against UVA and UVB rays.

Key features:

Lightweight, matte formula suitable for daily use
Smooth application with minimal white cast
Broad-spectrum UV protection
Tested SPF 15 with enhanced UVA coverage

Usage: Apply evenly to all exposed areas of skin before sun exposure. Reapply as needed throughout the day.

3. A moisturiser containing vitamin B3 (niacinamide).
Niacinamide has been shown in studies to reduce trans-epidermal water loss, so preventing irritation and inflammation. Our B Quenched, B Calm and recently launched Repair + moisturisers both have 5% niacinamide.

Repair +

Repair + is a moisturiser formulated to support skin hydration and barrier function. Its combination of niacinamide, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides is designed to help maintain skin moisture, strengthen the barrier function of the skin, reduce the appearance of redness, and support overall skin texture.

Key Features:

Ingredients to support hydration and skin barrier function
Formulations to help reduce the appearance of redness and visible skin irritation
Scent-free, paraben-free, and sulphate-free
Super effective but gentle enough for daily use

4. Vitamin A (retinoids).
These have been shown in studies to reduce redness, pimples and those annoying dilated blood vessels (telangectasia). Beware some forms of vitamin A are more irritating than others. Retinal is the most effective and least irritating form of vitamin A.

Ultimate A

Ultimate A Night Cream contains 0.06% Retinal, the most gentle and effective form of Vitamin A, paired with Niacinamide to help maintain skin barrier function and support brighter, firmer and more even looking skin tone and texture. Well suited even for the most irritable skin.

Key features:

0.06% Retinal to support a brighter, smoother and firmer skin texture
Niacinamide to support skin barrier function and a more even looking skin tone
Gentle formulation suitable for nightly use

Usage: Apply at night after cleansing (and serum if being used) as part of your evening skincare routine.

SKINCARE INGREDIENTS TO AVOID WITH ROSACEA

This is simple; BIN soap, toners and exfoliators including scrubs, plus anything that causes a flare up for you. But the list might need to be extended! A 2020 study from China found that excessive facial cleanser use, using a face mask more than 4 times a week, frequent heavy makeup (more than 6 times a week) and regular skin care treatments in a beauty salon all contributed to worse rosacea! Food for thought!

One big problem with rosacea is that once the skin has become irritated and inflamed by a skincare or makeup ingredient or even by sunburn, some people with rosacea end up with “status cosmeticus”. This sets up a vicious cycle where you end up with a rapid flare up from even the mildest irritant to the skin. A tiny bit of a previously well tolerated sunscreen can trigger a very red face with irritation. This can be hard to manage.

THE CONCEPT OF PRIMING

When starting a new rosacea regime, many doctors recommend starting slowly to help improve the skin barrier function and reduces the risk of irritation. With priming you would only use mild cleanser and gentle moisturizer for 3-5 days before introducing active ingredients.

If your rosacea is still bad despite these interventions, you should see a doctor for some additional treatments.

According to the American Acne & Rosacea Society, your doctor might try a combination of;