Rosacea: My Skin Care Routine & Makeup Reviews

I've had rosacea for 10+ years. It's hard to find products that will work to keep the inflammation and redness down. I have spent over $200+ on skin care products like cleansers, moisturizers, and green based make up products. Believe me, I am not proud of how much money I am spending, but I am determined to find something to work for my skin. Does my situation sound familiar to you? You may have already spent as much money as I have or you are about to. I figured I would share my skin care routine and reviews on make up products that I have already tried.

Rosacea is the one skin condition that most people can not tolerate. Your skin is very dry and sensitive with this skin condition and it is very easily irritated. I will tell this to people a thousand times over, DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE. Keep your hands away from your face as often as possible. Rubbing your face and touching it can cause bacteria to get in your pores which can cause acne. Your face will also become irritated by touching it.

With my skin care routine I use a microfiber wash cloth, a beauty blender, and a cotton towel. That is all you will need. If you are more into make up then I am, you could use make up brushes and other things you might need. Find a make up brush or items that do not irritate your skin. Certain materials can cause your skin to get more inflamed. These items over time will also get dirty and carry bacteria that can make your face worse then it already is. Make sure you clean these items properly to ensure that they are bacteria free.

Keep your hands clean! I know it's hard to not touch your face, but if you do, you have to make sure your hands are clean and sanitized. Find a antibacterial hand soap. If your skin is sensitive to fragrances, sorry, but you might need to give up that scented hand soap that you love so much. Also, use a nail scrubber. Bacteria can collect underneath our finger nails and when you touch your face, that bacteria can spread on to your face. With all of this being said, let me continue to explain how I have managed this dreadful skin condition.

I have always used the same bar soap. I've tried to change it once and it irritated my skin so bad that it took around three months to heal. I use Irish Spring Bar Soap with aloe in it. If they are out of the aloe one, I use the original one. I use this bar soap to shave and to cleanse. I will not use shaving cream or body wash because my skin will look like it has hives. It doesn't matter what type or brand that I try. I was raised on using this type of bar soap and I tried changing it a few times, but it never works. I always have to go back to using this bar soap, so I finally gave up and stuck with it. You could try this bar soap or stick with the one that you were raised on. I noticed when you shower or take a bath, use lukewarm water. Hot water can strip the natural oils in your skin causing it to be dry and angry.

I have tried so many face cleansers that it drives me insane. I actually wrote down a list of cleansers that I have tried, so I don't buy that same one again. I also wrote down how my skin reacted to it. Each cleanser I have used for two weeks or more. 80% of the ones I have tried caused my skin to sting and become worse. My redness also became worse. A lot of these cleansers dried out my skin as well. I use a microfiber wash cloth to apply a cleanser. It prevents me from touching my face and also helps keep down the irritation. I also use the cloth to gently wipe the cleanser off. Lukewarm water seems to do the trick to keep the redness down. Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser is the one I have always relied on. I noticed the rest of the cleansers cause my skin to be dry and the redness will appear worse. If I do end up finding a miracle cleanser, I will keep you updated.

Ugh, there are so many moisturizers out there. I have lost my mind trying to find a great moisturizer. I was scrolling on YouTube one day and found a product review. This woman was saying that she has had rosacea for years and she finally found something. She's from the UK, so I automatically assumed that I have to order this product online. I went on Amazon and searched for the product and found it. It's called E45 Cream. I found it on there for $5.00. I immediately ordered it and once it came in the mail, I used it right away. I used it for about four weeks and I noticed a huge difference. The redness has toned down quite a bit and I was really surprised. I decided to continue to look around for items in the UK online, because maybe I wasn't thinking "Outside the box". I found another product called Dermalex. They have one specifically for rosacea and even one for acne. I also ordered that one as well. I apply it before I apply the E45 cream and so far, I'm impressed. I've been using them both for four weeks. In the morning and after work I apply both of them. Of course, after a shower as well and the redness has toned down greatly.

This type of situation is never ending. I've tried powder foundations, BB creams, CC creams, liquid foundations, and cream foundations. I've also tried concealers and tinted moisturizers. By all means, I am terrible at applying my make up. I'm just the simple average person who wants to apply just one item and be done. I don't take more than 10 minutes to apply my make up. Before I forget, I use my cleanser on a cotton pad to wipe my make up off then I go back over and cleanse like I normally would. This ensures that you have removed all of your make up.

Green or yellow based make up is the type that you want to find. A make up that is moisturizing and with SPF is preferred. NYX CC Cream is the one I feel in love with. The green light/medium shade one. It was perfect for my face until they discontinued it. It broke my heart and I was so mad that I left so many angry reviews for them. A tip for those who have really fair skin, mix a little of your moisturizer with your foundation. This can lighten the color of your foundation.

The chart below does not show all that I have tried, but just only some of them. The one I currently use is Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream. I had to order this one off of Amazon as it is from a different country. It only cost me $16.00USD.

However, you do have the option to visit cosdna.com or skincarisma.com to look up products and their ingredients to determine what is actually irritating your skin. This websites made me realize that there are a lot of harmful ingredients out there that actually isn't good for rosacea. Some ingredients cause acne, while some other ingredients can actually irritate it and make it worse. I really hope you find the best products for your skin.