skin-care treatments
By Rachael Griffiths, a writer at the Strategist covering beauty, fashion, and travel. She joined the Strategist in 2021 after interning for the site.
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers
In this article
- Best cleansers for redness and rosacea
- Best toner
- Best moisturizers
- Best sunscreens
- Best serums and creams
- Best retinol alternative
- Best skin-care device
Living with skin that’s prone to rosacea isn’t easy. Trying to pin down a trigger for your redness can be exhausting: It could be stress, extreme temperatures, spicy foods, fragrance, alcohol in skin care and in drinks (especially wine), and even something as simple as a hot shower. Added to this is the wrinkle that not all rosacea presents as redness, just as not all redness is caused by rosacea. There are four types of rosacea, in fact. It can show as dryness or itchiness, both of which are easier to spot on darker skin tones that may not exhibit red patches and therefore not be diagnosed. A lot of the products we use to treat redness and rosacea are similar, however, so while those on this list are formulated for skin with rosacea, they can also help skin that’s prone to redness.
I chatted with 14 dermatologists and drew on my years of skin-care reporting to find options at every price range for each step of a skin-care routine. These include the basics, such as cleansing and moisturizing, and the ingredients that will elevate your skin, like serums and topicals. Before you read on, it’s worth noting that no one should introduce a whole slew of items into their routine at once — especially not those with sensitive skin. Dr. David Kim, a board-certified dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology in New York, warns, “This often makes things worse, not better. During an active flare, it’s best to minimize the skin-care routine and use the bare essentials. Less is more. Always.”
Instead, see this list as a guide for the substitutions you can slowly but surely introduce to fine-tune your routine. And while no over-the-counter product can truly claim to treat rosacea, “there are plenty that can help,” says Dr. Shereene Idriss, a board-certified dermatologist also known as the #PillowTalkDerm.
Updated November 7: Checked stock and prices for all products, added Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray as the best cooling spray for red skin.
What we’re looking for
Active ingredients
Active ingredients
Having rosacea classifies you as a sensitive-skin type, so I’m looking for soothing, calming ingredients that won’t inflame your skin. The key word here is gentle. That means avoiding products with fragrances or alcohols and being careful with potential irritants such as acids and physical exfoliants. Instead, stock up on skin care that contains hyaluronic acid, azelaic acid, and niacinamide, which hydrate and brighten skin without making matters worse.
Price point
Price point
Skin care is available at a range of price points, so I noted how much you get with each bottle, jar, and tube as well as how much it costs per ounce.
Best cleanser for redness and rosacea
now 17% off
$15
Active ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides | Price point: 16 ounces at $1/ounce
I often recommend this cleanser for dry, easily irritated skin types (as well as for Accutane users, overexfoliated skin, and mature skin) and for good reason: It’s non-foaming, which means it will strip away less of the skin’s natural oils; it’s also noncomedogenic, so it shouldn’t clog pores or exacerbate acne, and it contains ceramides, which leave the skin feeling hydrated. Dr. Anjali Mahto, dermatologist and author of The Skincare Bible, says the cleanser is one of her staples. “It’s fragrance-free, and is very gentle on the skin,” she says. She likes that it’s packed with hyaluronic acid, both “great for helping to maintain the skin’s barrier function.”
Best soap for redness and rosacea
$13 for 14
Active ingredient: Glycerin | Price point: 6 bars at $1.16/bar
Because certain ingredients found in bodywashes (specifically, menthol and eucalyptol) can throw off the skin’s pH level,Dr. Joshua Zeichner, a board-certified dermatologist, recommends washing the body with Dove’s Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar. It’s also a favorite of dermatologist Dr. Hadley King. This is a simple, skin-barrier-supporting, super-affordable option you can use to cleanse both your body and face. “It uses a gentle cleansing agent and is particularly moisturizing,” Zeichner says.
$21 for 10 at Walmart
Buy
Best toner for redness and rosacea
$46
Active ingredient: Sodium hyaluronate | Price point: 6 ounces at $6.60/ounce
You may feel cautious about this step if your skin is on the sensitive side, but toners don’t have to feel stripping. This one from ZO Skin Health feels soothing, and SkinSpirit aesthetic nurse practitioner Shawna Jones tells me it supports the skin-barrier function. The formula has allantoin, which Dr. Farhaad Riyaz, a board-certified dermatologist, says is an “anti-inflammatory that soothes, calms, heals, and reduces the irritation, redness, and sensitivity seen with rosacea.” It also has sodium hyaluronate to improve hydration, which is key for people with rosacea as they tend to have a dehydrated, compromised skin barrier.
Best moisturizer for redness and rosacea
Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream
now 13% off
$14
Active ingredients: Ceramides | Price point: 1 pound at $1.19/ounce
Vanicream has a super-hydrating, non-irritating formula — which makes it suitable for use even during a flare-up. Dr. Ife Rodney, founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics, calls this Vanicream moisturizer ideal because it’s formulated specifically for sensitive skin, so it’s “free of lanolin, formaldehyde, parabens, and fragrances that commonly irritate dry, sensitive skin.”
Best face mask for redness and rosacea
Active ingredients: Spring water, peptides |Price point: 1.6 ounces at $20.81/ounce
If your skin is flaring up particularly red, this intensely moisturizing mask (from Avène’s antirougeurs line) should help to soothe any angry-looking skin. Apply it, wait up to 15 minutes, and then gently wipe it away — your skin should begin to feel and appear much calmer. Avène’s products each contain thermal spring water, which has a cooling effect on the skin, as well as “peptides that help reduce facial redness,” says Zeichner.
Best nighttime mask for redness and rosacea
Active ingredient: Centella asiatica | Price point: 1.69 ounces at $20.07/ounce
This overnight treatment should be the last step in your nighttime skin-care routine and uses ingredients such as centella asiatica (known for its calming properties) and ophiopogon japonicus, which helps to reinforce and maintain the skin’s barrier. Aesthetician Candace Marino recommends this treatment to patients suffering with a flare-up: It has a similar consistency to a mask. “This is the 911 product that every rosacea client should have on hand at all times, especially during the winter months,” says Marino. Unlike with the Avène mask, you don’t wash away this paste — instead, you leave it to absorb overnight.
Best sunscreen for redness and rosacea
$155
Active ingredient: Niacinamide | Price point: 1 ounce at $145/ounce
Mineral sunscreens differ from chemical sunscreens in that they use entirely natural products to create a physical barrier between your skin and the UV rays. Many of the dermatologists I spoke to prefer mineral formulas because chemical-based sunscreens can potentially trigger a rosacea flare-up. This is one of my favorite options for rosacea specifically, as it has a suitably high SPF count, a green tint to neutralize redness, and niacinamide, which not only helps with inflammation but also “helps restore the skin barrier, which helps protect the skin from temperature changes and free radicals — both big rosacea triggers,” says Riyaz.
Best (less expensive) sunscreen for redness and rosacea
$35
Active ingredient: Niacinamide | Price point: 1.7 ounces at $21.79/ounce
Elta MD makes another one of my favorite mineral sunscreens (we recently named it the best mineral sunscreen for all skin types). It contains a high concentration of zinc oxide, the ingredient found in diaper cream (and if it’s good enough for a baby’s sensitive skin, it will work wonders for irritated red adult skin).
Best serum for redness and rosacea
$84
Active ingredients: Azelaic acid, tea extracts | Price point: 1 ounce at $95/ounce
“This is by far the most compelling rosacea product I have ever worked with,” says Marino of this serum, which is a favorite of her clients with rosacea. Serums contain high concentrations of actives to really hone in on certain skin complaints. While some active ingredients should be avoided (such as vitamin C and glycolic acid), there’s no need to banish them from your routine altogether. This anti-redness treatment uses ingredients such as azelaic acid and white- and red-tea extracts to calm and soothe skin while helping to improve rosacea symptoms over time.
Best (less expensive) serum for redness and rosacea
La Roche Posay Rosaliac AR Serum
$31
Active ingredient: Ambophenol | Price point: 1.35 ounces at $30.71/ounce
I also like this more budget-friendly alternative from La Roche-Posay. It comes in the form of a cooling gel and contains hyaluronic acid, antioxidant-packed cooling thermal spring water, and arginine to boost hydration. “This visible-redness-reducing serum does what it says. What’s nice about it is that it’s free of parabens, it’s oil free and fragrance-free, so it’s really good for sensitive skin,”says Dr. Debra Jaliman, a board-certified dermatologist. “It’s made with an ingredient called ambophenol, which soothes skin.”
Best serum for acne with redness and rosacea
Active ingredient: Azelaic acid | Price point: 1 ounce at $10/ounce
If you’re dealing with other skin issues, such as hyperpigmentation and acne, you need to find a balance with a serum to address those issues and reduce redness, too. Dr. Corey L. Hartman, founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology, says this option from the Ordinary does just that: “It helps to improve brightness and reduce the appearance of blemishes and also acts as an antioxidant.”
Best cream for redness and rosacea
Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster
now 21% off
$31
Active ingredients: Azelaic acid and salicylic acid | Price point: 1 ounce at $39/ounce
“Azelaic acid is my No. 1 ingredient for tackling rosacea,” says Dr. Idriss. “If you can get it prescribed, around 15 percent is the sweet spot, but if you don’t have access to prescriptions, Paula’s Choice is a great over-the-counter substitute.” As well as a 10 percent concentration of azelaic acid, the cream is enriched with salicylic acid, a gentle acid that penetrates the pores to smooth away any bumpy texture. The cream also includes licorice root, which Dr. Idriss says will “further soothe redness.”
Best retinol alternative for redness and rosacea
$123
Active ingredients: Bakuchiol | Price point: 1 ounce at $156.75/ounce
Retinoids can be tricky if you have rosacea because they tend to exacerbate irritation and redness. Bakuchiol is a popular retinol alternative that has been recommended to me time and again (and is even sensitive enough for use during pregnancy). Dubbed “nature’s retinol,” bakuchiol offers the same benefits (increased cell turnover, help with fine lines and wrinkles) without the negative side effects. “Isdin Melatonik is my go-to bakuchiol product,” says Hartman. “It contains vitamin E, a direct antioxidant, and melatonin, an indirect antioxidant — two of my holy-trinity skin-care basics. It repairs oxidative damage at night and, as a bonus, reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.”
Best cooling spray for redness and rosacea
Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray
From $28
From $28
For hot, irritated skin (which might occur after a workout or just day-to-day), the Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue is a great resource. It is National Eczema Association approved and contains hypochlorous acid, which can both heal and protect the skin from external factors. It’s also great at killing bacteria, which is why it’s suitable to apply after a session at the gym. (Previously, I’ve recommended Avène Thermal Spring Water, which is also great — if you can track a bottle down.)
Best skin-care device for redness and rosacea
$395
There’s evidence to suggest that LED masks can help with acne, skin calming, and the signs of aging. That means they’re suitable for calming down redness- and rosacea-prone skin. When we chatted to experts about the best LED masks, the Omnilux came up more than any others. It’s pricey, but the brand’s site touts more than 40 peer-reviewed published studies backing up its efficacy, far more than any other mentioned to us. The mask uses red and near-infrared LEDs to calm the skin.
Our experts
•Dr. Roberta Del Campo, dermatologist at theDel Campo Dermatology and Laser Institute
•Dr. Corey L. Hartman, dermatologist
• Dr. Shereene Idriss, board-certified dermatologist
•Dr. Debra Jaliman, dermatologist
• Shawna Jones, SkinSpirit aesthetic nurse practitioner
• Dr. David Kim, board-certified dermatologist at IDRISS Dermatology in New York City
•Dr. Hadley King, dermatologist
•Dr. David Lortscher, a board-certified dermatologist and CEO of Curology
• Dr. Anjali Mahto, dermatologist and author of The Skincare Bible
•Candace Marino, aesthetician
• Dr. Kenneth Mark, cosmetic dermatology expert
•Dr. Farhaad Riyaz, dermatologist
•Dr. Joshua Zeichner, dermatologist
The Strategistis designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the bestwomen’s jeans,rolling luggage,pillows for side sleepers,ultra-flattering pants, andbath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links,New Yorkmay earn an affiliate commission.
Tags:
- beauty
- skin-care
- the strategist
- face
- best in class
- skin-care treatments
- More
Show Leave a Comment