Newly diagnosed with Roseacea, help with skin care & make up please?

[Candlelight123]

My skin is a mess, spots, red bumps, red patches & dry skin. The treatment I've got is metro gel (not particularly effective) and elidel which I don't want to take because of serious side effects which were not explained to me. My question is, what have others found to be effective and kind as a cleanser, moisturiser, concealer & foundation please? I don't have a big budget, thank you.

There is a makeup range - albeit designed for older women - that was made by a woman who suffers herself from Roseacea. Google Tricia Cusden and Look Fabulous Forever. There is a YouTube video of her using her products to cover her Roseacea somewhere. These are makeup products only, not skincare.

Here is a blog post of hers about what skincare and general care products she uses.
www.lookfabulousforever.com/blog/living-with-acne-rosacea/

I have been trying a few items from her range myself, and the quality is excellent. I do have 'mature' skin but what I really like is that it just works and stays put. And doesn't shine or sparkle...!

Also at the very least / in the meantime get metrocream not gel - so much better.

Some of the Paula's Choice range may be good. They have a Calm range (you can order samples) which might be a good starting point. I do not have a diagnosis of rosacea but have a very reactive nose that can go quite red.

Well I ordered soolantra from pharmacy2u on Friday.
It arrived yesterday and I tried it last night before I went to bed.
My cheeks are noticeably less red this morning.
My nose less spotty looking.
I will be delighted if this works!

To be honest I never thought it was that bad and then I noticed without makeup my nose and cheeks are always a bit red and I got a raised blistery bit on one nostril (sexy).
Die little mites, die.

Hey BWatch, how are you getting on with the Soolantra?

After seeing your post I have also bought some from the same place as you and it should be here in a few days but have read that it can get worse before it gets better and that sounds scary!

I just have general redness on my nose mainly and slightly on cheeks so am hoping it will do the trick.

Superstar, i also registered with the pharmacy online to get this wonderful sounding Soolantra. The cost put me off though.
Did you both pay the high cost through the pharmacy, instead of getting it on prescription? If so, is this because your doctors won't prescribe it?
Yes, BWatch, how are you getting on with it?
Please update!

Hi!
Yes, I did pay it, though there was a code for 10% off on sexual health that also seemed to work.
This morning my face still seems happy! I've been putting it on before I go to bed so that if there is a weird reaction I won't have to worry about dealing with it and makeup.
Nose is much better. It had been red and had two watery bumps on it on Saturday morning caused by drinking wine (sigh). Bumps have now sunk down and are no longer visible.
Nose and cheeks less reddy then they have been.
It does look like it's getting better!
I opted for this because I reckoned otherwise I'd need to do back and forth with the gp with antibiotics etc. I don't fancy that when this seems like an actual cure as opposed to just managing the symptoms.
Fingers crossed!

Code is EFL65 for 10% off
www.hotukdeals.com/vouchers/pharmacy2u.co.uk?vb=160983

Will post a few tips tomorrow

How much is the solantra through them please?

I bought it for 22.86 with the code and postage.

Thanks so much BWatch. When I went through the checkout, it came to £40! Your deal is much more reasonable.
Metrogel has always worked for me, but I had a horrible flare up over Christmas, that seemed to go on and on. So tight, absolutely dried out, but with horrendous pus filled spots. I'm now left with more hyperpigmentation to deal with.
I have managed to smooth it out, hydrate, reduce redness and reduce spots (have none!), by using glycolic acid, Cosrx BHA, and The Ordinary niacinamide, retinal and azelaic acid.
I had been waiting to try the azelaic acid for ages, and it burned like hell at first, but now seems like it works fantastically. I still have to apply it over my serums/moisturiser as a buffer, and not get it near sensitive areas, but it seems to reduce redness and smooth out the skin and pores overnight.
Using hyaluronic serums, sheet masks and a sleeping pack has sorted out the dryness, this was essential, as my foundation was flaking and cracking and looking awful. There was no way I was going out barefaced either, so it was a pretty miserable time.
I can now reduce the amount of foundation I use, and just use concealer on the darker bits, which is better for my skin. I also try and blot oil instead of using too much powder, which drys the skin, and adds to the texture.

Wow, what a long post!
It's been a long old struggle lately though, and I'm so curious to see if this soolantra can help even further. I will try the code, thanks so much. I've just got up (smooth skin and no spots/bumps/pimples) from the azelaic acid, so if the soolantra doesn't work, I will carry on with this (and the metrogel) which I use on top.

Good luck everyone with your own skin battles, it's a real pain-in-the-nether-regions condition, isn't it.

I found Dermalogica helped my rosacea.

Some other lifestyle tips that I was given:-
Alcohol is a trigger
Spicy food can also be a trigger
Hot weather is a huge trigger for me, this includes steam rooms etc so I avoid these where possible. I've accepted on holiday my skin is awful!
Wash face in cold water, have cooler showers and angle face away from steam in shower

Wow, I paid £38 for mine from the same place but I am impatient and thought it would be quicker than getting dr. appointment and trying to persuade her to prescribe it.

I did have to do an online consult with their dr. but it was received today so will be trying it tonight.

Will update!

Good luck superstar! Maybe my price didn't include vat? I will check.

@girlelephant
I don't think it has to be this way. I've read a lot of good results using soolantra and then getting IPL.
I'm going to try soolantra for a few weeks, a little goes a long way! Kill the nasty mites and then use IPL to repair the damage.
Fingers crossed!!

Sorry to drag up an old thread but wonder whether soolantra users could help me out? Have any of you tried using it if your rosacea symptoms are mostly flushing with a few spots? I was first prescribed soolantra 6 months ago and after a week of using it I came out in literally hundreds of spots on my cheeks. I had also started using Paula's Choice redness BHA around the same time so didn't know what had caused them. Stopped using both and whithin 2 weeks my skins was smooth again and funnily enough my skin felt even smoother than before the outbreak. Fast forward 3 month to my next derm appointment, told him i had a reaction but he said looking at my skin through a microscope that he thought I had demodex due how the hair follicle looked and to use it again and stop if I had another reaction. Used on one cheek and this time after 4 or 5 days I started getting spots again on that cheek and my skin felt prickly at night. stopped using it again and within 10-14 days skin was smoother than ever again. Today I went to see the derm again for my 3 month check up and told him what happened. He looked at my skin with the microscope thing again and he was apparently really happy with it, he said the follicles look loads better than before and he reckons the reaction I'm having to the cream not the cream itself but the demodex mites dying off. I explained that i'd only used it on one cheek and for less than a week but hes convinced the cream is working. I do think my skin has been looking better overall (touch wood) but didn't think it could be from using the cream for a week even though I haven't changed anything else in my skin care.
Now he wants me to use the cream for 2-3 days then take a break for a week or 2 then use for another few days. He thinks they'll still be killed off but won't get as bad as a reaction although second time round wasn't as bad as the first. I'm obviously apprehensive, has anyone experienced spots and stuff getting worse before better. As I said in mostly a flusher (touch wood) but do get some spots and the odd blister thing.

I've not had an any reaction like that to be honest! Though it does occasionally feel prickly.
I stopped using Soolantra a few weeks ago as everything was fine. I'm going to use it again tonight though as the sun has made my skin blistery.

Really BWatch I'm not sure what to do now 😣 I have read bits on the rosacea forum about getting spots with the die off of the mites but it doesn't look like it usually starts happening within a week. The prickly feeling also drove me crazy, felt like spiders crawling on my cheeks