Skincare recommendations for rosacea skin

[soupmaker]

Been struggling with awful dry and even more sensitive than usual skin on my face for over a year. It got very red and bumpy so visited GP who has prescribed metronidazole gel. It's worked for the bumps and red spots but I'm still very red and sore at times especially my chin and cheeks.

I need to overhaul my skincare as I've always been lucky with my skin and not really had to do more than wash it and moisturise it morning and night. I've also started drinking more water and have completely cut out alcohol.

It may be partly hormonal as I'm 47 but any recommendations for products which reduce redness and really hydrate skin welcome. I'm not one for wearing makeup but would be up for tinted moisturiser to help. I use St Tropez on my face at the moment to try and give me a more healthy glow but even with that I tend to look awful by mid morning as I'm flushed and red.

I have the flushing kind of rosacea. Two products I really like are Hydrabio serum which is the best thing I've found for hydration and Sensibio micellar cleanser which again is very hydrating. I use Cerave PM for moisturiser and Bare Minerals mineral powder foundation. My skin doesn't like water and it especially hates oils in products.

All of this plus Finacea gel keeps my skin under control. Ask your GP for Finacea as this was much better for redness than Metrogel in my case.

I like bare minerals for foundation. I use aveeno ultra calming moisturiser which is only available online. And I've had good results with Paula's Choice 2% BHA liquid. It's taken the bumps right down. Still some redness and it looks so much better under make up as the Bare Minerals conceals the redness.

Paula's Choice is expensive but you can order small samples. The bha liquid lasts a least a year. No cheap samples for the aveeno though.

I've read good things about the La Roche Posay rosacea range too, but never tried them.

Forget all skincare and run run run to your GP for Soolantra.

Came on here to say Soolantra! Great minds toomanylists. It’s really worked for me over the last 4 months or so.

Is there a way to get Soolantra without seeing a dermatologist? I asked my (private) GP for it and she wasn’t able to prescribe it.

Tell me more about soolantra please. How is it different to the metrogel? Does it help with the redness? I’m fairly bump free with the metrogel. The redness, tightness and sore skin is what’s getting me at the moment. And it’ll only get worse as the weather gets worse.

Thanks for the suggestions about skincare products too.

I don't know if I have rosacea as I've never been to the doctor about it but lots of products make my face red, sore and itchy. It came on in my fifties. What works for me is using as few products and as few ingredients as possible. I think finding out what works for you is largely trial and error but I've narrowed my regime down to almond or wheatgerm oil as both cleanser and moisturiser. I've read that some people can't tolerate wheatgerm oil but my skin seems to like it - that's what I mean about trial and error. If I stick to that, I can get away with a sunscreen and foundation on top but if I deviate, I can get problems. The only moisturisers I trust are a Dr Organic olive oil cream and bizarrely, blue pot nivea.

Soolantra is amazing. It cleared all of the spots and bumps, helped with the redness and is really moisturising so helps with the tight, dry, burning feeling on the skin. My doctor couldn't prescribe it because it wasn't on his system but he recommended pharmacy2u and I was able to buy it online without a prescription. Skincare wise I use the Clinique redness solutions daily relief cream but it was the Soolantra that made all the difference!

Sounds like a trip to my GP again worth a go then. I’ve used Kiehls products for years but they just don’t work for my skin now. Currently have the Aldi Caviar Moisturiser which doesn’t seem to make things worse at least. Find it really hard to get any sort of cleanser which doesn’t make my skin tight and sore and am just not sure at all about micellar water - tried a few and they just make my skin red and sore.

Thanks for the advice about less being more. I was afraid it would be a case of a lot trial and error and spending a fortune just to make it worse!