Skin care routine for rosacea

[TuesdaysChildisfullofgrace]

Hi

I'd really like some advice on what sort of skin care routine I should follow to help with rosacea - because I'm clueless!

I have the pimple-y type of rosacea mainly around my mouth and chin, which can be quite sensitive and get quite red and angry looking. My GP (dermatology specialist) prescribed Epiduo to help with the pimples after a course of antibiotics - which is helping he pimples but making my skin very red and dry! Other than that, skin is combination/oily and I'm in my mid thirties.

I currently use cetaphil face wash and moisturiser, and body shop cleansing balm to remove make up. Should I use he epiduo before moisturiser? Or can anyone recommend anything less harsh?

What's a good facial SPF for those with oily/rosacea prone skin?

I've also heard that anti ageing products can make rosacea worse - has any one found anything that works for them?

I'' a complete novice at all this so any recommendations are very welcome!

I switched from cetaphil to cerave and use their hydrating cleanser followed by their moisturising lotion. But this was initially supported by a 9 month course of Lynecycline (antibiotic tablets from GP) and Azelaic acid cream (which I still occasionally use under the CeraVe).
It took time, but has made a huge difference. I’ve also learned to avoid / accept things that make it worse.

Ouch, you sound quite sore!

With rosacea you need to ensure you are using products to improve your skin barrier. Products for sensitive skin as well.

If you can speak to an AlumierMD professional (like me!), they can prescribe the following for you:
SensiCalm cleanser
Calm- R (strengthens capillaries, which prevents them from dilating so much, which causes the redness)
HydraClarite (a moisturizer for acne prone skin)

Once your skin is calmer, you can try a retinol which will drastically improve both the acne and rosacea, as well as some salicylic products.

(The epiduo contains benzoyl peroxide, which will be great for your spots, but likely very sore on your rosacea. So just spot treat with this)

Sorry I can't recommend other brands, as I am not sure familiar with them. But these products work a treat.
X

Don’t mess around with all this stuff. It’s just tinkering at the edges. Get Soolantra on an online private prescription. It’s about £36 and a completel game changer. My rosacea was all but gone in around 6 weeks. I look in the mirror and can’t believe I have the skin I have now.

I've just read about Soolantra, it sounds fab fab
Give this a go along with Alumier SensiCalm cleanser!

@Wiredforsound
What else do you use in your skin, alongside Soolantra?
I'd love to hear more about it. Do you have any photos?

@Confusedcorona you describe yourself as an ‘AlumierMD professional who can prescribe x products’..... what do you mean by that? Are you a medical professional?

Ignore posters prescribing complicated regimes.

Yes soolantra is brilliant. You need a cleanser and a moisturiser and daily SPF. Try La Rouche Pousay or Avene.

Keep it very simple. I’ve had rosacea for 20 years - I promise less is more

I think I have rosacea - am very red across my nose and cheeks with visible capilliaries, gets worse with sun and is sore. But no spots at all.
I've changed to a rosacea cleanser, and am using Azaelic acid and Cetaphil moisturiser with Rosalique on top. But although my enlarged pores look great (so thats a bonus), the redness doesn't look any different.
Would Soolantra help with this, or is it only on the acne type?

I have rosacea with primarily redness and flushing, and soolantra is great for this. I also get laser treatment every 4 months

The Kalme Roseacre range (google it) changed my life (really)

@Wiredforsound how can I get a private prescription? Thanks

Another one for Soolantra.

I developed rosacea as I went into the pre-menopausal stage. It was so bad at one point that I couldn't wear polo or closed neck jumpers in the winter as pulling one over my head would make the pimples on my chin bleed!

I was on Rosex (sp?) and antibiotics which helped. Came off them and it started again - all down one side of my face at one point, across my eyebrow - so, so painful.

I found out about Soolantra. I got mine through Superdrug on line. You have to send a photograph to their on line doctor facility who will confirm it is rosacea, then you can get the product. It cost, as said before, £35-£38.

I used it once a day for, I think, four weeks. I must be honest I can't quite remember but I know I followed the instructions in the packet to a T.

That was in March 2019. I've not even had a pimple on my face since the end of that treatment. I still get flushes if I have a couple of glasses of wine or eat spicy food - but I can live with that, it was the soreness and pimples bleeding that got me down.

Now the rosacea has cleared up I stick to a very simple skincare regime as I've realised that the least amount of 'stuff' I put on my face, the better my skin behaves. So a warm water flannel in the morning to clean my face - just water and a clean flannel each day. Olay as a moisturiser (the one for sensitive skin), some Rimmel pressed powder to take away the shine (but applied with a brush so I don't put too much on or rub). Normal eye makeup etc but no foundation. I use Nivea Micellar cleanser and Olay again at night. I also use Body Shop liquid peel once a fortnight or three weeks. Nothing else touches my face. No masks, no creamy cleansers as they make me break out. I used to use masks, serums, scrubs - the whole lot but I've come to realise I don't need them and my skin reacts to too much poking and prodding.

The nicest thing now, apart from no soreness, is that I actually go out with make up on sometimes. Something I've not done for years.

Good luck. I hope you find something that makes it ease for you. People who have never had it think it's 'just' redness - they don't realise how sore your skin becomes.

Oops that should have read 'I can actually go out WITHOUT make up on sometimes'

another vote for Soolantra here as well. Absolute game changer and worth the £40.

I have amazing skin now that I could never have dreamed of, and all I do is basic cleanse and a tiny bit of moisturiser with Aldi stuff. I've added photos, first one before I started, second one after 4 weeks, last one is now.

They've added in the wrong order. Middle one is the first one

Amazing! Looks really good. Does it last or do you have to keep up the Soolantra forever to get the same effect?

Another vote for soolantra. Just be prepared for it to get worse before it gets better. I got mine initially from superdrug online, then made an appointment to see the gp and asked for it on prescription as it was much better than what they had prescribed me previously! I also use dermaquest sensite range- the delicate soothing serum is lovely (a little expensive but worth it).

*Sensitive

Yet another vote for Soolantra. Topical application once a day for 8 weeks cleared mine up permanently, this was over 2 years ago. Mine started like LondonJaxx early on in peri-menopause.

@NothingIsWrong your skin looks amazing - I am at your initial picture stage, can cover it well with rosalique and my acne went after going on contraceptive pill
I thought it was just to clear the acne but it seems to have got rid of the red hues too??

Yes it got rid of a lot of the red as well. This was late March to early May this year, about 6 weeks. This photo is me right now, but I've got a thick jumper on and the heating is on! No makeup though

What little red is left is very easily covered with a tiny amount of makeup.

@Louisianna16

In my case I had four weeks on Soolantra and my skin has been spot free (not even one solitary one) since March/April 2019. Rosacea can't be 'cured' but Soolantra does well on many people - not everyone unfortunately.

They say not to use Soolantra forever unless your GP/dermatologist tells you. The cream contains mites that eat the ones causing the problem - so you don't want to use it unnecessarily or you'll have a different mite problem!

@NothingIsWrong - sold! off to purchase.

Thanks for all the replies! After the pretty unanimous verdict on Soolantra I've just ordered some online, pending an assessment/review by a doctor- so fingers crossed they agree to prescribe it for me! I wonder why my GP didn't recommend it, she runs lots of dermatology clinics at the hospital so I'm sure she must of heard of it...

@NothingIsWrong - your skin looks absolutely fantastic! I will be absolutely delighted if its that effective for me!

Thanks @NothingIsWrong