Rosacea treatment

[lee12345]

Hi,

I've had rosacea for around 6 years. It flares up sometimes worse than other times, but for the past year it's been especially bad. I suffer on my cheeks the most & one side worse than the other. They are always very red & I also have acne like spots only on my cheeks. The rest of my skin is clear.
I've been looking into some medicated gel,
As I feel I've tried all sorts of facial products. Could I have some opinions or recommendations on what has worked for others?
Many thanks

Soolantra on prescription from Superdrug has been a game changer for me.

I've used metronidazole gel to get a severe outbreak under control and then used azealic acid 15% from facetheory to maintain. Make sure you always use a gentle moisturiser with both (CetaPhil is good!) and spf50. Mineral based makeup (I use annabel mineral) is gentler on my skin than liquid foundation, and make sure it's taken off properly, I find an oil based cleanser easiest. Don't scrub your face when cleansing! Hope this helps :)

Oil cleansing followed by Pixi Glow gel cleanser. Then SPF50!

Soolantra. I got it from The Independent Pharmacy online. Filled a questionnaire and sent some photos. I think it cost around £36.

Or you could try your GP for a prescription.

I found just using almond oil as a cleanser and moisturiser very helpful. I stopped using anything else and it calmed it down very effectively. I used a warm but not hot cloth when cleansing, and a light hand when moisturising.

Soolantra for me too. Cured mine after years of suffering. I still have a red complexion but cover with makeup. If I ever have a breakout (few and far between now) I just go back to the Soolantra for a short burst and it clears it.

I used rosex for 6m after initial diagnosis so definitely get a topical prescription. On top of that spf so important and proper cleansing. I also love niacinamide and LRP cicaplast as a barrier cream. Anything cool and gentle is good, anything that is anyway stripping or leaves your skin stinging, avoid. Citric fruits, spicy food and alcohol can also exacerbate.

Mine is the ‘sunburn’ kind which goes flaming scarlet and then peels off so I’ve always been too scared to put a cream on it. What works for me is oral antibiotics. I take them for about 6 months and it settles down, then I stop for a while (a year or so usually) and then it flares back up and so on. I have found oxycycline makes me feel a bit sick (and MUST NOT be taken last thing at night as can damage the oesophagus) but limecycline is tolerable. I don’t love being on systemic antibiotics but the alternative is too painful and disfiguring. Also second gentle cleansers - I use cetaphil too. And biore watery essence factor 50 SPF every day.

Oil cleansing for the dryness and pimples, low dose beta blockers for the flushing. But sad to say the biggest improvement has occurred since I gave up alcohol.

I second the azelaic acid serum from facetheory, it’s brilliant. I have type 2 rosacea (the kind that can look a bit like pimples or acne) and I wash my face with a carbon theory bar, that’s really helped too.

Hi all, sorry to hijack the thread but I've been considering the soolantra prescription based on previous threads I've read which recommend it. But my question is, once you've started using it do you have to use it everyday to keep the rosacea away? Will the redness come back as soon as you stop using it?

Sorry, can't help on antibiotics etc but I use cetaphil gentle cleanser wash and avene skin soothing cream and Roche posay spf and drink loads of water and stay away from sugar. The cetaphil and avene is the only thing on earth that soothes that burning feeling for me. Saying that mine presents as getting bad under the skin but outwardly just quite red.

Also use cetaphil gentle cleanser and their spf moisturiser and their night cream. But you definitely need to see your GP. I used metronidazole gel (rosex) for about 6 months and that completely got rid of it, and I maintain with 20% Azelaic acid cream (Skinoren). I get two tubes of that at a time on prescription so it costs me less than £10 every two or three months. My skin’s never been better, whereas back in about March I looked like the worst spotty teen ever (I’m in my 40s!). It’s a medical issue primarily so I’d start with your GP not the skincare aisle.

@TheresALight

Hi all, sorry to hijack the thread but I've been considering the soolantra prescription based on previous threads I've read which recommend it. But my question is, once you've started using it do you have to use it everyday to keep the rosacea away? Will the redness come back as soon as you stop using it?

I got the Soolantra mainly for the spots I was getting with the rosacea. I only needed one tube to deal with that.

My skin is still red though although it has been for a long time. I’m now using a monthly prescription from Dermatica of tretinoin, azeliac acid and niacinamide. Am hoping that will reduce the redness. I’ve only just started it though. If that doesn’t help I will try laser treatment.

I was taking Vitamin D supplements and rhen read somewhere this could exacerbate rosacea. I stopped taking the extra Vit D and my rosacea has almost resolved. Just an occasional episode

CeraVe has all but cured mine.

I tried soolantra, made my skin worse. I like the neals yard stuff, it's a rose balm that works for me.

Metronidazole gel works for me for a mid-level outbreak, but I do need oral antibiotics for more serious flare-ups. That said, my dermatologist has encouraged me to play around with how long I take them for - often, ten or fifteen days of them will bring a flare-up under control. I mostly use doxycycline 50mg which is really off-label acne medication - the sole dedicated rosacea treatment where I'm based is dosed at 40mg and significantly pricier which both my dermatologist and our excellent pharmacist think is ridiculous.

@TheresALight

Hi all, sorry to hijack the thread but I've been considering the soolantra prescription based on previous threads I've read which recommend it. But my question is, once you've started using it do you have to use it everyday to keep the rosacea away? Will the redness come back as soon as you stop using it?

Soolantra doesn't work for everyone but in my case cleared my rosacea completely. I used the first tube over 3 months applying once a day before bed. I got the 2nd tube from my gp ready to use but then gradually stopped using it as my skin cleared. It's been months now, and I haven't yet opened the second tube. It's been a miracle cream for me, I cant as my believe I suffered all those years! I spent a fortune on skin products and in the end was at a dermatologist for something else when he said I had rosacea and to try Soolantra. I had never heard of demodex mites before. For me Soolantra has been absolutely amazing

Hot cloth cleanser followed by Nivea night cream day and night. No makeup.

A hot cloth cleanser always made my rosacea worse. The biggest difference for me was La Roche-Posay Rosaliac intense serum and then their Anthelios SPF 50. The SPF is great under makeup and I still use it every day.

I use Finacea every day morning and evening and has totally resolved mine other than mild redness no spots at all

@TheresALight

Hi all, sorry to hijack the thread but I've been considering the soolantra prescription based on previous threads I've read which recommend it. But my question is, once you've started using it do you have to use it everyday to keep the rosacea away? Will the redness come back as soon as you stop using it?

Mine reduced the redness, but didn’t completely clear it. However the spots and lumps have totally gone. I use it when mine flares up for a week or so but have only needed to do that twice since about August. Totally changed my relationship with my skin.

SOOLANTRA

don’t bother with anything OTC you need a prescription.

Then:
No foaming cleanser (use a cream)
No spicy foods
No alcohol (this is a real trigger for my skin but I love a drink so hey ho!)
No stress (haha!)

I've had rosacea for about 15 years to varying degrees and the things that keep it under control are:

Clinique redness solutions gentle cleanser and moisturiser
low sugar, low alcohol diet
avoid any oils on the face

I have tried rosex cream but it stung too badly and made the flushing worse. I tried dermodex, avene and roche but they all irritated it even more.