A couple of weeks ago I mentioned getting treatment for rosacea and my regimen since. A few people asked me how I care for my face so I thought it would be easiest to make it into a post. Let me start by saying I’m not a doctor and this is just my personal experience. If you have rosacea you should see a doctor for advice.
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition where redness develops. It can affect your arms, your legs, your face, pretty much any part of you that gets exposure. I admit I’d always been bad about wearing sunscreen as a kid but even things like hot showers will make the redness show up on me. I’ve got almost all the risk factors: really fair skin with freckles, I blush easily and I’m a woman.
I didn’t mind it until my face started showing signs even in winter — specifically redness across my t-zone (the nose plus cheeks). Then I got the telltale red bumps that look like acne but aren’t. That’s when I finally went to see a doctor.
Luckily my case is really mild. I went to see a dermatologist who recommended a pulse-dyed laser treatment which I underwent in December. Since the procedure is considered cosmetic insurance didn’t cover it. It cost about $500. The doctor used the laser to clear blood vessels in my face. The procedure left me bruised and a swollen. I was able to hide the bruises with makeup and they disappeared after a couple of weeks. My face stayed swollen for over a month. I don’t think that’s common but it has since gone back to normal.
One other thing my doctor noted is that I was probably aggravating my rosacea with the facial stuff I was using. I had thought the red bumps were acne so I was trying topical treatments. Turns out this is the worst thing I could have done and it probably made my face worse instead of better. So I threw that stuff out and started over. Now when I shower in the morning I use Neutrogena’s Deep Clean Cream Cleanser every day. I leave it on for about a minute and then rinse away once my face feels cool and tingly. I love the way this stuff feels and afterwards my face feels refreshed. It’s great for waking up. I also use Neutrogena’s Deep Clean Gentle Scrub twice a week. I use a washclosh to gently rub it in and then rinse immediately. The exfoliator I was using before was really stripping my skin. This one is gentle enough to get rid of old skin without stripping new, healthy skin off my sensitive face.
The rest of this post is going to sound like an ad for Sabon…it’s not. I’ve just found that their stuff really works for me! I started using their body butter creams on the advice of a friend a few years ago (ginger orange is my current fave). After my treatment I was looking for something that wouldn’t aggravate my skin. Sabon’s facial stuff fit the bill. They have three types of facial lines meant for different types of skin (dry, oily, combination). I have settled on their jojoba items meant for combination skin. I use the cleanser and freshener daily. It’s great for removing makeup at night. I use washclosh to apply both and rinse immediately. They can leave your skin a bit dry so I also use the jojoba moisture lotion. I have found the moisture lotion to be the perfect makeup primer! You don’t need a lot either, just a dollop the size of one finger does the trick. Come spring I’ll probably switch this out for a moisture lotion with actual SPF in it but for winter this has done the job well. Even though these items are expensive they’re worth it to me. Plus they last awhile, I rebuy every 6 months or so.
I also use Sabon’s mud mask once a week. The store rep was so refreshingly honest with me. She told me that the first couple of times I used the mask it might make me break out from cleaning out my pores (it did). But since then it’s been really smooth sailing. I use freshly washed hands to apply. The mask is cooling and refreshing on my face and feels just like the facials I used to drop $200 a month on when the economy was roaring. Plus, my boyfriend gets a kick out of the stuff. I look like a sea monster with it on and as it dries it gets hard for me to talk so I like to joke that this is what botox must feel like. Afterwards my face feels incredibly smooth and refreshed. I also moisturize immediately after it can dry your face out. I also find it makes my hands dry from applying so I moisturize those too.
Last thing I love from Sabon is their eye cream. It doesn’t affect my rosacea at all but I thought I’d mention it. The skin under my eyes is pretty dark (yay genetics!) but this stuff helps the darkness considerably. I put it on right before bed. It’s got lavender in it which I find really helps to put me to sleep. I’m not sure if Sabon changed their formula for this recently. My last tin was like a thick cream but this tin is much more like a lotion. I miss the creamy version as the lavender scent was stronger. The lotiony version is just as effective on the darkness though.
I find that when I get lazy about the regimen my face punishes me for a couple of weeks. So I try to keep up with this stuff as best I can. It’s a lot but it’s worth it for a clear, happy face. What’s your facial regimen like?
Too funny–about a year ago, I noticed red bumps on my cheeks and thought they were acne and treated them as such. of course, BIG mistake. finally met with a derm and he set me straight. thanks for sharing your routine! 🙂
I love to find out what other people use. I'm still experimenting to find the best combo, but this is what's working for me now: Kinerase and Laura Mercier. I don't want to sound like a commercial for either, but I love to take off my makeup with LM Light Cleansing oil followed by Replenishing Water in Light. As for Kinerase, I love their C8 Peptide lotion combined with their Lotion. I use the C8 in the morning and the lotion at night. I went off this for a few days, and my skin re-clogged and felt awful. I know that Kinerase is expensive, but I think it's worth it. I don't get any breakouts or other issues on it. The Savon stuff looks cool. I might try their cleanser. I'm always on the lookout for a good cleanser. (That was a long post!!!)
Rosacea runs in my family. My mom figured out that she had it when she was at a spa getting a facial and her skin looked raw for a month afterwards… It turns out that some spa treatments that promote "healthy skin" are horrible for people with rosacea. Now she always tells aestheticians that she has rosacea before getting anything done. Btw, she swears by Cetaphil (recommended by her dermatologist).I haven't gotten formally diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure that I have it too. For my facial routine, I alternate between Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser and St. Ives Apricot Facial Scrub. I'm also huge on sunscreen (the higher the SPF, the better!).
I found this really cool website (with forums, which I loooove, plus reviews of every facial product under the sun) that finally convinced me to try its products (it also has a full messageboard devoted to rosacea). I like the cleanser, which doesn't do anything other than clean. And I use Revlon Colorstay foundation, which has really great coverage- full coverage- all while being non-comedogenic. I'm really happy with the results. Btw, the website is acne.org, I'm really happy with the results so far. Thanks for posting about your skin care regimen, Roxy!
For years I've gotten my skin care advice (and regime and products) from cosmeticscop.com. She's so thorough in her research into products and ingredients and her own line is so reasonably priced.I'm still in love with my Cetaphil cleanser for Oily Skin, then her Healthy Skin Refreshing Toner because my skin truly is an oil pit, and her Skin Balancing Moisture Gel is the most amazing moisturizer for oily skin. At night I use her 2% BHA, and for an oil absorbing mask, it's good old Milk of Magnesia! It leaves my skin soft like a baby!
I have extremely sensitive skin and irritates easily. A few years ago, I discovered a line called L'athene. It is developed by two RNs who used to treat burn patients. They discovered that the skin responds really well to natural products, thus, the line is all natural. There's no sulfates, parabens to irritate the skin.The amazing thing about the products is that the cleanser is really gentle. It cleans without stripping the skin and the moisturizer treats my combination skin. I used to have oily T-zones and dry cheeks. The moisturizer manages to balance out my skin. As you can read, I love these products.
I have Rosacea also, which I made worse by running outdoors with no protection. My dermatologist recommended the Eucerin anti redness line which works pretty well for me. They have some lotion also with the anti-aging protection which I like. I also like the Aveeno Calming Cleanser which helps. I will check out the lotions that you talked about to. My husband isn't supportive about the laser treatments, he doesn't see it as a big deal the way I do.
Organic "kitchen" products (raw honey & olive oil) helped me get rid of a severe (rosacea) reaction I had to a face cream (a visit to the ER and 2 visits to dermatologist).
The dermatologist told me to use the "cleanest" (meaning chemical-free) ingredients/products I could find. My skin recovered and continued use of chemical-free products has left my skin looking and feeling "normal".


Now I know how important it is to check out the ingredients in ANY product I use on my skin or hair. 

When I buy anything, I choose certified organic products because I learned what the chemicals in "regular" products can do, including cause acne, dry up the skin and cause skin cancer.


Look up the ingredients in the products you use and see what they do. I think you'll be shocked.
For example, here's are the ingredients in a Clearasil product and what they can do to skin http://www.best-mens-skin-care.com/ingredients-in-a-clearasil-product.html


Mayo

http://www.best-mens-skin-care.com
I've tried Neutrogena products like you mentioned and liked how they made my skin feel clean. But I think they dried me out too much.Right now I'm using Cetaphil products. They aren't doing much, so I think I'm going to try Mario Badescu next. Thanks for sharing about the pulse-dyed lasers. I had read a little about them before, but nothing about their after effects and such.If Mario Badescu doesn't work out for me, I think I'll be heading to Savon next!Thank you for sharing!
i've got super oily, but sensitive skin. there's a lot that does irritate my skin, but i really can't deal with the shiny face look. i recently started using some products from the korres line and it's working out. i've even repurchased a lot of their products. currently on rotation, i wash with the white tea cleanser and follow-up with the yoghurt moisturizer by day and the materia herba at night. also use the evening primrose eye cream. come summer, i'll probably switch out and use something with SPF. i'm also a fan of cargo blu-ray cleaning clothes and the cosmedicine self-adjusting exfoliator. as for the rest of me, i have eczema in winter. between body butters and ammonium lactate, i usually can get through the winter with minimal itch.roxy, thanks for your write up.
I love Fresh products. Some people are turned off by the smell, but I love the way the smell. Usually, I can't stand many scents and fragrances, but Fresh is great. I use the Soy Face cleanser and the Rose Face Mask. I was using the Creme Ancienne, and it's expensive at $135/oz. I realized that I didn't need that intensive of a moisturizer, and I stopped using it. Currently, I am using the Soy Face Cream. The face mask is excellent for making pore smaller. I never ever wear foundation, and use very little powder on my face, thanks in part to having good skin. With that said, I don't know if their products will work for treatment of acne or rosacea, but it works for me in order to prevent acne and just overall maintenance.Speaking of Fresh, I swear by their Milk & Rose Shampoo and their Meadowfoam Creme Conditioner. My hair is super healthy and thick despite all the crap I put it through. Nothing gets my hair as clean as the shampoo and nothing gets this thick and wild mane of mine as tame as the conditioner. I've used the shampoo and conditioner for years, and I won't use anything else on my hair. It's pricy though. A bottle of shampoo is $26 and the conditioner is $32. But I use both sparingly, and I only buy the conditioner every 8-10 months months (really thick, so a little goes a long way) and the shampoo I buy every 3-4 months. Plus, it's SLS free.I think it's pretty funny how we all sound like an ad for the products we use.
Oh, I should have added that I used the Umbrian Clay mask as a spot-on acne treatment and this stuff is miraculous. Makes the really big zits go away much faster, and helps with the redness. I wouldn't recommend it to people who have really sensitive skin as it can burn. If you want to try it out, just go to Sephora and ask for a sample. The sample will last for a while providing that you don't let it dry out.I love going to Sephora because they will give you samples of pretty much anything. Just ask!
tien – i have a scrub by fresh that smells divine! i have to use it sparingly though so i don't get too irritated. but it always leaves my skin so soft and smooth after!i also have been using the MAC volcanic ash exfoliator and thermal mask. i think the reason that doesn't irritate my skin too much is because of the clay in it.
thanks for the informative post, roxy! i too suffer from rosacea–it was a fairly mild case until i gave birth–darn pregnancy hormones made a mess of me! i have it generally under control these days but do flare up here and there.as a former epidemiologist (or sort of!) that did research in environmental health, i'm pretty picky about my beauty regimen and look for products that are as chemical free as possible–recently i've been pretty happy with the 'blue' line from evan healy (can be found at whole foods)..the blue lavender cleansing milk is very mild and calming for daily cleansing and the blue chamomile day moisturizer does the trick to keep me soft! i also like weleda's almond moisture cream for a little extra moisture in the winter (can be found at most health food/beauty shops). to make me feel pretty (when i've been up all night with a 2 yr old!), i use dr.hauschka cosmetics.fun post–i enjoy reading everyone's tips!
I have Rosacea too and have seen a complete 180 in my skin after starting the following regime:1. Chanel Au Lait cleanser or Dr. Hauschka rose milk cleanser though I always alternate with Cetaphil. Cetaphil is definitely my go-to.2. Prosacea topical serum (get it at CVS or Duane Reade)3. Prescriptives Comfort Cream (am and pm versions)People actually tell me I have beautiful skin now – something I thought I'd NEVER hear. I think the Prosacea has been instrumental as well as properly moisturizing, something I'd been bad about in the past.