Having the right skin care routine is really important to healing your rosacea - and you always get the best results when you use a Complete Skin Care Routine™. My Complete Skin Care Kit for Rosacea offers products used by a dermatologist for her rosacea patients. This routine is designed to keep your complexion clear, healthy, and comfortable.

Overview

Rosacea is a stubborn facial condition that responds to a Complete Skin Care Routine™ that quiets the stressors which drive rosacea. I cover all of the solutions available without a prescription in my Rosacea Therapy Skin Care Kit. I use this routine as the foundational skin care routine for my rosacea patients and add prescription products if they are still necessary.

A complex combination of conditions leads to rosacea and we only understand pieces of the rosacea puzzle. Skin microbes, abnormal capillary response that leads to flushing and 'broken capillaries' that show through skin, weakened skin barrier strength, sensitive skin, pimples and UV sensitivity all conspire together to cause this vexing rash. I've treated thousands of rosacea patients over my long career and I've struggled with it myself. The skin care routine in my Rosacea Therapy Kit is THE routine that I use in my practice to control rosacea with skin care. Yes, there are still times where I need to employ prescription medicines, but with this routine, prescriptions have become the exception, not the norm.

I am LOVING my new products!!! My rosacea is so calm!! MKR

My goal as a clinician who treats rosacea is to control the skin inflammation with a skin care routine that promotes skin health and avoids irritation. This allows your skin to heal naturally and resist rosacea flare ups.

My Dermatologist's Complete Skin Care Kit for Rosacea includes:

Pyrithione Zinc Soap for rosacea: Naturally healing and powerfully fortified with pyrithione zinc to solve many of the most common skin conditions including facial and body dandruff, rosacea, seborrhea and Pityrosporum folliculitis type acne.

Extremely Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser: A gentle foaming cleanser that is pH balanced for sensitive skin. Ideal for complete skin cleansing without drying or irritating sensitive rosacea-prone skin. We alternate this with the Calming Zinc Soap.

Green Tea Antioxidant Skin Therapy: If you were going to pick just one antioxidant for your skin care, the best would be green tea - it helps calm skin redness and fights sun damage - and this has the highest concentration of pharmaceutically pure and stable green tea antioxidants available in skin care. Each ounce of cream has the EGCG polyphenol antioxidant concentration equivalent to that found in 500 cups of brewed green tea. No product compares when it comes to delivering the benefits of green tea to your skin.

Daily Moisturizing Face Cream: helps to heal the fragile rosacea skin barrier.

Sheer Strength Pure Physical Matte Tinted Creme Sunscreen, SPF 50: Sheer Strength Matte Tinted Sunscreen is weightless, easily rubbing into your hairline and men's facial hair. The subtle tinting helps soften complexion flaws and facial redness. UV exposure can trigger rosacea. Wearing a mineral sunscreen daily is important for everyone who struggles with rosacea. This sunscreen is free of chemical sunscreen filters formulated in a base that is well-tolerated by even the most sensitive complexions.

There are two main complexion types with rosacea and knowing which you have helps you understand what skin care products may help or hurt your rosacea:

Most people have one or the other rosacea type, however, some people have both!

Type 1: Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea is characterized by exquisitely sensitive skin that is red and flushing typically stings. They often struggle with new skin care products and describe their skin as really sensitive and intolerant. Fine red bumps and pimples may be present.

Type 2: Papulopustular rosacea is much less sensitive. Skin may be oily and flushing may not sting. Generalized facial redness is often centered around the pores. Juicy red pimples and bumps are more common than small red ones.

Consider adding products if you have other skin concerns confounding your rosacea:

Add for Limp, Crepey or Excessively Dry Skin

Instantly Luminous Multi-Action Serum: Soothing with natural skin hydrators that instantly plump fine lines and wrinkles because every day counts and you need that now!

Add for Flakey Skin

Only add one of these products if you do not have extremely sensitive skin.

Exfoliating Facial Sponge 2 Pack: Exfoliating Facial Sponge gently exfoliates while you cleanse, for smooth, radiant skin. Gentle enough to wash with daily.

Add for Papulopustular Rosacea

Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream: Better than expensive prescription acne treatments: Benzoyl peroxide continues to be the best acne−treating ingredient in medical studies. This is a great spot treatment for rosacea pimples for people suffering from papulopustular rosacea.

At a Glance

Key Ingredients:

Pyrithione zinc
Green Tea EGCG Polyphenols 80-90% pure
Additional Antioxidants: CoQ10/Ubiquinone, Vitamin E, Resveratrol
Botanicals: Cucumber extract, Oats, Shea Butter, Olive Oil, Bisabolol, Chamomile, Calendula, Soy Extract, Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract
Silk amino acids
Squalane
Ceramide
Glycerin
Hyaluronic Acid
Zinc Oxide and titanium dioxide,
Vitamins A, E and Biotin

Free of

paraben,
sulfates,
phthalates,
artificial fragrance color or dye,
formaldehyde, or
phthalates.

Always 100% cruelty free and the skin care products are made in the U.S.A.

cruelty free medical grade skin care kit to heal rosacea

Directions

CLEANSE and CORRECT: Wash with Calming Zinc ™ Soap once or twice a day. First wet your face with tepid water then create a lather with the bar soap between your palms or on a wash cloth. Apply the lather onto your facial skin. Take care to keep the lather out of your eyes. Rinse well with tepid water and towel dry. Start with the Calming Zinc once a day alternating with your favorite gentle cleanser. Increase to twice daily as tolerated.

CORRECT facial redness with Green Tea Antioxidant Skin Therapy™

HYDRATE: Apply Daily Moisturizing Face Cream layered on top of the Green Tea Antioxidant Skin Therapy twice daily.

PROTECT: Apply a nickel size dollop (approx. 1/3 tsp) of Sheer Strength Pure Physical Sunscreen depending on your facial size and the size of the exposed area. Daily sunscreen is important because UV rays can trigger rosacea and lead to facial redness.

Pro-tip: If you wear makeup, apply it on top of Sheer Strength Pure Physical Sunscreen.

best face cleanser for rosacea face

CLEANSE with Extremely Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser. Wet face with cool or tepid water and apply a moderate amount of cleanser. Work up a rich lather then rinse thoroughly off your skin with warm water and pat dry with a towel.

CORRECT facial redness with Green Tea Antioxidant Skin Therapy™

HYDRATE: Apply Daily Moisturizing Face Cream layered on top of the Green Tea Antioxidant Skin Therapy twice daily.

Here is how you add in the other products mentioned above:

Instantly Luminous Multi-Action Serum™

Apply a drop to facial skin twice daily after washing and before applying your other skin care products including the Green Tea. Do not use when your face is actively inflamed.

Exfoliating Facial Sponge 2 Pack

Wet sponge with warm water and apply a facial cleanser. Gently use small, circular motions to cleanse face and neck areas. Rinse skin and pat dry with towel. Rinse sponge after each use and air dry. Do not use if your face is actively inflamed.

Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream

Twice a day: wash with either the Extremely Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser or the Calming Zinc. Apply the Green Tea and finish by applying a very thin layer of the Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream to areas of active pimples or spot treat pimples. Daily Face Cream, sunscreen and make-up are applied on top. Benzoyl peroxide is not typically tolerated by complexions suffering from erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, characterized by exquisitely sensitive skin.

People with extremely sensitive complexions should stick with the kit and not include the 3 additional products until their complexions are entirely controlled.

Tips for Success

'Less is more' when it comes to rosacea skin care. Trying to control a flare up by adding a new product usually leads to real complexion misadventures. Remember that skin barrier weakness is an inherent part of rosacea; ingredients in new products need to be introduces slowly and only when the rash is quiescent.

Try any new product on a small area of your rosacea-prone skin and introduce it slowly - and only when your rosacea is under control. Start with a few times a week and slowly work up.
Read labels and avoid the commonly taunting ingredients such as AHAs and acidic pH products such as vitamin C. I've even found niacinamide to be troublesome for exquisitely sensitive rosacea-prone complexions. Fragrances, preservatives and essential oils can also provoke rosacea.

What is a 'rosacea cool down' and how to do it?

If and when your rosacea flares up, go back to simple, trusted and non-irritating products. I call this a 'rosacea cool down'. This typically involves using only a pH balanced cleanser such as the Extremely Gentle Cleanser, Green Tea Therapy, Daily Moisturizing Face Cream and Sheer Strength Sunscreen.

Eventually add back the Calming Zinc alternating with the Extremely Gentle Cleanser. Let the inflammation calm down and then allow the perturbed skin barrier to heal for 6 to 8 weeks or so - yes 6 to 8 weeks! It takes time to rebuild a competent skin barrier. Once the inflammation has calmed down and the skin has been allowed to repair, then you can start back cautiously with the fun and tricksy products that you were wanting to try like the anti-aging, brightening, firming, pigment fading products that we all love.

A rosacea cool down takes patience, which is why it's good to be really careful not to 'wake the beast' of inflammation that drives rosacea - less is more and being cautious with products that you use is really really really important when you have rosacea.

Ingredients

Calming Zinc™ (3.25 oz. bar) 2% Pyrithione zinc, olive oil infused with calendula, shea butter, oatmeal.

Extremely Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser (6.7 fl. oz.) Purified Water, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycol Distearate, Steareth-4, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Acrylates Coplymer, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Phospholipids, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Silk Amino Acids, Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Ubiquinone (CoQ-10), Xanthan Gum, Superoxide Dismutase, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA.

Green Tea Antioxidant Skin Therapy™ (1 fl. oz.) Purified Water, Squalane, Cyclomethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Caffeine USP, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lauryl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Capryl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Polyphenols, Resveratrol, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Bisabolol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Rosamarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Polysorbate-20, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA.

Daily Moisturizing Face Cream for Dry to Normal Skin™ (1.6 oz.) Purified Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, PPG-Myreth Propionate, Squalane, Glycerin, Phospholipids, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Yucca Glauca Root Extract, Ceramide 3, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10), Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Beeswax, Polysorbate 60, Potassium Hydroxide, Capryl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA.

Sheer Strength Pure Physical Matte Tinted Creme Sunscreen SPF 30 (1.9 oz.)

Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 16.5%, Titanium Dioxide 3.2%

Inactive Ingredients: Alumina, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Polyphenols, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cermide NS, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Iron Oxides, Isodoecane, Methyl Trimethicone, PEG/PPG 18/18 Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, PEG-8 Methyl Ether Triethoxysilane, Phospholipids, Phyllanthus Emblca Fruit Extract, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polymethylsilsesquiloxane, Polysilicone-11, Purified Water, Resveratrol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Silica, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q-10).