Occasional blushing is one thing, but if you regularly experience uncomfortable flushes or suffer with a permanently red face then anti-redness and rosacea products could help.
According to the findings of a study at the University of Copenhagan published in the British Journal of Dermatology, 5.46% of the population are affected by rosacea, making a total figure of 415 million people worldwide. The condition can take a number of forms and vary from mild to severe with a wide range of symptoms. Sometimes the skin on the face also thickens, acne like breakouts occur and stinging and burning sensations may be also experienced.
In surveys by the National Rosacea Society (NRS) nearly 90 percent of rosacea patients said the condition had lowered their self-confidence and self-esteem. The exact cause of the condition isn’t known but flare ups can be triggered by a variety of external and internal factors, from stress to spicy food. The good news is that there are treatments which can help. For severe cases this could involve prescribed medication and laser treatment. The right skincare regime can be beneficial for anyone prone to sensitivity and redness, whether or not they are diagnosed with rosacea. There are also many effective cosmetic products for disguising high colour and evening out skin tone.
In addition, dermatologists suggest a number of basic considerations, such as using a very gentle cleanser and patting, rather than rubbing your face dry, ensuring skin is well hydrated and protected from the sun (exposure to the sun can cause flare ups). It is also best to opt for unfragranced products and avoid abrasive exfoliators and anything containing alcohol.
This light green tinted moisturiser is fragrance and paraben free. Suitable for daily use, it absorbs quickly and can be used before applying make-up. Aimed at treating mild to moderate rosacea symptoms, it claims to reduce redness, as well as repairing and strengthening the skin’s barrier to provide protection against external rosacea triggers such as environmental ones. Our testers found it easy and pleasant to use, and agreed it did have a calming effect and help reduce redness although those with drier skin felt they might want a more intensive moisturiser at night.
This is a medicated topical gel, rather than a moisturising cream and contains the active ingredient sulphur. It comes with instructions to test a small area of skin for sensitivity and a warning about not using on large areas of the skin and the potential for an excessive drying effect. It feels pleasant and cooling going on but could be more suited to people with more moderate to severe rosacea, accompanied by pustules and acne rather than generalised redness. The tube is a lot smaller than the box gives the impression of it being and you’d probably be keen to use sparingly for economic reasons.
Green or yellow tinted cosmetic products are popular for disguising redness and can be bought in a variety of wands, pots and even finishing powders. A lot can depend on your skin type, severity of redness and type of base you generally wear so you may have to shop around to find the perfect one for you. We found this little pot worked effectively at neutralising red areas when used under a medium coverage foundation and thought it provided good value for money – NYX also do a similar green product with a wand applicator if that’s your personal preference.
This combines sun protection properties and a moisturiser with green pigments to tone down redness. The cream comes in a pump dispenser, which means you can control the amount used more accurately than a tube but could lead to waste in terms of not being able to get every last bit out. We loved the fact that this combined several products in one, reducing time in the morning and saved the need to apply a separate SPF although the green effect wasn’t as effective as specific concealing products and you may need more help for particularly red areas.
This has a consistency somewhere between a cream and a gel, with two active ingredients, including Licorice extract and SymSitive, which the company explain acts as a sensitivity regulator. Like the previous Eucerin, it comes in a pump dispenser, which some of our testers saw as a good thing in terms of no mess applications but others reported being difficult to press down to dispense the product. It feels very hydrating when applied and could be a good choice for a night cream; if you are applying before make up you may need to wait several minutes to allow the product to avoid it sliding off. None of our testers reported any sensitivity issues.
