How to cover up Rosacea redness
Rosacea Treatment | Makeup for Rosacea
What is rosacea?
Rosacea is an inflammatory facial skin condition diagnosed in 1 in every 600 people in the UK every year. Although it affects mostly women aged around 40 to 60 who are often fair-skinned, people outside those age groups, and men, can get it too.
The symptoms of rosacea include sensitive, hot skin, a rash on the nose, cheeks, forehead and chin, flushing, itchy eyes, pimples and spots that look like acne.
Early signs are a tendency to flush. Sufferers often think the rash that follows will go away but continual flare-ups are common and it can get worse, so the earlier it’s treated the better.
No one knows for sure what causes rosacea and there is no cure for it. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be managed.
Rosacea treatment
If you’re diagnosed with rosacea, you should, of course, avoid products that make it worse. These include scented soap, bath oil, and alcohol-based cosmetics. There are also lifestyle factors that trigger a flare-up, says the British Association of Dermatologists, such as the sun, drinking alcohol, eating spiced food, and stress.
If you have mild to moderate rosacea, your GP can prescribe ointments such as isotretinoin gel, metronidazole and azelaic acid. They can also give you oral antibiotics if the inflammation is moderate to severe.
Covering redness
Make-up, such as yellow or green correctors and foundation, can also be used to camouflage rosacea redness. By disguising the redness you’ll feel less self-conscious and more confident about your appearance.
A power foundation is a good option as it isn’t as heavy as liquid foundation but still gives a natural all-day coverage. While it covers acne and rosacea, it’s also good for hiding blemishes and evening out your skin tone.
Mineral make-up is best applied to skin that’s had a moisturiser or primer applied and left to dry. We asked a long-time rosacea sufferer to see which rosacea creams she thought worked best under our 100% natural mineral make-up.
The best lotions under make-up
Alison, who’s from Reading in Berkshire, has lived with rosacea for over 20 years. She tested BareFace green mineral corrector and warm-beige mineral foundation over three products she uses regularly.
“My rosacea is relatively mild but I get flare-ups now and again, usually when I’m going out in the evening – just when you don’t want to look red in the face!” she said.
“When the rosacea is at its worse, I get spots on my cheeks and my skin is very sore. I’ll take antibiotics and use a cream called Skinoren that the doctor prescribed. The redness is always present but when the rest is under control, my usual skin routine is either Clinique’s Redness Solution moisturiser or a new product I’ve discovered called Dermalex.”
Alison’s score (out of five stars):
Skinoren ***
As a skin cream rather than a moisturiser I wasn’t expecting Skinoren to act that well under mineral blush powder. It’s a bit unfair to compare it to moisturisers, but it performed better than I thought. The cream is thicker than the others but despite this it didn’t cake the foundation powder. Once the make-up was applied my skin still felt calm, although the overall effect was less smooth than the other products.
Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream ****
I’ve used this moisturiser for years. I like its light texture and green tinge, and it doesn’t make your skin sting. So I was interested to see how it performed under mineral make-up. Its calming effects continued once the powder was applied. The cream helps to smooth out blotchy areas, so when green concealer and foundation powder was added, I looked like I had a natural, healthy complexion.
Dermalex *****
This is a new product I found recently in my local Boots. The best thing about it is the smoothness of the cream once it’s on your face and the soothing feel. When the make-up was applied it went on easily and the result was a long-lasting flawless natural finish, with other blemishes as well as the redness diminished. It’s this combination that contributed to my five-star rating.
Rosacea can make sufferers very self-conscious at work and socially. Early treatment, the right medicine and make-up as a cover-up are an excellent alternative for anyone nervous about taking the laser treatment route.
To find out more about rosacea visit the British Skin Foundation and the British Association of Dermatologists. The American National Rosacea Society also has a very informative website.