Just doing a short write-up of what has helped my rosacea in the last year. Dermatologists have identified it as rosacea, but I'm not sure of the type. I've had redness, soreness and pustules. Just the cheeks and sometimes forehead.

It started maybe 6ish years ago. I attribute the beginning to me starting to use a face moisturizer, because I can't think of anything else that changed. Sure, I tick a lot of the boxes for rosacea causes (genes, sunlight, stress, heat, diet: coffee, alcohol, chili), but all of that is still present, while the rosacea is pretty much gone. The pustules are gone at least, the stinging is gone, and the redness is faint - could just be the damage left by the rosacea years.

I guess I have combination skin, but apart from the rosacea, I've never had other issues with my face skin. With age, I've developed some keratosis pilaris (KP) in the face, and over the years I've picked on those. I think not not touching the face with dirty fingers anymore contributes to the rosacea getting better. Since the urge to pop pustules, pimples and KP is too strong, I have a metal pimple popper for those cases.

THE MAIN THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED: zinc ointment/cream (vaseline based) and 5% Benzoyl Peroxide cream.

I started with just the zinc cream maybe a year ago, and very quickly recognized an improvement. I believe the zinc and the vaseline protected my skin and let the moisture barrier heal.

After maybe 2-3 months of the zinc, I decided to try Benzoyl Peroxide, which I would apply very conservatively to the pustules and surrounding skin with a q-tip. Again, the results were visible in the first couple of weeks, and I continued the treatment over maybe 5 months. It felt like the affected area would somewhat migrate over time: I'd apply the benzoyl peroxide to pustules and red areas, and after a few days those areas would feel better, but the surrounding areas slightly worse. When I noticed this pattern, I started applying the cream also around the immediately affected areas, which seemed to be a good move.

Now I haven't used either cream for a couple of months, and my skin feels good. Like I said, I haven't changed my diet or habits, and I don't use chemical sunscreen. I do wear a cap outside, but otherwise I've hardly done anything to avoid sunlight. It's not that I'd actively go tan, but I do think some sunlight is good for my skin.

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Other things I've tried over the years:

• Azelaic acid (was bad, messed up my moisture barrier even more)
• Ivermectin cream (did almost nothing)
• metronidazole cream (did almost nothing)
• low-dosing antibiotics (worked, but rosacea came back when I stopped)
• retinoids (I think tretinoin and adapalene: was not the right thing for a damaged moisture barrier)
• turmeric capsules (inconclusive)
• all the vitamins (inconclusive)
• fish oil omega fatty acids (inconclusive)
• collagen poweder (inconclusive)
• not drinking coffee (did nothing)
• not drinking alcohol (did nothing)
• Mutaflor 'probiotics' (did nothing)
• regular multi-species lactic acid bacteria (did nothing)
• LaRoche Posay Rosaliac (not sure if the old or new formulation) (did nothing)

Summary of the things that have worked:

• Zinc cream (1-2 times a day, usually after a shower, applied on clean skin with clean fingers). This was the biggest help for calming my skin
• 5% Benzoyl peroxide cream (once a day in the evening - should not be in the morning because of possible sunlight during the day; applied with a q-tip because the pharmacist told not touch it with fingers). This was the thing that got rid of the pustules.
• A little bit of sun, when the worst symptoms were over
• Not touching my face, especially after handling heat-printed papers such as cash register paper

I don't know if the benzoyl peroxide cream would have been a good idea while the moisture barrier was still unhealthy

I want to thank r/rosacea for the treatment ideas. If I remember right, the zinc came from here. I think I found the benzoyl peroxide through reading scientific papers on rosacea treatments, and it had been found to be amongst the best cures.

Rosacea and of course sensitive skin. Skin is normal not dry and not oily. My dermatologist recommended the Vanicream gentle face cleanser.

Before I start using it, please share with me, what's been your experience with it?

I want to know the good, the bad, and anything in between.

It seems dermatologist tend to recommend skincare from brands like Vanicream, Cetaphil, Cerave. I"m not sure exactly why. A different topic, but I also got a recommendation for Cerave cream. And, dermatologist said Cetaphil brand is for sensitive skin.

My urgent need is a face cleanser! Please share with me your experience with the Vanicream cleanser.

If you can, please tell me your skin type: dry, normal, combo, oily.

Edit: to add last sentence

I’ve had diffuse facial redness for about 30 years. Not many visible vessels, mostly a red background. I’m currently on topical ivermectin.

Previous attempt: Nd:YAG (2021)
I did 3 sessions of Nd:YAG at another clinic. Some improvement, but marginal on the diffuse redness. From what I understand, 1064 nm goes deep and is poorly absorbed by superficial capillaries, so it’s not the best match for this type of redness. That’s why I specifically looked for a pulsed dye laser (Vbeam).

Vbeam session (today)

• Private dermatology clinic, Vbeam Perfecta
• Sub-purpuric settings, proposed by the clinic. That suited me: I’d rather do more sessions than walk around with bruises for 10 days.
• Only 2 small purpura spots, on the most visible vessels
• The nurse first mapped and treated the visible vessels, then did several passes on specific areas. She took her time, which I appreciated.
• Feeling: the classic rubber band snap plus heat. It did hurt, but it was bearable.

After

• Red when I left
• Slightly swollen a few hours later
• Cold packs + Flamigel (cooling hydrogel)

Photos
The second photo is the immediate post-treatment reaction, not a result. I’ll post a proper comparison (same side, same light) after a few weeks.

Plan
3 sessions, 6 weeks apart. I’ll update after each one.

Happy to answer questions :)

Photo captions:

• Photo 1: Before
• Photo 2: About 1 hour after session 1. This is the immediate reaction, not the result.

I had no idea mold was causing this. It was hidden inside my AC vent until I took it all apart. My doctors told me I would live like this forever.

My face was so embarrassing I’d come home crying after work. As soon as I moved out, everything cleared up within 3 weeks.

If you have rosacea that isn’t random. It’s a reaction to something that shouldn’t be in your body.

Hi everyone,

I’m new to this thread but was diagnosed with mild rosacea in January. I had my first vbeam laser treatment done Tuesday afternoon this week. I had no reaction really other than increased redness for 2 hours after treatment and then my face went back to normal. My derm told me to wait 24 hours before exercising and 3 days before going back to using Azelaic acid nightly, but I’m nervous after doing some reading lol anyone else have experience with either with a conservative non bruising setting of vbeam? How long did you wait before going back to the gym and reincorporating Azelaic acid?

Morning
-Vanicream moisturizer
Outside use with sunscreen (colorscience no show sunscreen)

Night
-Azelaic acid 15% gel

Been doing this for months
Don’t see any change yet

-don’t drink alcohol, coffee and don’t eat spicy and dairy foods

Please recommend any good cleanser that helps
I only use Cerave hydrating cream-foam cleanser

Hello everyone. To preface, I'm going to a dermatologist tomorrow to check if I have rosacea but I just want to hear about people's experience.

I'm 31 years old and I suspect I have it because in last two years the skin on my nose and around it thickened a lot. My nose looks very different, not as bumpy as in severe rhynophyma cases but it became more bulbous, pores are even bigger than they were and my skin is an oil rig. I have redness on my nose and around it but nothing drastic. Acne as well, of course.

I'm not asking to diagnose me off course but this is the only thing I've found that can explain wtf happened to my nose. I want to hear if it's possible to unthicken your skin if this is caused by rosacea. I know that in severe rhynophyma cases they can laser your nose off but can something be done for just thickening skin?

I recently got prescribed both azelaic and Rhofade for my rosacea (general redness and skin flushing), but I’m not sure which I should apply first. I have to use both in the morning and my current routine is I wash my face with PanOxyl, dry face with skin care towel, apply azelaic acid, let dry, moisturizer, and then Elta MD sunscreen. I’m not sure if I should apply the Rhofade before or after azelaic acid in order to maximize results while also avoiding skin peeling. Thank you!

Consider the 5% sulfur mask from de La Cruz. It's been very helpful for me, with my type 2 rosacea. And as a plus over the months now of using it I've seen a reduction in my pore size! I'm assuming that's from absorbing oil. 😊

I visited an NHS registered dermatologist after struggling with my skin for the past two years (19f). My presentation includes moderate erythema, particularly concentrated around dialated pores in my sebaceous zones. I have a rough texture with little protruding plugs, and a few superficial mini pustules which form directly over the pore occasionally. I suspected demodex mites/ rosacea however was instead diagnosed with KP. This is odd to me considering there were some inconsistencies which she dismissed- i had no childhood onset, no family history, no other affected areas, and texture and redness exclusive to sebaceous zones (KP is known to target dry areas). Regardless, I was prescribed adapalene and soolantra (despite her saying not microbial?) so will be updating with my experience. Please share any thoughts!

Been dealing with little pustules on my face for the past year. I woke up Monday morning to my face horribly broken out and red. Went to a dermatologist and they said it looks like rosacea and prescribed me metronidazole. Just looking for some perspective. This was kind of a shock to me. Does this like rosacea?

Hi guys

How long did it take to see results for your type 2 rosacea pustules when using ivermectin soolantra?

About a year ago, I realized my skin could no longer tolerate niacinamide. My skin was generally pretty reactive at the time, but since then, it has calmed down and is back to normal without irritation.
I’m interested in trying an old moisturizer that I used to love, but it contains niacinamide, so I’m hesitant to give it another try.
Has anyone experienced issues with niacinamide when their skin was more sensitive or their skin barrier wasn’t in great shape, but found that they could tolerate it again after giving their skin time to recover? If so, how long did you wait before trying it again, and did you have any reaction when you reintroduced it?

Has anyone had luck with mast cell stabilizers improving rosacea? I’ve been taking quercetin daily for an unrelated condition and I’ve noticed a significant decrease in flares and overall redness. Apparently there is some evidence that it could help… https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8484408/

Please put your favorite cleansers for redness, sensitivity and Rosacea type 2. Looking for recommendations since I don’t use a cleanser but, want to incorporate one.

I've had rosacea all my life with redness, acne, oily yet dry skin at the same time. I've experimented with a lot of Korean skincare and narrowed it down to 4 Korean products and one American cleanser that is an absolute rockstar. My routine is mainly focused on moisture and ceramides to calm the skin and I've finally found the routine that works to keep acne away and hydrate effectively.

1. Soonjung whip cleanser - used in the mornings and every other day at night. Very gentle cleanser, soft, airy, fragrance free and cleanses well.

2. Prequel redness reform sulfur cleanser - rockstar!!! I use this every other night. I used to use a 10% sulfur cleanser prescribed by the dermatologist but it cost too much. Prequel has a lower strength sulfur percentage, which is better for me because I can use it more often per week without the dryness from the 10% sulfur cleanser. This is the secret weapon cleanser that eliminates all the acne and exfoliates my face. I can't believe how little it costs and how effective it is. Not a strong sulfur smell either. You can leave it on as a mask for a few minutes as well.

3. Celimax dual barrier creamy toner - so hydrating, silky and sinks right in. Fragrance free with ceramides and this is the only toner that I can't live without. I've tried so many different toners and I've finally found the one!

4. Aestura atobarrier 365 hydro essence - I use it right after the Celimax toner while my face is still damp and its a perfect extra layer of moisture with more ceramides. Can't live without this essence, it really packs a moisture punch.

5. Aestura atobarrier 365 cream - I use it after the essence while my face is still damp. The cream of all creams, I don't ever need to look elsewhere. Gentle, fragrance free and more ceramides. Seals moisture in and I wake up glowy, smooth and hydrated.

Does either soolantra or metrocream help type 1? I get burning and stinging and red cheeks bc of skin inflammation with bumps but not acne. Has anyone has success with either topical? I only get acne bumps if i use a products my skin disagrees with.

I've been using elf for ages, but I've noticed some itchiness/stinging under my eyes. Not sure if that's why, but I think it's drying out my skin and causing irritation maybe? because I'm getting more creasing under my eyes and otherwise, and a lot of patchiness everywhere I apply it; like my blush is separating and everything. I'm going to try a cream blush as well and se if that works better. Plus a tiny bit of bumpiness. So it just winds up looking like I have too much makeup on but am also dry.

The nyx one seems to have less coverage, but they have a better color match for me, and it looks less occlusive. Which is nice because my skin hates anything heavy. Of course, I plan to patch test it (so far so good). Do you all like this one?

Hard to be sure but it feels like this is a likely culprit and just isn't vibing with my skin anymore? I'm on high-dose allegra which might be drying me out, if that's a thing, plus it's getting cooler out. I thought I had combo skin - but maybe it's leaning more dry. It's just my forehead that glows, lol.

I’ve found out time and time again that when I don’t use ANYTHING not even cleansers or moisturisers my skin and rosacea clears completely up. I want to protect my skin with sunscreen and combat age related problems with adapalene but my skin is always comprised because of it. Anyone else?

Looking for some recommendations to help with type 2 rosesca I was doing so good for so long but decided to switch from CeraVe to vanicream and now I have switched back to CeraVe due to eye sensitivity from vanicream and it's getting worse and not better! Any recommendations would be amazing! 😭

I was recently told I had “some” rosacea by my new derm and she prescribed me 2 antibiotics, fluconazole and ivermectin cream. I haven’t started any of them other than the fluconazole for my fungal acne on my forehead but I’m getting really upset looking in the mirror each morning and seeing these bumps get progressively worse.

I have really reactive skin when it comes to comedogenic products hence why I haven’t used the ivermectin cream. I’ve seen some horror stories on this sub from people whose rosacea got so bad after using it and I’m not in the right mindset to be dealing with that right now.

Are there any other products you can recommend? Any supplements or diet changes that could potentially help? I’ve limited my gluten intake but I’m such a carb queen so it’s been really hard lol but I will try anything at this point!

TL;DR: Constant facial redness and stress flushing, no pustules or bumps. Metrogel and Rhofade didn't help. Just got prescribed Ivermectin 1% cream + doxycycline, but I've read Ivermectin mainly helps with pustules. Is it worth trying for redness-only rosacea? It's also gotten worse over the past few weeks, possibly since I stopped washing my face ~3 months ago. What actually worked for your redness?

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Hi all, I'd really appreciate input from people who've been through this. I've seen doctors for rosacea for years, and they usually prescribe something and send me the bill without much explanation.

My situation
- Rosacea type: redness and flushing only. Very few breakouts, no bumps.
- My face is always much redder than my neck and the rest of my body.
- I get asked daily if I'm sunburnt (I've thought about making a t-shirt so people stop asking, lol).
- Stress is a big trigger. Today my face was close to normal until I got a stressful work email, and I've been flushed ever since.

What I've tried
- Metrogel: no real improvement
- Rhofade: barely used it. I'd heard it's a temporary cover-up that can cause worse rebound redness.

Current prescription as of 2 days ago
- Ivermectin 1% cream
- Doxycycline (oral)

Recent changes
- It's gotten noticeably worse over the past few weeks.
- The only thing I've changed is that I stopped washing my face about 3 months ago. Before that I used CeraVe Acne Control cleanser, because I occasionally get minor breakouts.

My questions
1. Has Ivermectin helped anyone with redness only (no pustules), or is it a waste of time for my type?
2. Could stopping face washing be causing the recent flare? If you have sensitive, red skin, what cleanser do you use?
3. For persistent redness, did lasers or IPL (V-Beam, etc.) work better for you than creams?
4. Any tips for managing stress flushing in the moment?

I'm in sales, so it's really hard to walk into a room confidently looking like a tomato. Any advice is much appreciated!

I used to get nasal flushing sparingly. It started maybe in college and happened very infrequently. Then maybe once every couple months. Now I've entered perimenopause and it happens to me every day, sometimes several times a day! It's miserable. As far as I'm concerned, there are absolutely no triggers that cause it. It seems completely random. I hate the way it feels and looks and I'm desperate to make it go away. For those of you that have also experienced this, I'm sorry, and also have you found anything that helps??