Do You Need a Rosacea Skin Exam Every Year? 4 Reasons to do it

Do you need to have a yearly skin exam if you have Rosacea?

In my experience, after being diagnosed with Rosacea back around 2009, there are

Top 4 Reasons to have a Yearly Rosacea Skin Exam:

1. To make sure any medications you are using are working and discuss different treatment options

2. To renew current medications

3. To discuss any changes to your skin regarding your rosacea

4. To prevent your Rosacea from getting worse, as can be the case if it is not treated or managed effectively.

Other Reasons it's important to have a yearly Rosacea skin exam:

• Since there is no cure for Rosacea, you need to look at this as any other medical condition you would need to continue treating throughout your life.

• There may be times when your Rosacea feels more "in control" than others, but just because your skin is clearer does not mean your rosacea is cured. Rosacea flares more readily due to things like stress, extreme temperatures, certain foods, or other triggers specific to you. 

• The truth is, you should schedule a Rosacea Skin Exam every year for the rest of your life to ensure you are staying on top of your condition and keeping your skin as healthy as you can.  

• You may not notice something on your skin that a trained skin care professional may see. 

• There may also be new options available to treat your Rosacea that you may not have heard of and a Dermatologist is the best source to get that type of information from.

 

The best skin care products to use for Rosacea

Just as important as having your Rosacea skin exam each year, is using the right products on your rosacea prone skin year round.

I have been using skin care products on my skin that have been recommended or approved by my dermatologist, and my skin has never looked better. 

I have been following this routine faithfully for many years and it has kept my skin clear and free from redness, irritation and most rosacea flares. I hope it can help you too!

 

My Rosacea Skin Care Routine 

Metronidazone Gel

I have been using Metronidazole Gel since I was diagnosed with Rosacea and it has helped keep my rosacea clear. It is only available by prescription and with insurance, is very reasonably priced. A single tube lasts me several months.

Vanicream Cleanser

This is my very favorite gentle cleanser. I have tried others like Eucerin Redness Relief cleanser and CeraVe gentle cleanser and this is my favorite. It cleans really well without making my skin dry or tight and doesn't irritate my skin at all. It is very creamy and gentle. I use it ever day.

Soft flannel Fairface Washcloths

These are the ONLY washcloths I will use on my face! I noticed a difference right away when I stopped using regular terrycloth washcloths and switched to these soft flannel face cloths. There is absolutely no redness or irritation. They are soft and gentle to my skin. Highly recommend! 

 

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

I used to use Vanicream lite lotion, but found it didn't give me quite enough moisture. When I switched to CeraVe's moisturizing cream I couldn't believe the difference. My skin felt much softer and it was very moisturizing and healing to my skin. This is the only moisturizer I will use on my face.

Eucerin Daily SPF 30

Using sunscreen every day to protect rosacea prone skin is vital to keeping it healthy. I have been using Eucerin's Daily SPF 30 for years. It is the perfect light weight consistency. It goes on smoothly and disappears into my skin.  I use foundation over it once it has dried and it goes on smoothly. This is my daily go-to face SPF.

Taking care of your Rosacea prone skin doesn't have to be complicated 

If you follow these simple guidelines to have a Rosacea Skin Exam every year and use gentle products to keep you skin barrier healthy year round, you will find your Rosacea prone skin stays clear and is easier to manage than you thought.

Make your Rosacea skin exam today and stock up on these gentle skin care products to jump start your healthy skin care routine today!

Rosacea friendly make-up and skin care

Do you have Rosacea and still wear make-up?

It can be tricky for some with Rosacea to find make-up that doesn't irritate their skin plus also provide adequate coverage for the redness.

Ocular Rosacea can also make wearing eye make-up difficult as it can irritate the eyes, and with excess tearing, wash the eye liner or mascara back into the eye. Sting! 

I feel pretty lucky that my Rosacea-prone skin and eyes tolerate most make-up. I try to keep my make-up routine (and skin care routine) very simple, and although I wonder if there's something even better out there for me, I'm happy with my current Rosacea "friendly" products.

*I have included product links for your convenience. As an amazon associate I earn a small commission through my links.)

My Simple Rosacea Make-up Routine

Foundation: 

I've been using this Revlon Color Stay Foundation (Amazon) for the last couple years. I used to wear Mary Kay Medium Coverage Foundation for almost 15 years, but it was discontinued. Revlon's coverage is good, it's more of a medium coverage like Mary Kay. My skin seems to tolerate it well and doesn't make it itch or break out.

Foundation applicators:

I use Latex Free Foam Cosmetic Wedges (Amazon) like these. My skin does well - I just blot the foundation on my face with the sponges, no dragging. I have tried cosmetic brushes but found the texture too abrasive for my skin.

  

Eye liner:

Maybelline New York Unstoppable Mechanical Liner (Amazon) has been my go-to for a while and it doesn't irritate my eyes.  They last me a long time.

Mascara:

My daily for lashes at the moment is Loreal's Voluminous mascara (Amazon) with the straight brush head. I like it because it goes on pretty smoothly and washes off easily. The hard thing about wearing mascara in general is when tears form and they wash mascara back into my eye. Don't get me started on the sting. Combine that with cutting an onion and you're one hot mess! BTW I never use waterproof mascara as it is really hard to get off my lashes.

As you can see, my Rosacea friendly make-up routine really is quite simple. I don't bother with blush (hello, already have it naturally) and keep my eyes simple without a bunch of eye shadow. So the next question is, how do I get all that make-up off without irritating my Rosacea-prone skin?

My Simple Rosacea Skin Care Routine

The key to Rosacea skin care is to keep it GENTLE.

Gentle cleansers, gentle face cloths, gentle motion, gentle blotting, gentle moisturizers, you get the picture.

My favorite gentle cleanser:

Vanicream gentle facial cleanser (Amazon) is by far my favorite face wash. I prefer the liquid face wash over the bar. It has been gentle for my Rosacea and doesn't irritate my skin. I love it because it's free from common irritants, and my face feels clean but not tight when I'm done washing. 

My favorite gentle washcloths for washing my face and make-up removal:

I apply the Vanicream gentle face wash with a soft washcloth. The best and only cloths you should be using for washing your face if you have Rosacea, are Fairface Washcloths.

They are soft and gentle so they don't cause redness or irritation to your skin. The smooth, thick double-layers of soft flannel will help keep your skin calm as you wash it.

They really are the best washcloths for sensitive skin and, naturally, they are all I use.

If you're the type who hates to dirty up a perfectly lovely white washcloth, you may want to opt for the new line of soft black washcloths- Fairface Darks: Double layers of thick, soft black flannel with the same gentle qualities of the white cloths, but without the worries of make-up stains left behind.

Gentle eye make-up remover:

In addition to washing my face with Vanicream gentle cleanser, I use Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover (Amazon) to get the last remnants of mascara and eye liner off. It's gentle and it doesn't irritate my eyes. 

Gentle moisturizer:

I love the Vanicream Lite Lotion (Amazon) for a lighter coverage (I slather it all over my face, neck, chest and even on my arms). If I'm feeling dry, I LOVE CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (Amazon) It's thick and creamy and dries without looking or feeling shiny - highly recommend!  *Because I use a topical medication for Rosacea (which I apply after washing my face) I apply my moisturizer after the topical medication.

Itch relief moisturizer:

Sarna Sensitive lotion (Amazon) is a medicated moisturizer that relieves the itch of eczema and sensitive dry skin. It is heaven-sent on days where my skin feels a little more dry or sensitive. It's cooling, and soothing to the skin and since it's fragrance and steroid-free you can use it every day.

For daytime SPF:

I just wanted to throw this in because, although SPF is not needed at night, this is a vital part of my skin care routine every day. In addition to the products above, in the day time I use Eucerin Daily Face Lotion - Broad Spectrum SPF 30 (Amazon). I love this and have been using it for years. It's light weight and still protects well. I use it under my make-up and it goes on smoothly. I highly recommend it.

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Photo credit girl: valerie elash onunsplash

Photo credit washcloths: ©Fairface™ Washcloths

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Have you found a good brand of make-up or skin care products that your skin tolerates well and doesn't aggravate your Rosacea? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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Fairface Washcloths, the best soft washcloths for washing your face if you have Rosacea or sensitive skin, can be found through FairfaceWashcloths.com OR FairfaceWashcloths.etsy.com

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