How to Hide and Reduce Rosacea Redness

woman washing her face

To keep a fresh look, it is important to not only hide the ugly redness of rosacea, but to heal it and avoid irritation as much as possible. Here is a simple regimen to prevent, treat, and cover up rosacea.

Things You'll Need

• a gentle redness reducing and/or sensitive skin cleanser
• a redness reducing moisturizer with sunscreen
• quality mineral makeup

Instructions

1. Get Diagnosed:
   Be sure that what you have is indeed rosacea. Have your doctor examine you. Explain your symptoms, including any other things you have noticed with your body. Your redness may be due to any number of conditions, and your doctor can rule these out.

2. Cleanse:
   Use a gentle cleanser on your face morning and night, applied in circular motions with your fingertips. Keep the water warm, not hot or cold, and either air dry or pat dry with a towel. Do not rub! Use a gentle cleanser from a quality brand that you trust, particularly one that says it is for sensitive skin and reduces redness, such as Eucerin or Aveeno.

3. Moisturize:
   As soon as you finish cleansing, put the moisturizer on while your face is still a bit damp and warm to aid in absorption. Use a moisturizer specifically for sensitive skin and/or redness reduction that has sun protection. An example is Aveeno Ultra Calming or Aveeno Clear Complexion if you have acne.

4. Camouflage:
   Now that your face is clean and moisturized, you have a great canvas for your makeup. Use a quality mineral foundation applied in a circular buffing motion with a soft kabuki brush or the soft pad that may come built-in. Philosophy and Almay cover well yet look natural. You can then apply shimmer powder which will hide the redness even more by reflecting light. Pop has a highlighting powder that has several colors together in one container so you can hide what you need to while adding dimension to your face. Do your eye and lip makeup how you wish.

5. Protect:
   Prevent rosacea attacks by staying out of direct or prolonged sunlight, abrupt temperature changes such as getting into a hot car or letting cold winter wind hit your face. It is also good to keep the water for showers and face cleansing from getting very hot or very cold. Observe your reactions to certain foods, drinks, chemicals, or other activities to learn what you yourself need to stay away from. Once you find the right products, the right makeup, and learn how avoid your rosacea triggers, it should take only a week or two to notice an improvement. After a few months of sticking with the right regimen for you, your skin may become so clear and healthy that you don't need any makeup!

Tips & Warnings

• Always listen to your doctor.