If you have rosacea, you’re probably all too familiar with red cheeks and sensitive, irritated skin. The condition might also cause pimples, and it can make your face sting or swell (ouch). While finding relief can be tricky, a great place to start is by reevaluating your skin care routine.
Finding products that play well with your rosacea might take a little time, but it’s worth doing. “Patients with rosacea are more sensitive to products being applied to their skin, so it’s really important to find a moisturizer that’s compatible with sensitive skin,” Dara Spearman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Radiant Derm in Fort Wayne, Indiana, tells SELF. “If a moisturizer is too irritating, it can cause their rosacea to flare.”
We put together a list of dermatologist and SELF editor-approved moisturizers that’ll help calm your skin and reduce redness. All of them are made with soothing, hydrating ingredients that’ll keep your skin feeling—and looking—its very best.
Our top picks
- Best Overall: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Rosaliac AR Visible Redness Reducing Cream
- Best Budget: Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer
- Best with SPF: Cetaphil Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 40
- Best for Redness: Peach Slices Redness Relief Color Correcting Moisturizer
- Best for Combination Skin: Neogen Dermatology Real Heartleaf Soothing Cream
- Best for Oily Skin: Cerave Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel
- Best for Dry Skin: Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Cream
- Best for Very Dry Skin: Aveeno Calm + Restore Skin Therapy Balm
- Best for Mature Skin: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 242
- Best for Barrier Repair: Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream
FAQs
What is rosacea and what causes it?
Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that often causes redness on your face (especially your cheeks). If you have a deeper skin tone, you may notice darker or discolored patches of skin. Visible blood vessels and pimples can also accompany the flush, Mara Weinstein Velez, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center, tells SELF.
As for what causes it, the answer is a little more complicated: “We're not 100% sure as to why people get it, but we know that there's inflammation in the skin, which can cause redness,” Dr. Spearman says, adding that the condition can be genetic. While flare-ups may come and go, “there are certain things that can trigger it,” she says—including exposing your skin to sunlight, drinking alcohol, eating spicy foods, stress, and exercising.
Which ingredients should you look for in a moisturizer for rosacea?
Rosacea makes your skin more sensitive, so the first thing you should pay attention to is what’s missing from a moisturizer’s ingredient list. Avoid products that contain fragrance, as it’s a known irritant for sensitive skin.
Dr. Weinstein Velez also recommends skipping any type of oil, including essential oils, because they can clog pores. (Plus, some people are more prone to rosacea because there’s too much yeast on their skin naturally—and oils can make that overgrowth even worse, she says.)
Dr. Spearman suggests passing on denatured alcohols, like menthol or isopropyl alcohol, that can dry out your skin barrier, leaving it more prone to damage. Exfoliants, like glycolic or salicylic acids, and some toners, like witch hazel, can also irritate your rosacea, she says.
Time for the good stuff: Look for ingredients that’ll add hydration, keep the skin barrier strong, and calm inflammation. Some winners:
- Hyaluronic acid draws water into the skin to keep it plump and hydrated.
- Ceramides help reinforce the skin’s moisture barrier.
- Antioxidants are anti-inflammatory and help combat free radicals that can wreak havoc on the skin barrier.
- Colloidal oatmeal is super soothing on the skin and can reduce inflammation that often leads to redness.
- Sunburn superhero aloe can also calm irritation related to rosacea.
- Niacinamide is another great inflammation and redness reliever.
Shop the best moisturizers for rosacea
Below are hydrating, gentle moisturizers that’ll keep redness at bay and make sure your skin feels its healthiest.
Best Overall: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Rosaliac AR Visible Redness Reducing Cream
Amazon
La Roche-Posay
Toleriane Rosaliac AR Visible Redness Reducing Cream
Pros
- Green tint masks redness
- Soothes inflammation
- Fragrance-free
- Non-greasy
Cons
- Some Amazon reviewers say it leaves a white cast
This cream doesn’t skimp on moisturizing ingredients (think: glycerin and shea butter); plus, it has antioxidants from thermal spring water that protect your skin from free radical damage and peptides to calm inflammation. And if you’re hoping for some coverage, the formula’s green tint will mask redness too, Dr. Weinstein Velez says.
Product specs
Size: 1.35 oz | Other notable ingredients: Anti-inflammatory schisandra sphenanthera fruit extract
Best Budget: Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer
Target
Vanicream
Daily Facial Moisturizer
Pros
- Good for very sensitive skin
- Layers well with other skin care and makeup
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- Some Amazon reviewers say it feels sticky
If your skin is ultra-sensitive, Vanicream is your best bet. “It has very simple, very minimal ingredients,” Dr. Spearman says. It leaves out known rosacea triggers (looking at you, fragrance) and contains more of the good stuff, like hydrating hyaluronic acid and skin barrier-protecting ceramides.
It’s also editor-approved: “I have super sensitive combination skin—so, for me, less is more when it comes to my skin care routine. I've been using Vanicream for years as my a.m. and p.m. moisturizer,” SELF’s senior commerce editor says. “It's the perfect weight (not too light, not too heavy) and seals in moisture without pilling underneath my other skin care or makeup.”
Product specs
Size: 3 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Moisturizing squalane and glycerin
Best with SPF: Cetaphil Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 40
Amazon
Pros
- Reduces redness
- Tinted formula shouldn’t leave a white cast
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- Some Amazon reviewers have issues with the pump
Sunscreen should be an essential part of everyone’s routine, regardless of your skin type or concerns—and you can rest assured that wearing SPF will only help your rosacea, not hurt it. “Sun is a potent trigger of rosacea,” Dr. Spearman says, adding that mineral formulas (a.k.a. ones with zinc oxide) are better than chemical ones for sensitive skin.
This Cetaphil moisturizer works double duty by hydrating skin and protecting it with SPF 40. Its formula contains soothing ingredients like allantoin and vitamin E, and it has a slight tint, so it shouldn’t leave the dreaded white cast that some other sunscreens do.
Product specs
Size: 1.7 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Anti-inflammatory caffeine
Best for Redness: Peach Slices Redness Relief Color Correcting Moisturizer
Courtesy of Peach Slices
Pros
- Masks redness immediately
- Hydrates skin
Cons
- You may need a lot to cover your whole face
- Thick consistency takes more work to rub in
This SELF Healthy Beauty Award–winning moisturizer worked so well, it left one tester “breathless.” “It had an instant and visible effect on my skin’s redness,” senior commerce writer Sara Coughlin said. “It applied a little thick and needed some massaging to get it to sink in all the way, but once it did, it was like I was wearing full-coverage concealer. I’ve never, ever, EVER had a moisturizer resolve my redness the way this one did.”
Its star ingredients include hydrating panthenol and green algae, along with soothing centella asiatica and rose myrtle fruit extracts.
Product specs
Size: 1.69 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, aloe, allantoin
Best for Combination Skin: Neogen Dermatology Real Heartleaf Soothing Cream
Courtesy of brand
Pros
- Silky texture
- Cooling effect
- Non-greasy
- Vegan formula
Cons
- Jar packaging is less sanitary than a pump or squeeze bottle
Another Healthy Beauty Award winner, this cream is bursting with moisture (thanks to hyaluronic acid), and our testers loved its satisfying consistency. “It has a really nice, jelly-like texture that my skin drinks right up,” one said. “It's fast absorbing and non-irritating, and provides a great level of hydration for combo/oilier skin.” Another tester added that it has a cooling effect that soothes angry patches.
Product specs
Size: 2.8 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Nourishing jojoba and macadamia nut oils, soothing calendula and centella asiatica
Best for Oily Skin: Cerave Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel
Courtesy of brand
Pros
- Contains ceramides to help skin barrier
- Feels lightweight
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- Some Amazon reviewers say one tube doesn’t last long
“One of the most common misconceptions with oily, rosacea-prone skin is that you don’t need to moisturize because you feel like your skin is always oily and kind of flushed,” Dr. Weinstein Velez says. But if you’re noticing redness and other rosacea symptoms, your skin barrier has probably been disrupted—so it’s important to use a moisturizer that helps replenish and protect it, she explains.
That’s where this Healthy Beauty Award–winning gel comes in. It’s lightweight and won’t make your skin look greasy; instead, it has barrier-enforcing ingredients like ceramides to soothe skin and niacinamide to tackle redness. “Once it dries, it’s not heavy at all—I feel like I have nothing on my face,” one tester said.
Product specs
Size: 1.75 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin
Best for Dry Skin: Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Cream
Amazon
Pros
- Balances skin microbiome
- Calms skin
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- On the pricey side
This cream uses postbiotics from thermal spring water to balance your skin’s microbiome, which is essential to keeping your complexion calm, Dr. Weinstein Velez says. Plus, dry patches will soak up the added hydrating ingredients like glycerin and squalane.
Product specs
Size: 1.3 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Skin-softening beeswax
Best for Very Dry Skin: Aveeno Calm + Restore Skin Therapy Balm
Courtesy of Aveeno
Pros
- Anti-inflammatory ingredients
- Creamy texture
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- Some Amazon reviewers say it leaves a slight residue on their skin
If your skin is Sahara-level parched, this moisturizer will be your new bestie. And don’t let the word “balm” scare you off; the formula feels nothing like slathering petroleum jelly on your face. “The texture is creamy—it feels moisturizing enough without sitting heavily on the skin and it absolutely soothes dryness,” one Healthy Beauty Award tester said.
The hero ingredient is colloidal oatmeal, “which is very soothing on the skin and has anti-inflammatory properties,” Pooja Rambhia, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with specialized fellowship training in cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery at Union Derm, previously told SELF.
Product specs
Size: 1.7 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, panthenol
Best for Mature Skin: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 242
Dermstore
Pros
- Hydrating
- Smooths fine lines
Cons
- Very pricey
- Contains essential oils that might be irritating
This cream may be pricey, but it promises to tackle more than just your rosacea. Dr. Spearman recommends it to folks with mature skin who want to improve texture: “It hydrates really well and helps smooth out fine lines,” she says.