In our commitment to help solve all your problems related to rosacea, we’ve reviewed the best face wash for rosacea. We’ve carefully picked these facial washes based on their ability to treat rosacea and enhance your skin’s elasticity and its overall condition. We believe these products can help you keep your skin clean and healthy.
What do Cameron Diaz, Bill Clinton, and Mariah Carey all have in common?
They all have rosacea, a skin condition that affects more than 16 million people in the United States.
Rosacea is a skin disease that starts as a tendency to blush or flush more easily than other people.
If you have this skin condition, chances are you’re familiar with all the aggravating and embarrassing symptoms that go with it—visible redness, acne-like breakouts, and thickened skin, among others.
Moreover, you know how difficult it is to shop for skin care products and cosmetics that won’t aggravate your skin.
Yes, the struggle is real. However, rosacea can be managed with the right diet, oral medications, and skin care products, starting with your facial cleanser.
To help you in your battle against rosacea, we give you our list of the top five best face washes for rosacea.
More...
Quick Overview: The Top 5 Best Face Washes for Rosacea
OUR TOP #1 PICK - Topping our list of the best face washes for rosacea is CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. This product was developed by dermatologists and is non-comedogenic and non-irritating, making it less likely to aggravate your skin condition.
OUR TOP #2 PICK - Coming in at second place is a classic facial wash—Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. Not only is it ideal for rosacea, but it may also work for those with psoriasis, acne, diaper rash, and eczema.
OUR TOP #3 PICK - If you’re a fan of organic products, then you’ll like our third pick on this roundup. Era Organics Cleanse + Restore Natural Face Wash is formulated for damaged, sensitive skin. It is also paraben- and fragrance-free, making it gentle enough to use every day.
OUR TOP #4 PICK - Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser takes the fourth spot on this list as not only is it made for sensitive skin, but it also moisturizes and removes makeup.
OUR TOP #5 PICK - Finally, Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Cleanser keeps skin clean while maintaining skin’s moisture balance.
What Causes Rosacea?
Most people who have rosacea often say that it took a while before they became aware of this skin condition, as they thought that their reddened skin or frequent flushing was entirely normal.
Rosacea is a very common skin condition that usually occurs in people ages 30 to 50.
Fair-skinned people, often with blonde hair and blue eyes, are more prone to getting it than others.
You ancestry may also dictate whether or not you’ll have rosacea. It has been proven that those with Celtic or Scandinavian ancestry are likely to have this skin condition.
Your genes also matter when it comes to rosacea, as this can be passed down through generations.
There are also other factors that may trigger rosacea. These include hot or cold weather, strenuous exercise, alcohol consumption, stress, sun exposure, spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeine.
How to Care for Your Skin and Manage Rosacea
Having rosacea may be a great inconvenience, but the good news is it can be managed or controlled.
Seeing your dermatologist regularly is one way to stay on top of the situation, but you can also manage your skin condition in the comforts of your home.
The first thing to do is to identify what triggers your facial redness and avoid them altogether.
For instance, if you find that drinking coffee may be aggravating your skin condition, it might be best to find an alternative to your daily cappuccino.
It’s also important to keep your cool, literally. Avoid wearing clothes made from fabrics that may keep you too warm, such as wool, as this can trigger redness and rashes.
Avoid eating spicy food as well, so lay off the hot sauce and chili peppers.
Instead, eat more fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin A, as these can strengthen the capillaries in your skin, thus, improving rosacea.
Use sunscreen whenever you go outside, even if you’ll be staying outdoors for just a few minutes.
Finally, find a gentle cleanser that will clean your skin and won’t exacerbate facial redness.
How To Choose A Face Wash for Rosacea
When it comes to choosing a facial wash for rosacea, it’s important to check out the product’s ingredients and see if there’s anything that may aggravate or worsen your skin condition.
A non-soap cleanser may be the best pick as it rinses off easily and usually has a pH balance that’s closer to the natural pH of the skin.
Steer clear of any facial washes that have mint or peppermint oil in them.
For others, it may impart a refreshing, minty-cool feel, but for you, you’re in for a burning sensation that ranges from a mild tingling to something that’s truly painful.
You may also want to avoid a face wash that has scrubbing “beads” or granules in it.
Moreover, don’t use anything that’s too abrasive to clean your skin such as a rough washcloth, a sponge, or a scrubbing brush. Your clean hands are enough to wash your face.
How to Clean Your Face
If you have rosacea, follow these tips to keep your skin clean and healthy.
- Use lukewarm water to wash your face. Water that’s too hot or too cold may aggravate facial redness.
- Pour a small amount of cleanser on your palm and mix it with a bit of water to create lather. Gently massage this onto your face, taking care to cleanse the corners of your nose and under the chin
- Rinse your face with lukewarm water and pat your skin dry with a soft towel.
- Skip the toner and apply a moisturizer.
Product Reviews: Our Top 5 Best Face Washes for Rosacea
Quality
Price
Our Rating
The number one spot on our list of the best face washes for rosacea belongs to CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser.
This facial cleanser is ideal for normal to dry skin, and it’s also suitable for those with skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, and acne.
Water is the main ingredient of this cleanser, along with ceramides, which keep skin moist and supple.
Ceramides also restore moisture and protect the skin’s natural barrier to guard it against harmful elements.
This cleanser also has hyaluronic acid, which is a powerful hydrating ingredient. It works by securing moisture and creating fullness, resulting in a younger-looking skin.
We loved how gentle this cleanser felt on our skin, and it didn’t irritate it either. We also like that it can be used as a full body cleanser.
However, this can be a bit drying, so follow with a rich moisturizer after washing your face.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Quality
Price
Our Rating
Coming in at a close second in this roundup of the best face washes for rosacea is Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.
This product contains only eight ingredients—the fewest by far among all the products on this list.
Apart from water as its main ingredient, it also contains cetyl alcohol.
Though alcohol can be bad for rosacea, cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol derived from plants and is extremely beneficial to sensitive skin.
This kind of alcohol is good for dry skin, and it can also soften the skin.
This face wash also contains sodium lauryl sulfate, which is a very effective foaming agent.
We used this face wash at the end of the day to take off dirt and makeup, and while it seems to have cleaned our faces of dirt and grime, there was still a few traces of makeup left on our skin.
It doesn’t seem to take off makeup as other cleansers, so use a cream or oil cleanser to take off your foundation and the rest of your makeup first before washing your face with this.
It did leave our skin soft and moisturized, and we love how it seemed to calm the redness on our chin.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Quality
Price
Our Rating
This natural face wash made it to this list as it contains a lot of skin-friendly ingredients.
Moreover, it’s also hypoallergenic, fragrance-, paraben-, and sulfate-free. So naturally, we had a lot of expectations when it comes to this face wash.
This product contains manuka honey, known for its skin-clearing properties. It also helps balance the skin’s pH level, retains moisture, and is an effective anti-aging ingredient.
Manuka honey is also a natural humectant that draws moisture from the air and into your skin, and this enhances your skin’s elasticity and overall condition.
Meanwhile, organic aloe vera extract is a popular natural treatment for burns and eczema, and it also moisturizes the skin.
Vegetable-derived glycerine is an anti-aging ingredient and guards against irritation. It’s also a natural exfoliant and is an excellent moisturizer.
We poured about a dime-sized amount of this cleanser on our palm and added a bit of water to create a slight lather, and we’re happy at how it left our skin soft and hydrated.
However, the natural ingredients may cause slight irritation, so make sure that you aren’t allergic to any of the elements in this cleanser.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Quality
Price
Our Rating
Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser is dermatologist developed for even the driest and most sensitive skin, that’s why it deserves a spot on this roundup.
Just like our top two face washes, this cleanser contains water and glycerine as its main ingredients.
It also contains cetearyl alcohol, a mixture of cetyl and stearyl alcohols derived from plants, such as coconut and palm oils. Cetearyl alcohol has emollient properties that leave skin soft and smooth.
Aside from being one of the most prescribed over the counter face washes by dermatologists, this product is also fragrance- and soap-free.
It also does not contain parabens or artificial dyes, and to top it all off, it’s non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic.
The creamy formula cleansed our skin of oil and dirt, though it didn’t do much to take off our makeup.
It may also leave a slight film on your skin, so make sure to rinse well.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Quality
Price
Our Rating
Our last pick for this roundup is Eucerin Redness Soothing Cleanser.
This gel-type face wash is specially formulated for visibly red skin, and it also contains a natural ingredient to soothe irritated skin.
This product contains natural licochalcone, which is a natural compound found in licorice.
This ingredient helps to regulate sebum production, and it also helps to inhibit the growth of bacteria on the skin.
Apart from licochalcone, this cleanser also counts water, glycerine, and sodium laureth sulfate as its main ingredients.
This face wash did take off our makeup, and it did calm down our facial redness which was triggered by the weather.
However, it may cause a slight allergic reaction, and it may take a while before it can improve rosacea.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
The Bottom Line
Having rosacea can be a bother, but it can be controlled with the right diet, avoiding the factors that trigger your facial redness, and choosing the right skincare products, which include the best face wash for rosacea.
For this roundup, we picked CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser as the best face wash for rosacea for its moisturizing and skin soothing properties.
We also love that it can be used as a body wash and is very gentle on skin.
This face wash, along with the other products on this list, may help you to get clean skin without further aggravating your rosacea.
