Dealing with rosacea symptoms is difficult at any time of year, but having unpredictable skin can be especially stressful during the festive period. As well as having to mitigate the effects of extreme weather and often increased alcohol consumption, there’s the stress of Christmas and wanting to feel at your best for the celebrations in the weeks leading up to the big day. 

Debbie Thomas, skin expert and founder of D.Thomas Clinic, says: “Rosacea doesn’t just tint cheeks, it weaves a complex network of sensitivity and unpredictability throughout your skin layers.”

So while it might take time to address the root causes of rosacea, make-up can help you feel more comfortable in the short term, and not only are there products available that won’t trigger flare-ups, but many also contain ingredients that will soothe and address skin concerns. 

Rosalique’s unique three-in-one anti-redness formula works as both a primer and a foundation, and it’s a go-to for many with rosacea thanks to its multi-tasking properties. It will instantly conceal redness due to its green colour, and the formula contains microencapsulated pigments that will give your skin a natural glow.

Dr Catriona Maybury, a dermatologist and Dermatica medical lead stresses the importance of focusing on your skincare routine as a base for make-up: “This helps maintain a healthy skin barrier and is excellent for sensitive, blemish-prone skin types. Keep your skin and make-up routine simple: the fewer products you use, the less likely that your products will aggravate your skin.”

Dr Maybury adds: “I often see people using lots of products and ingredients on their skin, which increases the chances of aggravating it. Before applying any new products to your face, make sure you do a patch test. Focus on gentle, non-irritating formulas with a shorter list of recognisable ingredients. Lastly, look for primers and tinted moisturisers containing green pigment along with built-in broad-spectrum SPF to protect against UV exposure, which we know is the most common rosacea trigger. Choosing a lightweight, non-comedogenic formula made for sensitive skin types will allow you to colour-correct redness without clogging pores or causing further irritation. Apply it before foundation to camouflage redness while protecting your skin.”

Both skincare and make-up should be lighter in weight as make-up must allow your skin to breathe, Thomas adds. “The original formula Oxygentix foundation is my favourite make-up for inflamed skin,” she shares. “It not only gives great coverage but its unique formula allows the skin to breathe. It helps skin to heal while providing confidence-boosting coverage.”

In terms of ingredients that won’t trigger flare-ups, you want to look for make-up that is fragrance-free and uses natural ingredients that have calming, hydrating and protective benefits. The Rosalique specialist skincare team explains further: “Look for natural ingredients that have calming, hydrating and protective benefits. Shea butter is naturally rich in vitamin E so it’s a great antioxidant and helps to calm the skin but also contains skin healing and moisturising properties. Chamomile plant alpha-bisabolol is a clinically proven anti-inflammatory that reduces redness and helps to calm and soothe skin. Finally, products with a good SPF will help to protect your skin from harmful UV rays and can prevent skin from being triggered. Mineral sunscreens that include titanium dioxide and zinc oxide tend to be more suitable for sensitive skin.”

Images: courtesy of brands