The Best Skin Care for Rosacea: 15 Hardworking Products for Soothing Redness & Irritation

Why It's Worth It: Not all toners are created equal, especially for conditions like rosacea, dermatitis, and eczema. It's key that your toner doesn't contain harsh, astringent ingredients. This toner is recommended by David Kim, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology in New York City, as "it's very lightweight and packed with Houttuynia cordata extract, which is very soothing and calming to the skin." (Houttuynia cordata is also known as heartleaf.) It's hypoallergenic and much less acidic than traditional toners, so it'll reduce redness — and not instigate it.

Editor Tip: Inside the bottle, you'll also find Centella asiatica (a.k.a. cica), a calming, redness-reducing ingredient, plus healing panthenol. Its non-comedogenic list of ingredients also means it's safe for breakout-prone skin.

Key Ingredients: Houttuynia cordata extract, Centella asiatica, panthenol

Why It's Worth It: NYC-based board-certified dermatologist Shereene Idriss, MD, developed this Best of Beauty Award-winning The Depuffer Roll-On Serum to calm inflammation and puffiness. "It's clinically proven to reduce redness and it's a serum I would recommend for patients to have in their routine that targets flushing, along with other soothing products and ingredients," she says. The hero ingredient is arnica, which improves the look of puffiness, but you'll also find soothing niacinamide, moisturizing glycerin, and calming oat kernel extract.

Editor Tip: Part of this serum's allure is that it has a two-inch rollerball applicator that glides over your skin, distributing a layer of soothing ingredients in its wake. Keep it in the fridge for maximum chill.

Key Ingredients: Arnica, niacinamide, glycerin, oat kernel extract

Why It's Worth It: Audrey Kunin, MD, Kansas City-based board-certified dermatologist says azelaic acid is one of the best ingredients for soothing rosacea flare-ups. "[Azelaic acid is] anti-microbial and helps prevent pore-plugging," she says. "It also has a side benefit of helping reduce post-inflammatory acne hyperpigmentation." Since Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster has a high concentration of the star ingredient, Dr. Kunin suggests adding it into your rosacea treatment routine.

Editor Tip: Keep in mind that this pick is a booster, so you can wear it on its own as an all-over treatment or you can mix its light, fluid-like formula into your favorite serum or moisturizer for an added redness-reducing boost.

Key Ingredients: Azelaic acid, salicylic acid, allantoin

Why It's Worth It: Dr. Kim formulated this mineral sunscreen — which also won a Best of Beauty award in 2023 — with sensitive skin in mind. "This 100% mineral sunscreen comes with a stamp of approval by the National Eczema Association for people with sensitive skin," he says. "Sunscreen is essential for everyone, but especially people with rosacea so they're protected from UVA and UVB rays." It's tinted to conceal redness, but it's formulated with ingredients that do more than just cover up sensitive skin, like phytolase and lingonberry, which help repair damage from within.

Editor Tip: NThis SPF has a lightweight formula that's fortified with squalane "to hydrate the skin without feeling heavy or oily," says Dr. Kim, plus niacinamide, making it a good pick for acne-prone skin to reduce hyperpigmentation.

Key Ingredients: Zinc oxide, squalane, niacinamide

Why It's Worth It: "This is the best drugstore cleanser for people with sensitive and oily skin," says Dr. Kim. His patients love this cleanser, noting that their "skin feels clean and fresh without feeling tight or stripped" post-cleanse. That's thanks to the pH-balanced formula that gently removes makeup and bacteria.

Editor Tip: This one also comes with a Seal of Acceptance from the National Eczema Association that ensures it won't aggravate sensitive skin conditions and is free from harsh ingredients like fragrances, dyes, and parabens.

Key Ingredients: Glycerin

Why It's Worth It: The aforementioned Vanicream cleanser paired with Bioderma's ultra-gentle and effective Sensibio micellar water is Dr. Idriss's personal go-to for sensitive, rosacea-prone skin. "I haven't found a cleanser that does the job of both, but this duo is gentle and non-irritating." Micelles sweep away your makeup without harsh ingredients or rubbing.

Editor Tip: Our advice? Keep a bottle of this holy grail product in your medicine cabinet at all times. Since its formula is rinse-free, you can cleanse in a minute flat, so there's no excuse not to take your makeup off.

Key Ingredients: Micelles, cucumber extract

Why It's Worth It: Yes, topicals are a great place to start for your rosacea-focused routine, but Dr. Kunin says LED skin-care devices, like the LightStim for Acne, can make a huge difference. "Blue light helps kill blemish-forming bacteria," she says. "For rosacea-prone individuals, use of light therapy can help reduce some of the need for potentially drying or irritating topical medications."

Editor Tip: This complexion-clearing gadget treats your skin to 36 LED blue and red lights that calm redness, irritation, and inflamed blemishes. It's like the spot treatment of skin-care tools; simply place it on any flare-ups, let the device do its thing for three minutes, and you're all set.

Why It's Worth It: Multiple dermatologists have gushed over La Roche-Posay's Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer. New York City-based board-certified dermatologist (and TikTok-favorite) Whitney Bowe, MD says it's her go-to for all of her rosacea patients because it contains prebiotic thermal water, "which supports the skin microbiome," she says.

Editor Tip: It's also infused with moisture-retaining ceramides, which Dr. Bowe says can help support your skin barrier and seal in moisture, making it great for dry skin. "Moreover, it's fragrance-free, which is important because fragrance can be irritating and can contribute to rosacea flares," she adds.

Key Ingredients: Thermal water, ceramides, niacinamide

Why It's Worth It: If you're suffering from papulopustular rosacea, also known as acne rosacea, Peter Thomas Roth's Therapeutic Sulfur Mask can help with issues like redness, blemishes, and inflammation without drying out or irritating your skin in the process, thanks to a mix of both balancing and hydrating ingredients.

Editor Tip: Both Dr. Kunin and Dr. Robinson recommend it because of its star ingredient, sulfur, which has therapeutic anti-microbial and pore-cleansing properties that are gentler than most exfoliants on the market. It also contains aloe vera to soothe and calm any problem areas.

Key Ingredients: Sulfur, kaolin clay, aloe vera

Why It's Worth It: What makes the Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream worth every penny is that it's one of the best skin-care products for easing redness flare-ups. Its ultra-gentle, fragrance-free formula and creamy texture feel cooling and soothing to the skin upon application, and one of our testers previously shouted out this luxurious moisturizer for its ability to provide major redness relief.

Editor Tip: Though its name says day cream, our tester also reported that this cream has a thick consistency that takes a moment to absorb, so you may want to reserve it for your nighttime routine. "The oil-free cream soothes and refreshes the face instantly and helps prevent flushing over the long term," she said. "Regular makeup wearers should use a light hand — or apply it at bedtime — since concealer and foundation slip around when layered on top."

Key Ingredients: Lactobacillus extract, shea butter

Why It's Worth It: Though it's a cream-based formula, consider The Ordinary's Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension as a treatment. As its name suggests, this treatment has a high concentration of azelaic acid, a multi-tasking treatment known for its ability to ease redness, target pimples and blemishes, and reduce hyperpigmentation for a more even skin tone.

Editor Tip: Michele Green, MD, a New York City-based, board-certified dermatologist, previously told Allure that she loves this skin-enhancing pick for its creamy yet non-greasy formulation and ability to "target acne, rosacea, and sun damage."

Key Ingredients: Azelaic acid

Why It's Worth It: When it comes to soothing rosacea-prone skin, Dr. Bowe recommends finding a moisturizer that focuses on repairing the skin barrier. That's why she suggests slathering on the SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream, a creamy formula that treats your skin to "barrier-friendly ingredients" like hydrating hyaluronic acid and glycerin along with moisture-replenishing shea butter.

Editor Tip: Of course, this cream also has the added benefits of peptides, an ingredient known for its skin-firming properties — making it a great moisturizer for mature skin.

Key Ingredients: Shea butter, hyaluronic acid, peptides, glycerin

Why It's Worth It: For optimal sun protection, Dr. Bowe suggests adding the Colorscience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield SPF 50 Glow to your skin-care routine if you have rosacea (or even if you don't). "Sun exposure can exacerbate rosacea, but chemical sunscreen filters and the fragrances in many sunscreens can be an issue for rosacea patients," she says. "Focus on a mineral sunscreen like this one by Colorescience, which is fragrance-free and gives your skin a luminous, healthy glow."

Editor Tip: No matter what your skin type is, you should use (and reapply) a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 every day — and those prone to rosacea symptoms like skin redness should be especially cautious when it comes to harmful UV rays.

Key Ingredients: Zinc oxide, niacinamide, allantoin