This is good to hear, because I am worried about which one to apply first. However, I am wondering about what Todd Davidson posted on the Rosacea Support Group back in April. Is it a legit study?

He said:

“There were studies performed in 2007 by a US renowed dermatologist (James Q. DelRossa) who studied the penetration of medications into the viable skin before and after applying a moisturizer. The results were for finacea (azelaic acid gel 15%) the drug penetrated into the skin better if a moisturizer was applied before the actual medication. He also found the same result with Tazorac (an acne and psoriasis medication-as well as the most potent retinoid anti-aging med). He used Cetaphil, CeraVe, and Dove moisturizer in the study and found the CeraVe to work the best.

Many people find Finacea very itchy, tingly, burning to the skin applied to dry cleansed skin. When applying a moisturizer first rather then after, these sensations seem to disappear for many people. So not only is it ok to applyFinacea to moisturized skin, it has been shown that the medication is actually penetrating better into the skin once it has been moisturized rather than dry.”

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Eric

For this reason I think applying Finacea first is best as it allows the moisturiser to help cover the whiteness left behind. You may also find Finacea really helpful if you are prone to oily skin due to its slightly matte finish.