My daily rosacea-beating regime has changed over the years. I have gotten it down to the simplest and most elegant combination that I can. Everyone wants to find their ideal rosacea treatment.
Remembering that everyone is different, I hope the following might prove useful.
My main rosacea symptom was my constantly red nose. I was a rudolph for at least 15 years. Even while I was using Rozex Gel and on antibiotics (Bactrim and Doryx mostly) I was unsatisfied with my rosacea treatments. I have also uploaded some photos of a rosacea flareup that set me back. By this stage my rosacea was already 80% better. Like most people I don’t have photos of when my rosacea was at its worst. You can also find an old photo on the profiles page.
Now I very rarely have pustules or papules and can sometimes even think about going without my tinted sunscreen.
Morning
Wash with `Cutanix Dramatic Relief Gelee Cleanser’. Moisturise nose and cheeks with `Cutanix Dramatic Relief‘. The Gelee Cleanser has a low lather and works best applied to a very wet face. Apply Linda Sy’s `Tinted ZincO Cream SPF 20′. Tinted ZincO’s colouring is very good for me. Reapply in the afternoon if required.
- Cutanix DRL (Quadrinone) reduces redness
- benzaldehyde reduces facial erythema
- Anyone uisng the Cutanix Dramatic Relief Creme ?
Shaving
I use the Panasonic Wet/Dry Electric Razor. Shave once every 10 days or so with a lubricated twin razor to discourage ingrown hairs. My face is too sensitive to shave with a blade everyday.
Sunscreens
Linda Sy’s wonderful `Tinted ZincO Cream SPF20′ is my daily sunscreen. For me using a sunscreen every single day is important. This is another gem that took me a few years to learn.
- micronized zinc oxide dimethicone a safe sunscreen
- nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide being watched
Evening
Wash with Cutanix Dramatic Relief Gelee Cleanser. Moisturise nose and cheeks with Cutanix Dramatic Relief.
Future Regime
I’m looking forward to trying Linda Sy’s Mild Oatmeal Facial Cleanser next. I’m hoping that I don’t miss the quadrinone in the Cutanix Gelee Cleanser too much.
Previous Regimes
Previous daily regimes have included the following products.
Rosacea-LTD
I have used these `disks’ for several years, both the brown and yellow as directed. The papules and pustules have now almost totally gone so I no longer need to use these.
Linda Sy Cleansing Bar for Dry Skin
This is a regular looking soap that has a creamy lather. For those looking for a regular soap styled cleanser this is worth a try. It cleanses as well as any I have tried. If you are going to use a moisturiser or jojoba oil after cleansing then any drying effects will be negated.
- Linda Sy: Cleansing Bar for Dry Skin. Sadly this product is no longer available.
Linda Sy Vita-Oil
I would never have believed that gentle cleansing, moisturising and protecting my skin would sort out my rosacea. This light oil is great for the whole face. Perfect for underneath the ZincO. A guy espousing the merits of moisturising – you read it first here !
- See also:jojoba oil has anti-inflammatory properties
- Rosacea Care: Linda Sy is no longer in operation but you can now buy Vita-Oil from RosaceaCare.
Linda Sy Acne Cover Lotion
Was a wonderful boost for my self esteem to be able to hide my red nose for the first time in more than 10 years. Quite a thick colouring especially for the nose, you need to apply it just right to get a natural look – i.e. don’t put too much on. I feel that it was part of the calming and protecting my skin regime. Sadly this product is no longer available.
- Linda Sy: Acne Cover Lotion
Doxycycline
I have taken antibiotics for 6-7 years on and off. Antibiotics were important while I was getting my skin under control. The dosage varied between 50mg and 100mg a day. I tapered down to 50mg every second day when I felt that I could come off them. Years ago when I had teenage acne, I took Bactrim for a while. Since being diagnosed with rosacea I was on doxycycline (doryx) for an extended period.
Rozex Gel
Also known as Metrogel, this is the bog standard rosacea treatment that will probably be offered to you first off. I was always disappointed with how effective this was. It was giving me some relief from redness and probably cut down the pustules a little. I would still get new pustules every night even when on Doxycycline and Rozex. Stopped using it as it just wasn’t a good enough solution. In fact I started the rosacea-support email group because I wanted to find better treatments.
Laser Treatment
Several years ago I had 2 Pulse Dye Laser treatments of my nose. These left black crusty scabs that eventually healed. The treatment was painful. I would not recommend this as a rosacea treatment. I was disappointed to see that I had pustules return even while the skin was healing.
- pain, swelling and redness after pulse dye laser treatments
- pulsed dye laser and papulopustular rosacea
- pulse dye laser improves erythema
More Information:
Many of these products are available via mail order from their web sites.
Linda Sy – sadly Linda Sy is no longer in business. RosaceaCare has announced that they will be selling the Vita-Oil, Tinted and Untinted ZincO and the Mild Oatmeal Facial Cleanser.
Cutanix is currently hard, if no impossible to buy (cutanix goes offline, gets letter from FDA).
Rosacea-LTD – Order via the web site at www.rosacea-ltd.com.
31 comments ↓
I have found the Rosacea Ltd. discs to be extremely effective! I have not used any prescription meds for 4 months. The protocol for using the Rosacea Ltd. is very simple and inexpensive with a 3 month money back guarantee. I found it was key for me not to get overly zealous with the discs, just a couple of quick swipes. If you happen to overdo it and experience redness and itching, lay off for a few days and go easy in the future. I am 57 years old and have had few occasions where I felt comfortable without make-up, but now I do and am actually getting compliments on my skin. This stuff is really worth a try.
I like them too Cathryn. I don’t need to use them anymore, but for a couple of years they did a great job of keeping my papules and pustules under check. I’m sure that they helped me break the inflammatory cycle I was stuck in.
I have oily skin. Is Rosacea Ltd. ok to use on oily?
Hi Karen, I think it would be fine for oily skin. The use of jojoba oil beforehand will even help the skin to restore its natural oil balance.
Rosacea Ltd sucks… i would not recommend ….. after using it for couple of months there was no improvement in condition of my skin… it did not help me at all….
I tried Rosacea Ltd for 2 months and did not have any improvement at all. I’m sending the disks back
Hi David. You say “using a sunscreen every single day is important”. I’ve just ordered ZincO.
Can you please tell me how it helped you?
Using such a sunscreen daily reduces redness, inflammation or pustules? I ask because there’s no sun during winter and my rosacea is just like it is during summer. Thanks.
Hi Grumpy,
The zinc oxide offers protection from the sun, wind and other insults. With a moisturizer underneath I feel that it also helps the moisturizer work better. I doubt that it directly stops pustules, but it does help with the whole reducing the inflammation.
davidp.
i have slight rhinophyma-like ex-pres bill clinton-swollen-and big pores -i also use linda sy products -i have stocked up since she is retiring-i never put the vita-oil on my nose always afraid to-i use acne cover during day-and metro-gel at night.-i use the vita-oil on my cheeks-and love it -their red also-i always thought more oil would be bad for my nose-do you recommend using the oil first before acne cover-and metro gel?=thanks jerry-i also use tinted zinco on my cheeks to hide redness–thanks jerry
Hi Jerry,
for me the Vita-Oil disappears in really well, so I would use this first before metrogel or the acne cover lotion. As long as the skin is wet on your nose and you use a couple of drops the Vita-Oil ought to be fine on your nose too.
davidp.
I started papules on my face in Jan, only found out what they were in Sep when I finally got to see a dermatologist. The rosacea is mild, not something I would have consulted for.
Since demonex is easily controlled by tea tree oil, I used hair conditioner with tea tree oil in it on the papules several times/day for 2 days. They were gone in 48 hrs! I reapplied the conditioner whenever I felt an itch. All disappeared in less than 1 month. Have not needed it since.
Hair conditioner felt delightfully cooling. Very soothing.
The brand we had was Holista.
HELP! I have used Linda Sy’s tinted Zinco for 25 years !!!!! NO ONE believes my age – I LOVE that stuff – you may not know – she went out of business – I am devastated – does ANYONE know if this formula is being produced by anyone else? What will i do without my Zinco in this high altitude ! It covers so well and makes my ruddy complection look flawless and dewy -
I ditto the same question above. Sadly, I was unaware that Linda Sy was going out of business and have just about panicked thinking of not having some tinted Zinco. Have you, or anyone, found a sun screen that is comparable?
i have had the red nose and occasional red cheeks for years i am only 19 but it has recently gotten werse so i saw a doc who told me i have rosacea i am on the rozex cream and akamin tablets i am not happy with the cream has made it werse and even more of my face is now red and dried out and peeling my face in particular around the nose dries out and there is dead skin all over after every shower i beleive if i could stop the skin dying every day my face would be ok is this normal
For those wanting to try the tinted ZincO, RosaceaCare has announced that “Tinted ZincO will once again be available and ready to ship throughout the world on Friday, July 17, 2009. On-line purchases can be made in advance of that date by visiting our website at rosaceacare.com. The price for the three-ounce tube is $ 38 US.”
Is the tinted ZincO just a sunblock? Or does it really reduce redness in general? Most “red-reducing” products just mean they are sunscreens and only protect against getting “red” from the sun..not being red from rosacea. If anyone know, please post your thoughts. Thanks.
Hi Rachel,
Tinted ZincO doesn’t contain any ingredients that will actively reduce the redness. So far the only products that do this are steroids or something like oxymetazoline or brimonidine (which are both still be trialled).
The tint will cover some redness so will help while your skin recovers. The protective properties of the zinc oxide and the low irritant nature of the overall ingredients are positives for this product, but won’t actively reduce the redness themselves.
hope this helps,
davidp.
Thank you David! I appreciate the feedback. That is exactly what I thought. I will do some research on oxymetazoline or brimonidine as you suggested, as this is my biggest dilema with rosacea. Thanks again!!
Hi Davo,
What do you use these days given the unavailability of Cutanix Cleanser and Dramatic Relief products?
I am currently using Cetaphil non irritating cleanser, Rozex cream and Heliocare SPF50 but they are not reducing the number of small pustules on my nose.
Thanks
Hi Red Roy,
I don’t know of a direct replacement for the cutanix products. You can order a custom formulation from skinactives.com that contains the same active ingredient that Cutanix used –
http://skinactives.com/products/ethoxybenzaldehyde.htm
but I haven’t tried this.
Have you thought about rosacea-ltd as a way to treat the papules and pustules ?
Is low dose doxycycline or metrogel a possibility. P&P are thankfully normally the easiest rosacea symptom to treat.
davidp.
(disclaimer Rosacea-ltd is a site sponsor)
I have been through the myriad treatments like many of you. Currently using Rosacea LTD for the first time with good results. Thought I’d share something unusual. While working for some months in USA I got confused with creams lying on the counter of a shared bathroom and for several days was putting haemmorhoid treatment on my face instead of metrogel: After a few days, the usually very noticeable veins around my nose had diminished: I thought I’d found the wonder cure, unfortunately the cream was very greasy and seemed to bring on more spots.
Hi davidp,
Thanks again for the advice. I might give rosacea ltd a try but I live in Ireland and have already spent a minor fortune on getting Rosacea ‘miracle cures’ posted over….all to no avail, so Im a bit sceptical
I am currently using Rozex (what metrogel is called over here) cream but its not helping much. Mind you its the .75% concentration and I have read reviews online that Metrogel 1% is more successful? I might see if my derm will prescribe that if you think its worthwhile.
I doubt that you would be able to tell much difference between 0.75% and 1% metrogel. I used to wish that metrogel would get rid of ALL my papules and pustules. Been there !
davidp.
Hi all,
I just wanted to let you know that Rosacea, Dermatitis, and many more ailments besides, are discussed at length on a great site called earthclinic.com Whats more is that it gives loads of natural remedies for these ailments.
I have rosacea and am now taking Vitamin C and L-Lysine 3x a day, and Vitamin A and Vitamin D once a day. Ive been doing this for approx 2 weeks now and Im delighted to say that it seems to be working. Its a great relief because some of the other treatments I found on that site (apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, grapefruit seed extract) werent working.
So give it a go and please let me know how you get on!!
Hi David,
I feel that you’re history (and story) constitutes you as a living expert in the trials and tribulations of Rosacea, so I’m coming to you for some advice. I have had “pink” skin since I was child. I am 38 and the cute pink skin is now red, (sometimes very red) including my nose (chin and forehead at times as well). I have minor breakouts of pimples. I was diagnosed w/mild rosacea. I’ve tried the metrogel, finacea, and a low dose steriod cream. After none of these worked, I was told by my derm. the only thing that will work is laser. I spent $1500 on a series of 7 IPL treatments. The only thing that IPL helped was for the small amount of broken capilaries. It did not take away the redness. I recently bought the LTD discs, used them for over 3 weeks and noticed no difference in my skin and returned it. I have been using the Vita-oil for about 2 months and like the moisture it puts back in my skin. Unfortunately I also have severely dry skin. Every day is a battle of cleansing my face (neutregena sensitive skin cleanser), put the oil on, then another moisturizer (b/c my skin needs it) which is either Purpose or Cetaphil. Then I wait, then apply my face makeup. I have tried a ton of those too. I have to wear the face makeup to cover the redness. Approx. 5-6 hours later my skin literally starts flaking off, as if it’s shedding or peeling. I do not scrub it or exfoliate it either. Its horrible. I drink a minimum 64 oz of water everyday (have for many years), I also exercise by power walking 4 times a week, 45-55 min. a time. I am at my wits end and am thinking about trying a sample kit from the Rosacea Care website. I really feel like I’ve tried everything and nothing works, not even temporarily. Do you have any suggestions at all?
Hi Rachel,
I’m sure you’ll understand if I say that I can’t possibly offer advice better than all the doctors who both have training and experience and have seen you face to face.
I think Vita-Oil is a good option to help your skin restore its moisture barrier. You are using everything that I would recommend. I assume you have tried tinted zinco cream to try to cover some redness as well.
Maybe others who have mastered very dry skin can offer something to help you get to the point where your skin is hydrated and protected enough to not shed layers everyday.
Have you given up hope finding a dermatologist who can help you nurse your skin back to health ?
all the best,
davidp.
Comment via email:
Thanks for replying back to me so quickly. I haven’t given up hope. I cant see myself ever quitting trying to find something that will work for me. I am driven by the ugliness to find a resolution. Anyway, I think I will try the tinted zinco cream. I have already called my Derm to see if there have been any new creams, gels, etc. since I last seen her (which was well over a year ago when she told me the only thing that would work was the IPL laser). I am waiting for a call back. If and when I do find my “resolution” I will definitely share it. Thanks again.
Hello everyone.
Ill keep it simple, as that is exsactly what it is…
I to suffered from Rosacea, for 3 years actually, was quite bad on one cheek & fairly bad on the other and parts of my nose!
All I can say is: I have tryed Antibiotics, Chineese medsin, Accupuncha, Dietry change, Excersise, Vitimuns, Spiritual Healing, Creams form my GP and… and … and, yep youve guessed it> NOTHING WORKED.
Except for one cream which I stumbeled apon in desperation.
This perpose of this cream is to draw out the bacteria in your skin & therefore, eradicate the problems symptoms.
This cream does not/can not get rid of the condition, but does prevent it from apearing… TRUST ME ON THAT.
Before I go on, I have no links to this site in question, apart from being a patant with then for obversly, my condition.
Lazers are a NO NO, not because they dont work, because they (temperaraly) halt the symptoms on the surface of the skin & not from deep inside.
It has its risks aswell and is not cheep, infact unless your skin is completely clear of papulites, then they wont work on your skin, well so a doctor told me, when I went to Harly Street a few years back… god that was exspencieve lol.
Ok, back to the matter in question!!!
Here is the link to the site, all I can say is, for there price and suport they give you… and the final results, this is the best ive seen/exspearenced and had proof on.
THIS STUFF DOES WORK, CANT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH.
TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK AND ENJOY THE RESULTS… HUGE RESULTS.
http://www.purpleemu.com/store/arlite.html
This worked for me!!!
http://www.purpleemu.com/store/arlite.html
I’ve had rosacea for a few years and it was very bad until I finally went on antibiotics… I’ve been on several different types of tetracyclines and now take a low dose of monodox 75mg to help control the breakouts. I found a product called Combray which is all natural and very expensive but works really well with the redness and calming down the skin. I highly recommend this product for anyone who suffers for rosacea…
Hi David
It seems my nose is kinda steadily progressing worse to the point i have constant red sides and papules and little spots constantly cropping up. Gives off a nice ol’ shine too! Was given lymecycline but it didnt improve my nose. Have tried not moisturisin it, then tried bog standard e45 and then this stuff from america ‘aim2health’ but it seem a tad to heavy and with the shea butter in it, just makes my nose extra oily.
Im thinking of just skipping past the rozex gel and doxycycline as from your experiences it was ineffective and instead looking at the Ltd discs and rosaceacare products.
Can you tell me wot your current routine is of products. Im interested to know now that the cutanix products arent available??
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