Distressed with the expense of exotic rosacea treatments ? The stress of rosacea is enough without also having to worry about how to afford treatments. Finding affordable rosacea treatments is a real challenge.
So here we go; my top 5 suggestions to help you find cheap rosacea treatments.
1. Make your own cleanser
Colloidal Oatmeal has promise as natural product because of it’s cleansing, moisturizing, buffering, soothing, protecting and anti-inflammatory properties.
While products like Linda Sy’s Mild Oatmeal Facial Cleanser and Aveeno Oatmeal Anti-Itch are not cheap recommendations, you should be able to source colloidal oatmeal easily from a health food store. Colloidal Oatmeal is defined as a product made from grinding and processing whole oat grain with strict requirements on the particle size and fat content. The small particle size and the way that it disperses in water means that when it deposits on the skin it forms an occlusive barrier.
Try mixing a small amount of Colloidal Oatmeal with warm water and lathering it on your face. Gently remove it with cool water.
See also the Homemade Mixes Forum and the Custom Topical Formulations resources page for more suggestions on making your own super cheap topicals.
2. Use generic prescriptions
Newer releases of antibiotics like Oracea and Solodyn can be extremely expensive, especially without medical insurance. One alternative is to discuss with your doctor the possibility of trying generic doxycycline instead.
Doses of 50mg a day of doxycycline will closely match the amount of active antibiotic in Oracea and Solodyn. Higher doses many also be of benefit until the inflammation of rosacea subsides. Generic doxycycline is far more affordable that these 2 newly released re-packaged antibiotics.
Another possibility is to ask your doctor about generic metronidazole. The patent for metrogel (the 0.75% version specifically) has expired so generic equivalents are now available in several countries around the world. For more information see generic metrogel.
3. Hunt for Bargain Suggestions
Many of the `regular’ treatments for rosacea such as systemic and topical antibiotics are quite expensive. Be on the hunt for things you can try that are more reasonably priced. Here are some suggestions
- Prosacea: this can be sourced over the counter at places like Walgreens and Rite Aid for around $10. It seems to be an ok treatment for rosacea. Prosacea is based on a sulphur preparation.
- Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream or Lotion are two under-rated skincare products. They are cheap, mild and easily available. If you can incorporate these in to your daily skincare regime then you are off to a good start to cheaply caring for your rosacea skin.
- Try to source a cheap zinc oxide based sunscreen. Some countries have cancer foundations that are good at providing affordable, simple sunscreens. You might be fortunate enough to find a low irritant formulation free of chemical sunscreens.
4. Manufacturer Rebates
Drug manufacturers recognise that their products can still be quite expensive by the time they get to the consumer. To try to mitigate this impost, rebates or coupons are sometimes offered.
A quick search revealed the following ; $10 Mail-In Rebate for Metrogel, and Save $10 on Finacea Instantly.
The very expensive Oracea also offers a Savings Card where you could save $25 per prescription for those without prescription insurance and help some insured patients pay no more than $25 per month. The similarly expensive Solodyn is also offering a $35 rebate.
One program that you may not be aware of is offered by Galderma. Galderma will provide Oracea and Metrogel FREE for low income and no insurance sufferers of rosacea.
While these manufacturer rebates come and go, keep an eye out for promotions offered by the manufacturers. Be aware of all the small print also as refunds can take many weeks to arrive, and promotions can be revoked at any time.
5. Ask for Physician Samples
When new drugs are being promoted, the sales team are desperate to find as many outlets as possible. This might mean that your doctor or specialist has drug samples just waiting to be handed out. Check with your local doctor’s surgery, and maybe even ring a few dermatologist to see if they ever get samples from the drug companys’ sales teams.
You might be lucky enough to find a good source for free samples. This is one asset that is worth trying to chase down and link up with.
Please Help
`Cheap’ and `Rosacea Treatment’ don’t often appear together in the same sentence. Treatments, especially prescription treatments that have been developed and marketed for rosacea sufferers are notoriously expensive – to the point of being unobtainable for many.
Do you have any recommendations for your fellow rosacea sufferers that are on a budget ?
11 comments ↓
I have come up with six inexpensive or free treatments for rosacea and will add your suggestions as number seven. Here are my suggestions: rosaceans.com/free.php
Straight, or mixed with slightly warm water, raw lemon juice works great in reducing the redness and cleansing. I do it once/day.
My case is fairly mild, but I have begun just washing with Dove soap, and gotten away from “scrubs” and irritating cleansers. In addition, my dermatologist has prescribed a cream consisting of 2% sulfur and 1% hydrocortisone. In a week or so the symptoms nearly went away. You apply it twice daily after washing, and it costs about $8 for a months supply. It is a prescription and you have to find a pharmacy who will mix it. Most big chains won’t be bothered, but Rite-Aid in my town will do it.
Though there is not yet a generic substitute for 1% Metrogel, there IS a generic for .75% Metrogel, and no real difference between the effectiveness of the two. Ask your doc to prescribe the generic of the .75% Metrogel. The difference in cost is huge. Not all pharmacies have the .75% in stock, but most do. Many will tell you the .75% does not come in a generic, but it absolutely does!
Hi Annie, generic metrogel is easily available in Australia, but I hear that is it sometimes hard to find for sale in the US – but it is definitely worth trying to source to save some money.
I tried it all. Won’t bore you with the details except to say this has been working for me. No more foundation I only use an eye pencil to define my eyes. To remove that I use a make-up pad, put a dab of Exact Skin Cleanser around the eye area only. Then wet a fresh make-up pad and dab the eye area enough to moisten. I take another make up remover pad moistened with apple cider vinegar and gently go over my face area only. Not my eye area. Without rinsing I immediately apply plain old glycerin.You can buy it at the drug store. It works as a barrier and keeps the skin moist. If you do this routine at night your good to go in the morning. This is the only moisturizer I use. No more moisturizers with tons of chemicals that are absorbed by your body you can’t even pronounce. Maybe that’s why we have rosacea. Maybe what we really have is a chemical sensitivity called “rosacea.” Read the ingredients of all the products you use before before you even get out the door in the morning. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving creme, Toothpaste, moisturizers, deodorant, hair products, make-up, toners, sunscreen, perfumes, lip balm, lip glosses. Read and list them all. You’ll be shocked at how many products are being absorbed by your body every morning and each night. Visualize the total amount being absorbed by your body over the course of a year. You get the idea?
Mild soaps such as hypoallergenic Dove, etc. burned my face during my first flare of Rosacea. My dermatologist offered me a sample of VaniCream, a bar soap. Extremely gentle. Didn’t feel any sting while using it.
Aveeno’s calming skin line is comforting. WalMart sells these products at a reasonable price.
I have found the Clinique redness solution helpful and the only thing that does not cause a flare. I use the mild cleanser to wash my face and the moisturizer.
I just ordered Zenmed.
Wash with Dove soap morning and evening, rinse well and apply IMMEDIATELY a rich cream such as Nivea Vital triple action, night and day versions accordingly. Your skin will never be dry or itchy. Cover redness with l’Oréal mineral powder. No other treatments required. Never apply lemon or vinegar to the face!!!!
I just tried Oracea for 5 months and it works no better, maybe less, than the 100mg Minocyline daily dose that I was taking for the past 10 years. Not worth the extra cost even w/ the $25 special. Oracea’s regular price is over $300 for a 1 month supply and my pharmacy told me most insurance will not cover.
I discovered that Medicare will not accept the drug company discount cards that lower the cost of rosacea brand name drugs. So, don’t try to use the discount card if you are on Medicare.
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