Sensitive and rosacea-prone skin look their best when they're not treated aggressively. That said, doing nothing at all won't have it looking its best. So, what works best to calm and soothe, while also treating sensitive skin to active ingredients that make it look fresher and more even-toned? The following suggestions should make a big difference!
You daily routine would consist of a gentle cleanser (like our Cleansing Gel) with cool water (warm water causes redness and can be irritating--not helpful!), followed by a liquid exfoliant lactic acid (which has been shown to help rosacea, and also can help prevent milia, hard white bumps under the skin that never seem to go away) like our Smoothing Solution to exfoliate dead skin on the surface as well as oil inside the pore. Using a cotton pad, sweep a quarter-sized amount over your entire face. You may want to avoid sensitive areas like your under eye area and maybe your nose crease.
After applying your exfoliant, if you're also interested in anti-aging, you could apply a niacinamide serum (like our Serum B), which can help calm sensitive skin and control oil production while also diminishing sun damage and fine lines. Then, for a moisturizer, a mild option like our Moisture Milk or rich option like our Moisture Crème, adds a layer of cushiony hydration without pore-clogging wax. Finally, a fragrance-free daytime moisturizer like Rain or Shine SPF 50 will keep skin protected.
If you follow the above daily recommendations, you'll notice your skin looks calmer all day and redness is no longer a big issue for you.
What about masks and facials? Well, we believe masks can disrupt a good routine and destabilize a bad one even more, so we promote a stable and reliably great gentle daily routine that stays the same mostly but maybe is adjusted a little seasonally. And we don't recommend facials for sensitive skin generally. Why??
Typical facials include heat and steam and massage, all of which worsen sensitivity and contribute to swollen capillaries, which makes the face red.
Also discouraged: DIY skin care from things in the fridge, because more often than not those contain irritants, especially if they are food-based (hello bacteria!).
And finally, one of the absolute most important things when considering sensitive skin, and for any skin type, is avoiding irritation. If a product smells really "great," especially if it has perfume or essential oils, that's not great. So stick with fragrance-free products and keep temperatures low and rubbing to a minimum and your skin will stay calmer, look more even-toned, and be less reactive.
-FCB
