Makeup for Rosacea – 12 Best Products 2023 & How to Apply Makeup

Some of the common reasons for rosacea flare-ups are stress, food and temperature. The National Rosacea Society states that this is quite common, as around 415 million people in the world deal with it. You cannot cure rosacea permanently, but having a proper rosacea skincare routine, using prescription medicines and over-the-counter topical creams to get relief from and manage rosacea properly. As someone who has rosacea, I have spent a lot of time assessing the right combination of makeup products on my skin to trigger any flare-ups. After years of trying to find the right products to control the rosacea symptoms, I have come up with this makeup routine for rosacea skin.

Here is my makeup guide for rosacea skin, after incorporating some of the best Makeup products for 2023 in it.

Tip 1: Clean your Face

When you are looking for cosmetics for rosacea, you should first choose the right cleanser and moisturizer. Apply these products to your skin very gently. Don’t be too harsh when using makeup brushes, towels, sponges, or your fingers. This can trigger flare-ups in your skin. I would recommend anti-bacterial makeup brushes for rosacea skin, as the bacteria in the normal brushes and your fingers can irritate the skin.

Best cleanser for rosacea

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser

This is a gentle cleanser that contains non-irritating ingredients. You can use it every day for normal, oily and highly sensitive skin.

Its low-lather formula will help your skin retain the essential oils; therefore, your skin feels rejuvenated and hydrated.

Dermatologists recommend this non-comedogenic cleanser as it cleans your skin thoroughly without blocking the pores/

Best moisturizer for rosacea

Weleda Skin Food Ultra-Rich Cream

It contains highly-nourishing ingredients like beeswax and plant-based oils. Hence, it leaves the skin nourished and hydrated for a long time. It is an excellent choice as a primer.

Read complete list of Best Moisturizers for Rosacea Recommended by Dermatologists

Tip 2: Go for a Green-tinted Makeup for Rosacea

One of the golden rules while choosing the best makeup for rosacea is to choose a green tint as the makeup base.  Green primers can help to reduce redness, thereby making the skin look even. Always remember to buy green-tinted primers with UVA/UVB protection, so that they can help you protect your skin from exposure to the sun’s rays, thereby reducing flare-ups to a great extent. UVA/UVB-protected primers also improve the longevity of your makeup.

Using a green-tinted primer before skincare and after makeup is a great tip if you are looking for the best makeup to cover rosacea.

Best Primers for Rosacea Skin

Peter Thomas Roth Skin To Die For Redness-Reducing Treatment Primer

Apart from having a green tint as the base, this primer is also replete with effective & relaxing ingredients, such as chamomile, Centella Asiatica and niacinamide. Hence, it works well to keep redness at bay.

Best Color Corrector Cosmetics for Rosacea

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness Neutralizing Color-Correcting Cream

Made from dermatologists and plastic surgeons-designed formula, this color corrector is an excellent choice to camouflage redness. It is made up of a plethora of relaxing ingredients like oats, aloe Vera and avocado oil. This cream is also rich in green tea, which makes this color corrector a great antioxidant. Although, It is not a proper foundation, but it has full coverage pigments, which help cover redness very well. You don’t have to use any other makeup over this. That’s why dermatologists and makeup artists love this product.

Erborian CC Red Correct

This product is fit for redness-prone skin. It comes with a green tint and has color-correcting pigments that help to cover redness perfectly. One thing I must say that it blends perfectly, and it make your face and neck perfectly in sync. The Erborian CC Red corrector is lightweight, and you can apply it evenly to conceal perfections. Benefits of this cream not ends here, It also brings about an improvement in the skin tone and skin protection, because it comes with SPF 25 formula.

Some of the benefits you can enjoy with this color corrector are:

• Reduction of redness
• Soothing and relaxed feeling post application
• Excellent hydration
• Overall evenness in the complexion

It is free from

• Parabens
• Phthalates

Tip 3. Use Oil-free Foundation and Concealer

Choosing an oil-free foundation or concealer is one of the primary tips to follow when looking for the best makeup for rosacea. These come with different levels of coverage (sheer, complete, etc.). Choose the coverage and shade carefully. The thumb rule is to choose the foundation that matches your natural skin tone’s exact shade and choose the concealer that is one shade lighter than your skin’s natural tone.

Best Foundation Makeup for Rosacea

Best in the Overall Category – Becca Cosmetics Ultimate Coverage 24-Hour Foundation

Are you looking for the perfect foundation that helps to conceal your pigments and blemishes entirely? This product is a good option for you. It contains an excellent balance of 21% natural pigments and 22% water, which helps to get rid of issues such as blemishes, uneven skin tones, redness and other imperfections. Though it offers full coverage, it is lightweight and enables you to breathe comfortably.

Checkout the complete list of Best Drugstore Foundations For Rosacea

How to Apply Foundation in a Right Way

• Always use a gentle touch while applying the foundation.
• We recommend using anti-bacterial brushes, as the oils in your fingertips or the normal makeup brushes’ harshness can cause unnecessary flare-ups in your skin.
• Apply a small quantity of foundation at the back of your hand.
• Now, use an anti-bacterial brush to apply the foundation at the center of your face. Keep blending in the outward direction.
• If your foundation is cream or powder-based, apply the brush in a sweeping motion across the compact’s surface and directly apply it to your face.
• For the large areas of the face (cheeks, forehead and skin) use big and broad strokes.
• For the small or narrow areas of the face (hairline, nose, eyes and mouth) use only the brush’s edge for applying foundation.
• Keep blending well.
• Always clean the brush after every use to avoid irritation to the skin.

Best Concealer for Rosacea

Armani Beauty Power Fabric Concealer

If you are looking for completely concealing dark spots, blemishes, redness, dark spots and other imperfections, this product is a great choice. Apply a small tab of this liquid formula on your skin to get complete coverage. It contains time-released oils that make it easy for you to blend on your skin, thereby eliminating problems such as forming lumps or cakes at the time of application. You have the flexibility to choose from 20 different shades of this concealer.

How to Apply Concealer in a Right Way

• Gently dot the concealer beneath your eyes, beginning from the inner corner and working your way outward. Use an anti-bacterial brush for doing this.
• Dab and blend the concealer well on the affected areas directly to get rid of dark spots and other blemishes.
• Use the right foundation over this to make your skin tone even.

Tip 4. Using Cover-Correcting Makeup is a Must

If you have moderate or severe rosacea, I would recommend you to opt for cover-correcting makeup with UVA or UVB sun protection formula. Choose the right shade to match your skin’s tone and avoid flare-ups caused by overexposure to the sun and dust.

Best foundation with sun-protection formula

IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50+

Protecting your skin from the sun’s harsh UV rays is a skincare routine that you should follow every day. This becomes even more important when you have rosacea. Exposure to the sun can trigger flare-ups in rosacea-impacted skin. It also aggravates redness, and causes the blood vessels to break. Therefore, this one from IT Cosmetics is a must for rosacea, as it is incorporated with a powerful, broad-spectrum SPF 50 formula.

Apart from protecting your skin, this foundation also hydrates your skin very well. It contains effective collagen and peptides that make your skin look youthful. It can work as a standalone, but you can use it for correcting certain spots or along with a foundation.

Tip 5. Make the Most of Mineral Powder

Since it doesn’t contain any irritating ingredients, the mineral powder is a great choice if you are looking for the best makeup for rosacea. To correct colors and redness, mineral powders have unique formulae. For example, if you use a yellow-colored mineral powder over your foundation or the protective foundation, you can bring down uneven skin tones by a large extent.

Best Mineral Makeup for Red skin

PuR Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup

I have always loved mineral powders for my rosacea problem. However, I couldn’t find anything that stayed on for a long time. My search ended when I started using this one, though. Apart from giving my skin good coverage, this mineral powder stays on well for almost a day. I also ensure that I clean my makeup brushes once every week. Using clean and proper brushes has made me feel so much better now.

Tip 6. Know When to Use Blush

If you want to use mineral powder blushes, I would recommend using them sparingly and choosing the right cheek color because mineral powder already has color in it. For sensitive skin, I always use sheer blush. I take a minimal amount of this with my anti-bacterial brush and begin to apply this from my cheek’s apples towards the temples for best results.

Best Blush Cosmetic

Sweet Cheeks Creamy Powder Blush Matte

With its vegan formula and matte-finish, this blush is exceptionally smooth and provides excellent pigments on my skin. Apart from the classic pink, coral and berry shades, this blush also comes in trendy shades like purple and yellow. Its silky texture makes it very easy for you to blend this on your skin.

Tip 7. A Gentle Eye Makeup is All You Need

While you focus on anti-redness makeup products, you should remember that you shouldn’t overdo your eye makeup if you want your skin to look blemish-free. If you have ocular rosacea, you should be even more careful while choosing eye makeup products. You should always choose products recommended by your ophthalmologist because eye products should be tested for allergies and fragrances.

Choose a mascara that can be easily removed by washing off with warm water. This will ensure that you don’t rub your eyes too much. If you have eye-rosacea-related symptoms, I recommend you to opt for mineral powder-based shadows or eye pencils in neutral colors. Neutral shades don’t irritate your skin as much as rich jewel tones.

Best Natural Eyeshadow

Alima Pure Loose Eyeshadow

With their rich pigments and diverse color options (shimmer, matte, and more) these are great choices for people with ocular rosacea. It is made from natural ingredients, and the European Safety Standards has certified this product. It is free from Bismuth Oxychloride; therefore, it is quite safe for your eyes.

Tip 8. Go for Neutral lips

Always choose natural lip color if you want the best makeup for rosacea routine. They go well with natural shades of your skin. Avoid red lip color as it will accentuate the redness in your skin.

Best Natural Lipstick

bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick

If you are looking at arriving at the perfect balance to reduce redness and reduce rosacea-symptoms, this lipstick is a great choice. It has unique shades and formulae to suit every skin tone. Look no further than this product, if you have always wanted a nude lip color that didn’t look dull but peppy.