If you suffer from rosacea, you know how frustrating red, blotchy, and inflamed skin can be.
According to dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick, the most common features of this skin condition are redness, bumps, and even pustules.
However, there are many reasons for this, including the sun, extreme temperatures, and spicy foods.
“Rosacea is often characterized by increased skin sensitivity,” Dr. Garshick adds. With increased sensitivity, you should avoid certain products.
While this applies to products like chemical sunscreens, it definitely doesn’t apply to moisturizers.
“With rosacea, moisturizing is even more important because dry skin is a disaster for rosacea-prone skin,” explains Dr. Rachel Nazarian, a New York City dermatologist.
Your skin barrier is already sensitive.
If your moisture barrier is compromised, resulting in a reduced ability to keep out moisture, the likelihood of irritation from environmental influences is higher.
An intact, healthy, moist skin barrier protects you from such conditions.
Whether you need a new cream that’s better suited to your skin type or you’re looking for more creams to round out your collection, here are the 14 best moisturizers for rosacea, as recommended by experts.
1. Vanicream Daily Face Moisturizer with Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid
Both doctors recommend Vanicream’s daily moisturizer for those with sensitive skin. It’s fragrance-, paraben-, and sulfate-free, making it a great choice.
“It contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides,” Dr. Garshik says. “It hydrates and supports the skin barrier, but it’s very gentle on the skin at the same time.”
2. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer: This ultra-light cream is designed to repair the skin’s natural protective barrier.
It contains key ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, and glycerin.
“Niacinamide is particularly effective for rosacea because it has a calming effect and soothes the skin,” says Dr. Garshik.
“It’s great for sensitive skin, and it’s oil-free so it won’t clog your pores. So it’s helpful for people with acne and rosacea.”
3. Skinfix Barrier+: This non-comedogenic gel-cream is perfect for oily skin, hydrating without clogging pores.
It contains niacinamide and antimicrobial peptides to support a healthy skin barrier, making it perfect for acne-prone skin. It also eliminates fine lines and wrinkles and improves skin elasticity.
4. Eau Thermale Avène Cicalfate+: This product repairs, hydrates, and protects the skin. This rich, thick cream is perfect for anyone with irritated skin.
“It soothes redness and inflammation. The skin doesn’t feel greasy, but it does look thicker,” says Dr. Garshik. “So it’s especially great for people with rosacea and dry skin.”
It can also be used to treat burns, cuts, and scrapes.
5. Topical products like Butter Moisturizer: This moisturizer is named after her. It contains hyaluronic acid to treat dry, red skin.
The rich texture is perfect for those with eczema or itchy skin, and the packaging is stylish, too.
6. Aveeno Calm + Redness Restoring Moisturizer: This cream contains oats, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
Ceramides and vitamin B5 also help restore the skin’s moisture barrier, relieving redness and dryness.
If you’re sensitive to fragrance, you’ll be happy to hear that this cream is fragrance-free and hypoallergenic.
7. CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion: “It contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid to support the skin barrier,” says Dr. Gashik. “It’s also non-greasy, which is great because it absorbs quickly.”
She adds that this affordable moisturizer is ideal for those with oily skin who want to hydrate their skin without leaving a greasy or sticky feeling.
8. Cetaphil Calm + Redness Restoring Day Cream
Another cream with SPF is Cetaphil Calm + Redness Restoring Day Cream. This cream has a lighter tint, making it a good choice for anyone looking to cover up redness.
Dr. Nazarian notes that it’s also a physical sunscreen (mineral sunscreen), which is gentler on the skin than chemical sunscreens.
It also contains caffeine, which constricts blood vessels in the skin, which reduces blood flow to the skin.
9. Acure Soothing Day Cream: If you’re looking for an intensely hydrating treatment, you’ll love this day cream because it’s free of parabens, sulfates, and mineral oil.
It also contains other immediately accessible ingredients that work wonders for treating rosacea. “It contains rosehip oil, a lipid-based anti-inflammatory oil,” says Dr. Nazarian.
“It seals the skin barrier, which is an important part of healthy skin for people with rosacea.”
10. DR.JART+ Cicapair Tigergrass Complexion Correcting Care Bonus points for any product that adds SPF. Dr. Garshick says this treatment uses mineral filters like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide,
which can be helpful for people with rosacea who are sensitive to certain sunscreens.
“The main ingredient is Centella asiatica, which is known for its ability to soothe the skin and reduce redness,” she says. “It helps hide and cover redness while providing all-day protection.”
11. Paula’s Choice CALM Rescue & Repair Moisturizer for Sensitive, Oily, and Combination Skin If your skin is average, this moisturizer from Paula’s Choice is perfect for you.
It strengthens the skin barrier while fighting wrinkles, fine lines, redness, and eczema. The cream is fragrance- and paraben-free, but does contain mushroom extract, squalane, and prebiotic sugars.
12. Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Skin Barrier Redness Repair Moisturizer This vegan, cruelty-free moisturizer is packed with skin-plumping ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides.
It also contains allantoin to lock in moisture, soothe irritation, and regenerate the skin barrier. Great for sensitive skin, and the packaging is super cute!
13. Proactiv Green Tea Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer (For Dry Skin) This cream contains moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalene, and allantoin.
However, green tea is a little different from other types of tea. “Green tea is a powerful antioxidant,” says Dr. Nazarian.
“It’s so important to have something that can neutralize free radicals and protect the skin from environmental damage.”
14. Clinique Anti-Redness Soothing Day Cream Although this cream is a little pricey, it’s well worth it. The oil-free formula with lactobacillus extract soothes redness and blemishes.
It also contains other valuable ingredients like caffeine, green tea, and shea butter.
Here’s how we selected the best moisturizers for rosacea: We spoke to two board-certified dermatologists and compiled their product recommendations into a list. We evaluated customer reviews, ingredients, and more to find the best picks.