Best Drugstore Products for Rosacea / Redness

As some of you know, I've been struggling with rosacea for the past couple years and have been on a quest to figure out a skin routine/products that work for me! I've discovered some products that really seem to work for me over the last 6 months or so, so I thought I would share in case any of you are struggling with it too! Even if you don't have rosacea, these products are great for sensitive skin in general or those prone to redness!

I should preface this by saying that I did go through a round of antibiotics 2 years ago and then used a prescription gel (metro gel) to help get it under control. The antibiotics worked great, though I didn't find the gel did much at all. Unfortunately one cannot stay on a high dose of antibiotics very long...

The first product discovery I made was Avene's anti-rougeurs line. Here in Canada I find this at Shoppers Drug Mart, and while pricey in my books (about $32 for a small tube) it did really seem to work in getting my redness under control. It took a couple weeks to notice a difference, but I definitely noticed my skin was significantly less red while using it.

Finding it hard to justify the price of that month after month, I tried out Aveno's Ultra-Calming line after seeing Merritt recommend it. I picked up the day moisturizer and the foam cleanser and during my very first use I noticed how NICE they felt on my skin. I just had a little "Ahhh..." moment when lathering up my face with the cleanser. After a week I noticed my skin was looking and feeling much better, and these have been my go-to since then. They are super affordable, available pretty much everywhere, and work as good if not better than the more expensive Avene line. I'm completely sold! Love love love these products. I also picked up their night cream as I really don't need to be putting SPF on to go to bed.

So beyond cleansing & moisturizing, I had a hard time finding makeup that would cover my redness and last all day. Enter Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation. You guys, this stuff is so good. Full coverage without being cakey and covers my redness all day long. I absolutely love this stuff.

And this is not so much rosacea related, but while trying out the foundation I picked up a couple other Maybelline products and found the best concealer I've ever used next to Benefit's Erase Paste. Maybelline Master Conceal is thick and creamy and goes on so nicely.

So there you have it! This isn't to say I don't still get flushed with redness sometimes (hello, red wine...one of my worst triggers but who can say no to wine?) but these products have definitely helped me treat & cover and generally just feel really good on my skin. 

Have you tried any products for redness or rosacea? I'd love to hear your experiences & recs!! 

Complexion Rescue - A New Shade of Skincare

It's no secret that winter wreaks havoc on skin, and if you're anything like me you find yourself trying to figure out what will give your skin that major moisture boost it so desperately needs without leaving you feeling greasy or breakout-prone!

Well my friends, I think I've just found the answer! Enter, bareMinerals' Complexion Rescue - it's a super hydrating gel cream that takes the best parts of a bb cream, cc cream and tinted moisturizer all in one! Plus, it's a hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic formula that has no silicone, fragrance, oil or parabens! 

I've been using this product for just over a week now and I can honestly say any sign of dry, flaky winter skin is gone. My skin definitely feels softer and has a more dewy appearance.

I will fully admit as a girl who battles with rosacea, redness, and semi-regular breakouts, I was unsure that this would work for me. I had perfect skin as a teenager but once I hit 30 I've been struggling to figure out my skin. So light coverage didn't sound like it was going to cut it, but truthfully it's really build-able, and with a little concealer and powder, I was good to go! Application is really easy, too... you can use your fingers or the smoothing face brush. 

More than anything though I just really love how this product feels. It really absorbs into your skin and totally hydrates it. When my skin is winter-dry, most foundations end up looking cakey or really bring out those awful little flakes of skin - Complexion Rescue is completely opposite and moisturizes better than my daily moisturizer! Pretty impressive.

This was my first time trying any bareMinerals product and I can tell you that I've spent some serious time browsing their other products online. My next trip to Sephora will definitely include a few others! With a mantra of "Be original. Be natural. Be good", what's not to love?

This post was sponsored by bareMinerals but all opinions are 100% my own.