Natural cosmetics for rosacea: Why the right products are important

Conventional cosmetic products contain several ingredients that can trigger rosacea, such as mineral oil, silicone, or synthetic fragrances. Should I therefore avoid these products if I have rosacea? Use natural cosmetics ?

Rosacea, also known as couperose, is a skin condition characterized by facial redness and often accompanied by inflammatory papules and pustules . The first symptoms usually appear in the mid- to late twenties. Many sufferers did not necessarily have skin problems during their youth.

When treating rosacea, it is particularly important to avoid triggers in cosmetics, diet, or the environment. Rosacea triggers can worsen redness and other symptoms. The severity of the triggers varies greatly from person to person. Some people with rosacea can even tolerate some of the known triggers.

Depending on the severity, there are also drug-based or surgical therapies available.

There are several things to consider when choosing cosmetics for rosacea, as many ingredients in cosmetic products can trigger flare-ups. With the right rosacea care, including soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredients, and appropriate makeup, redness can be reduced or concealed. This can lead to greater well-being and a more relaxed state of mind.

• Genuine natural cosmetics inherently avoid certain trigger factors that can be found in conventional cosmetics. These include cortisone, perfume, PEGs, parabens, mineral oil, urea, and silicones.
• Some natural ingredients that are also used in natural cosmetics, such as green tea , oats, horse chestnut or licorice root , are very suitable for rosacea.
• It has nothing directly to do with rosacea: natural cosmetics are more sustainable than conventional cosmetics.

• Mechanical scrubs contain excessively large, sharp-edged exfoliating particles that can damage your skin. They can create micro-tears in your skin that are invisible to the naked eye. These are ideal entry points for germs, which can lead to inflammation. This also applies to clay/healing clay products or those containing salt or sugar granules.
• Fruit acids: Pineapple, papaya, hibiscus extract, and other fruit acids act like strong chemical peels (which are not particularly suitable for couperose), but with the added disadvantage that the natural acid content can vary greatly. These products can therefore be far too acidic for the skin in some cases – especially for those with rosacea.

I first became aware of my rosacea when I tried to switch my skincare and makeup completely to natural cosmetics . Suddenly my skin turned red and I got pimples. Not typical hormonal pimples, but small red pustules.

When I went back to using my usual pharmacy products, which I hadn't changed in years, the problem suddenly disappeared. My skin was fine again. However, I personally felt uncomfortable supporting brands that conduct animal testing and use unsustainable ingredients. It was a real dilemma for me.

Many have given up, believing that natural cosmetics don't work for rosacea. And if you look at the natural cosmetics market, you quickly realize that it's almost impossible to find products that don't contain the aforementioned triggers. Some niche brands are now foregoing essential oils altogether or at least reducing their use – however, the problem of plant oils, flower hydrosols instead of water, fruit acids, pH levels, stimulating extracts, etc., often used without consideration for rosacea usually remains.

This isn't because it's fundamentally impossible to produce tolerable natural cosmetics for rosacea. Just because many natural substances are irritating to the skin doesn't mean they have to be used. It requires a different mindset to create natural cosmetics for rosacea and sensitive skin. That's why it's part of our philosophy that all Xeno products should be as well-tolerated as possible by all skin types.

Sunscreen is important for preventing skin cancer and is also the best "anti-aging remedy" because it slows down the formation of age spots and wrinkles. Sunscreen is even more important for rosacea because the sun can be a trigger.

Finding a well-tolerated sunscreen for rosacea is generally difficult, and even harder when the selection is limited. Sunscreen needs a film-forming agent so that the sun protection factors can be distributed evenly on the skin. Therefore, sunscreens inevitably contain plant oils, silicones, mineral oils, alcohol, or other film-forming agents, all of which are known rosacea triggers. Some sunscreen filters can also be rosacea triggers. That's why it's important to find the sunscreen that works best for you individually. Because the best sunscreen isn't the natural or conventional one, but the one you wear regularly.

Natural cosmetic makeup usually contains many plant oils and butters, which should be taken into account. Furthermore, there are very few products without exotic extracts, fruit extracts, essential oils, etc.

The most tolerable option for rosacea is mineral makeup in powder form, which consists solely of natural, non-reactive mineral pigments. While this slightly limits the possibilities for look and application, it's always a solution if other makeup products aren't working. Incidentally, mineral powder makeup contains zinc oxide, which can reduce papules and pustules because it counteracts inflammation.

When choosing cream products, it's worth paying attention to the amount of plant oils they contain. Those who tolerate certain plant oils can, of course, look for makeup containing those oils.

Tip: Instead of makeup, you can use a tinted sunscreen. The mineral filters in natural sunscreens are usually well-tolerated, you need one less product, and the tint prevents a white cast. A potential drawback is the oil content. See also the section on skincare above.

Unfortunately, there isn't much natural cosmetics makeup that's well-suited for rosacea yet. Don't put pressure on yourself: especially with makeup, it's okay to compromise if the market doesn't offer what you're looking for.