10 Tips to Finding the Right Foundation for Rosacea-prone Skin
In today's episode I want to talk to you about my attempt at finding the right make-up for my Rosacea prone skin (foundation, in particular) and the 10 things I learned along the way that can hopefully help you as well, if you have Rosacea, unwanted redness, or sensitive skin and are trying to find the right foundation.
If you have Rosacea, like I do, you know how hard it can be to find new products that are right for your skin and don't cause further redness or irritation.
I realized that trying to find the right foundation for Rosacea prone skin can be just as tricky as trying to find skin care products. And as we all know, what works for one person with Rosacea, may not work for someone else with Rosacea.
Because even with Rosacea being a shared factor, a person may also have acne, oily, dry or combination skin that makes the difference between products working for one person versus another. When you take everything into account, it really comes down to each of us individually.
But on the flip side, products that are great for one person with Rosacea can also be great for another, in spite of any of those differences, so it always helps to share information and favorite products!
So why am I talking about foundation for Rosacea today?
Well, about a month or so, I was getting to the end of my very last tube of Mary Kay Medium Coverage foundation, in Ivory 100 - a product that I have been using for the last 17 years...I know, that's a long time to be loyal to one product, but when something works, it works, and why change it? I wouldn't, but this particular line, their Medium Coverage foundation, has been discontinued and replaced with something I think that's called TimeWise foundation, with a bit different formulation and coloring.
And pretty much, for the last several weeks, I've been pretending that it wasn't real. That it wasn't really going to be gone and that magically I would still be able to order it again. But the truth was, with each squeeze of that tube, I knew if I didn't do something, I would literally wake up one day and not have any foundation left, so no matter how much I resisted, I knew it was time for me to go find another foundation.
The reason I kept resisting, was because just the thoughts of it was really overwhelming.
I didn't know which make-up brands to try, there are so many out there, and what if I tried a bunch of things and spent all sorts of money, and didn't choose the right color or the right kind, and had to send them back, would they take them back? And what if I never could find a foundation that looked as good as my favorite Mary Kay foundation did, or even worse, what if one of them irritated my skin? You never know - even good, skin healthy ingredients can sometimes be irritating to Rosacea.
Honestly, I was kind of in the mix between decision fatigue and analysis paralysis and had to walk away for a minute.
Over this process, I learned some things that I wanted to share with you, to help you if you might also be looking for a new Rosacea friendly foundation right now, or at least may someday in the future. I mean, you never know when one of your favorite brands will decide to discontinue your favorite product. That's the truth.
Here are the 10 things I learned, I call them the:
10 Tips to Finding the Right Foundation for Rosacea-prone Skin
[aka Foundation 101 for Rosacea-prone skin]
1. Ask someone with Rosacea what make-up they use.
This may seem like an obvious point, and it is! But often we are either too afraid or just not motivated enough to ask and think we can just figure it out. This is my number one, because this can help get you started in the right direction, and you can save some time, and maybe even money by finding someone who also has Rosacea and asking them what make-up foundation they use, so you can give it a try. You can find people in skin care forums, on Instagram and even, get this, real live people that you know! They are all great sources.
I found 2 lovely ladies on Instagram you may already be following, who share a lot of their favorite Rosacea make-up and other products. One is Lex [@talentedlex] and the other person is Rose [@rosegallagher]. They share a lot of Rosacea related information on their Instagram accounts, so I will list those.
And we also know, Jamie Kern Lima, is the woman who created the first IT Cosmetics foundation specifically for covering Rosacea, because she has it herself. So you have a couple great places to start.
2. Decide what level of coverage you want.
Do you want a more light weight, medium or full coverage? Lighter and medium allow a more buildable coverage, and thicker, fuller coverage is a kind of one-and-done coverage.
3. Decide what type you want to try
(liquid, cream or powder) and what might work best for your skin type (taking into consideration whether you're also oily, dry, combination skin, etc.)
4. Decide whether you want a product that contains specific tints to help help cover Rosacea redness.
I read on Jean Coutu that a green-tinted concealer can help hide red, an orange-tinted concealer helps to cover blue veins and a yellow-tinted concealer works well for purple or brown dark circles. My Mary Kay foundation does not have a special concealer but evens out my complexion nicely.
5. Decide whether you want a luminous, a more dewy finish, or a matte finish ( which is generally better for oily skin).
6. Understand the difference between different products.
This took me a moment because of all the choices and types - it can be overwhelming, I'm talking about CC creams, BB creams, Tinted Moisturizers, Foundations, and Powders...so I'll go through those quickly with you.
a.) CC Creams
Color correcting creams - they are often more light-weight and offer a fuller coverage. They can also contain anti-aging ingredients and SPF.
source: IT Cosmetics
b.) BB Creams
Beauty balm creams - they are a light-weight alternative to traditional foundations and are more like a skin care + make-up combo, which offers light-weight coverage and skin care benefits.
source: Byrdie
c.) Tinted moisturizers
Which are exactly what they are. Moisturizers with a small amount of tint - enough to help even out skin tone by covering, correcting, moisturizing and hydrating. Some add SPF, some offer more coverage, but overall, as I understand it, they are a lighter coverage option.
source: SkinStore
d.) Foundations
Traditional foundations are known best for a fuller coverage look compared to other products - even out skin tone and cover imperfections. I know a lot of foundations are coming out with additional skin care ingredients, I know often foundations can now come with SPF, but overall, traditional foundations, for the most part, are best known for coverage versus adding additional skin care benefits, but that's not always the case, it depends on the brand.
source: Loreal Paris
e.) Powders
Dry pigmented color and minerals that come as pressed or loose powder.
So I hope those definitions help you understand those different types of products.
the 7th tip to finding the right foundation for Rosacea-prone skin...
7. Consider whether you want to add warmth to your complexion or keep it cool?
The answer may help you decide whether you want a more cool or warm tone.
We all have a warmer or cooler tone to our skin and foundation doesn't have to "match your skin tone" necessarily. If you want to add a little warmth to your complexion and it doesn't look too dark or orange for you, you can do that, versus thinking you have to choose a cool tone if your skin tone is cool. Does that make sense?
My favorite Mary Kay foundation, although it is Ivory 100, is a little bit warmer than my cooler skin tone but looks nice on my skin. You just have to do a little testing to see what looks best.
8. Be aware that the color you see in the bottle may not look the same on your skin.
The only way you can know for sure is to try it on your face. Even testing it on the inside of your arm isn't the same color or type of skin as is on your face. Though it might help you see if it will cause irritation by testing it on your arm before putting it on your face, it will not necessarily give you the same coverage that it would be on your face.
9. Realize you have the freedom to use more than one product!
Did you know you can mix colors if you want to? You can build layers on one at a time, or simply use a different product on a different day?! Amazing, right?!
Maybe you want to try a tinted moisturizer one day and a powder one day and a foundation another day. Go for it! I don't know if it was just growing up in a big family and having to choose just one (like no, you can't have every flavor of ice cream, choose one scoop!) so it was ingrained in me to choose one and deal with it.
I am not typically of the mind set that I can actually choose several types of something or have them all if I want to! The truth is, you can, if your budget allows, to have as many different "foundations" that you want, so if you want to use a few different ones and rotate it, go for it!
I'm still very traditional in my mind set and I still stick with one if it works, but there is nothing wrong with variety as long as you don't go overboard, right?
the 10th and final tip to finding the right foundation for Rosacea-prone skin is...
10. Give it the test and time method
You may need to test out a few different products and give those products time, to see what you think. *However, if it irritates your skin, stop using it immediately.
But when trying different products, you can ask yourself:
- Does the coloring compliment my skin tone?
- Does it look different in natural light?
- Does the product settle into my pores or fine lines?
- Does it make me too shiny? or Chalky?
- How well does it hold up during the day?
Only time and use will tell, so give it a minute as you make your decisions.
So what happened with me and my foundation conundrum?
Well, I'm happy to say, that my story ends well, but not in the way that you might think.
Before I get to the end, I will say that I did try Loreal's Color Match Foundation, which sadly, for me, felt a little too painted on, to my skin. It felt a bit too flat and the colors turned out to be much lighter on my face than in the bottle, so I felt like I looked really pale and not in a good way.
It also seemed to accentuate my fine lines and pores, like it was sitting on top of them, not well blended, which was not the look I was going for. It also seemed to rub off easily during the day when I had to take my mask on and off, whereas the Mary Kay foundation seemed to set a lot better.
I also got unbelievably overwhelmed by IT Cosmetics' website with all the choices they had - CC, CC+, BB, Bye Bye Foundation, Your Skin But Better Foundation...I didn't know which product to choose...and then I had to figure out what shade... Fair warm? Fair Light cool? Light warm? Light Medium cool?
Did I need a primer or setting powder or did I just need to get off that website as soon as possible before my brain explodes?! Yes. I did.
I loaded my cart and left their website 4 different times before giving up.
So I still haven't tried IT Cosmetics, but it's at the top of my list, if I can get over the overwhelm of their website and make some decisions.
So here's the twist in my story, that I was not expecting...but maybe you saw it coming?
In a spark of genius, or exhaustion honestly, I reached out to my Mary Kay rep and asked her if she could check to see if any other reps had any tubes left of the discontinued Mary Kay Medium Coverage Foundation in Ivory 100...and drumroll please, she actually found some around the country and mailed them to me. She is my makeup angel!
So now I have like 10 tubes of this foundation, that should last me like 5 years. ha!
So the urgency is gone to try to find a new foundation, which, hallelujah, but I did learn a lot along the way that will help me when my last tube runs dry...and who knows what the skin care industry will have dreamed up by then?!
So I ask you, do you have a favorite foundation that works well for your Rosacea-prone skin?
If you do, please share it! I love to share what works for you with our listeners and Fairface customers, many of whom have Rosacea or other sensitive skin conditions. I love to be a resource for anyone who needs it!
I hope this has helped you understand what to ask yourself and what to consider as you navigate the world of make-up, specifically the foundation type of make-up, with Rosacea. It can be a bit overwhelming, but I hope you can find what works for you.
If you can get your hands on any Mary Kay Medium Coverage foundation in the world, go ahead and try it because that's what has worked so well for me, unless of course, I've pretty much bought it all up. In that case, I'm so sorry.
I would recommend trying IT Cosmetics and even calling them to talk to a rep who can help walk you though their offerings and maybe they can give you some good recommendations instead of just trying to guess...and instead of giving up and walking away from their website like I did.
That's it for today! Let me know your favorite foundation that works well for your Rosacea! I would love to know!
Thanks again for being here! I'll see you next time!
Since we're talking about make-up. How do you get yours off?
Don't wash your face with anything other than Fairface Washcloths for sensitive skin! Our soft, soothing flannel glides gently, without causing further irritation to your Rosacea or sensitive skin. And, our soft flannel face cloths come in white or black (think- no make-up stains!).
Try Fairface Washcloths today!
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