***UPDATE***: I am so thrilled to share with you that I no longer suffer from chronic rosacea. I have updated this post with some new links as brands and products have changed a bit since I first wrote this post 3 years ago. That being said, I still use the Well People Foundation Powder below and I've shared some clean beauty brands for cosmetics that I love from lipstick to mascara. I use Hello Joyous for my skincare.
Nearly 415 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with rosacea however that number is much higher if you take into account people who have self-reported they have rosacea. Since I first starting talking about my own journey with rosacea including how I care for my skin naturally, the foods to avoid and the foods to eat, sooooo many people have reached out to me!
Due to popular request, I am going to share the best natural makeup I use! When I have a flareup I cover it up and there ain't no shame in that! It makes me feel better about my skin. Sure, you could say you should feel beautiful with your sunburnt-bumpy-looking face but covering it makes me stress and obsess less. However, on a scale of 1 to 10, on a daily basis, my rosacea is a 1-3 in severity. See my before photos of 10/10 for severity and you will see how far I've come and that wasn't all that long ago.
So for me, it's 100% worth it to take an extra few minutes in the morning to make my face look less red. This is why I'm sharing my favourite natural make up with you because I can relate. I know what it's like to wake up in the morning when you've been eating so well, living a healthy lifestyle but your face still looks like someone slapped your cheeks and the texture is way off. I totally empathize with you.
I have spent a lot of money over the years on natural products figuring out what works for my skin so I hope I save you a few bucks with this post. :)
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of my favourite products, I want to preface this by saying that everyone's skin and rosacea is different. What works for me, might not work for you.
If you haven't already read about my skincare routine where I outline the face wash and serums I use, I recommend checking that out that first. That's how I prep my skin before applying any makeup.
If you're using products with ingredients that may irritate your skin, then start here before you begin looking at ways to cover it up.
It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway that the products I use are free of parabens, irritating ingredients, alcohol, heavy oils, petrochemicals and of course, not tested on animals. There is no single ingredient that would aggravate sensitive skin unless of course, you have a specific allergy.
These recommendations will also work if you have sensitive skin!
First step: Use Sunscreen Daily
It is absolutely essential to use sunscreen daily when you have rosacea because your skin barrier function has been compromised. This means that your skin is much more sensitive to burning and free radical damage from UV rays and must be protected. I've written a whole post about the Best Natural Sunscreens you can check out here.
Second step: Colour corrector
This green colour corrector by Lily Lolo is a pressed powder. It is a non-pore clogging formula made with jojoba oil which is one of my fave oils because it is very close to the sebum your skin naturally produces. It is specifically formulated for rosacea and acne-prone skin. I absolutely LOVE it.
Why green? Green is the opposite of red on the colour spectrum. So when you put green over red (if you have Caucasian skin like mine) it neutralizes the redness. If you've got olive skin, it should work but you'll want to test it out first. For darker skin tones, peach, orange and red work best to neutralize purple and dark brown discolouration that people of colour experience.
How to use: Apply after your moisturizer and sunblock with a large blush brush. If you wear liquid foundation, this would be applied afterwards on any areas that appear red. I apply this before my final step with finishing powder. Be careful and don't overdo it or else you'll look nauseated! A little goes a long way.
I've also used this colour corrector by Pacifica (above) which is a cream instead of a powder and you get all three colours. It is great all on its own, it just doesn't build well if you plan on putting a powder on top of it. I combined it with a bit of organic squalene oil to thin it out and it went on my face perfectly. Just to be clear, I don't use both the green Pacifica cream and the Lily Lolo powder. More often than not, I'm using only the Lily Lolo powder and once I completely healed my skin I no longer needed this.
How to use: Apply this after your moisturizer and sunscreen . It's fairly thick, so you can thin it out in the palm of your hand as I mentioned above. Let dry and apply any makeup over top, like a finishing powder.
This is another great concealer!
If you have a lot of broken blood vessels then Well People's foundation stick is your new bestie. It comes in pretty much every skin tone - from pale ivory to deep cocoa and it's a plant-based formula.
Before I had rosacea, this was pretty much the only makeup product I used! I absolutely love the texture. This concealer stick is smooth and creamy. It doesn't clog pores and never makes me break out which is great when you consider that I would use it on the oiliest part of my face, around my nose. If you wanted a concealer for under your eyes, this would be a great choice.
How to use: You can use a foundation brush to apply it too, but I just used my fingers.
Third and final step: Finishing powder
I love this foundation powder by Well People because it ties everything together so nicely and I buy a colour a little darker than my skin, so it's like a bit of bronzer too. I only use a modest amount on my cheeks and nose. I do not put it on my chin. As you probably read in this post, my chin is a whole other ecosystem so I am very careful.
How to use: Apply after moisturizer and sunscreen as the final step.
As for mascara, lip gloss or any of those enhancements here are some clean beauty brands I love:
As you probably know, whenever I am filming any videos this is my makeup routine as well. Gotta keep it natural and allow my skin to breathe!
If you have a brand you love that works great for rosacea, please share below! Or if you have a question about a brand, please ask because it's possible I've tried it.
Next on my list is a post to share all the natural health supplements I'm taking and I've taken in the past.
Wishing you beautiful skin from within!
Joy xo
Love reading your hints about this! I hadn’t used makeup in years other than lipstick and eyeshadow as everything looked and felt awful and my cheeks went red and bumpy. Now I use Savvy mineral makeup- liquid mineral foundation very lightly, loose mineral powder and bronzer. I do like their lipsticks, glosses and lip lux conditioner. The eye shadows are lovely. I was so skeptical- but about two years after loving other Young Living products I did try it and am so glad. It is so clean and well researched - they do not allow so many ingredients that should be banned. Never having had makeup brushes I fell in love with the savvy brushes too. No one was more surprised than myself that I’m now wearing makeup more often💚 I also like that essential oils and other plant based products are used to help skin.
ReplyThanks for sharing you've found something great that works for you! There are so many natural brands of makeup that are wonderful. I just wish multi-level marketing products like Savvy by Young Living weren't so grossly overpriced. This is always my hesitation getting behind any MLM product because the price is cost-prohibitive for the average person. For example, their mascara is $43 retail when you can buy an amazing product from a Canadian company like Pure Ananda for $11 or $12. Pure Anada has so many amazing products made locally for very reasonable prices.
Yes, prices can appear higher but once I joined for free I received free gifts and earned points to use for whatever I want. Looking at high quality products elsewhere the prices are quite comparable. I think we just need to find what works for us from a well researched and lab supported company. Just be sure products contain no nano particles and the mica is from an ethical source not involving child labour. It’s so scary what some stuff for sale has origins in.
ReplyAll great points! That's nice you get some free products out of it :)
Hi Joy. Have you tried pure simple’s flawless foundation ? I think it’s just a moisturizer with a tint so more like a bb cream . It’s very moisturizing and it also covers redness so I doubt you would need a colour corrector . You’ve probably tried it and perhaps found it heavier than the one you’re using . A the healthy mom’s store in the junction , my partner just bought a promising serum for rosacea . Check out aurum’s calming birch serum . I’m excited To try it . Very interesting ingredients !
ReplyThanks for letting me know! I don't think I've tried that one but I always find liquid foundations just don't work on my skin because they are too heavy for me and make me break out and the ones that are super light make me flaky - I know, so finicky! I use so little of the green powder and sometimes don't even need it. Appreciate your tips though, thank you. The only serum I am using these days is the Hella Hydrating: https://shopjoyoushealth.com/hella-hydrating/and my magical DIY serum I share the recipe for in this post: https://www.joyoushealth.com/27515-blog-rosacea-how-i-care-for-my-skin-naturally That birch one looks pretty clean but it's pricy! I wonder if they have a sample :)
Can you recommend a daily sunscreen?
ReplyHere are some ideas on clean brands! https://www.joyoushealth.com/27349-blog-overheard-at-joyous-health-best-natural-sunscreens
Thank you so much for all of the information Joy! I too developed rosacea at 40 and could 1000% relate to your podcast word for word. Cold wind, coffee, wine, chocolate and of course the monthly skin changes. I have tried many products and always prefer Canadian owned businesses. Foundation has been a tough one but I have recently discovered Merit. They have a foundation stick and I like the control I get over how much and where. I've also tried Ilia, but any of their formulas really irritate my skin within hours. I will definitely try some of the supplements you reco'd. Thank you again for sharing your experience and knowledge!
ReplyThanks for sharing your experience, Tania! I never found a good foundation either, it always made it worse so I stopped trying. Thanks for sharing though because I'm sure someone else will read this! Fortunately, I don't have to wear any foundation, but my sunscreen has a tint which provides a nice natural glow.
Hi Joy Firstly, thank you for all of this information and your insightful posts. I am in the middle of a wild spell of rosacea and I appreciate you acknowledging how stressful and awful it is. I have had perfect skin my whole life and all of the sudden am dealing with this and feel completely in the dark as to how best solve it. Question! What and how do you remove your makeup? I am a performer in Las Vegas and often wear a significant amount of makeup but I feel like the way I am taking it off is triggering. I have ordered the bamboo cloths you recommended but is there any makeup remover you suggest?
ReplyHi Erica, I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with rosacea. It can be very stressful indeed. I use a very gentle natural cleanser made with organic glycerin and organic herbs/plants (nothing else) called Fresh Face. https://shopjoyoushealth.com/fresh-face Full disclosure: I have my own skincare brand that is rosacea/sensitive skin safe. You mentioned you wear a lot of makeup when performing, you could wash your face twice if you find this gentle cleanser isn't removing everything. If I am wearing a lot of eye makeup like when I do tv segments, I wash twice with Fresh Face and then use an organic cotton round to remove my eye makeup with Biotherma Micellar Water. I do not use that product on any area other than my eye area. The other important thing is that you need to balance your pH. This is often missed with rosacea and especially if you're washing your face a lot it's going to become too alkaline. Check out my Magical Mist. It is the best thing for redness. Spritz in the morning and in the evening. https://shopjoyoushealth.com/magical-mist/ I hope that helps!
Hi Joy, Thank you so much for your reply. Before you replied I read every one of your posts about rosacea and have already bought all 3 of your products.. I too saw a dermatologist who prescribed a whole host of things to me, none of which felt right, none of which helped. He told me to put Vaseline on my skin and that truly has only exasperated the problem. I am hopeful your products will help! I am also thankful you posted your pictures because currently my face looks identical and you have given me hope it won’t be like this forever and made me feel not so alone. Erica
ReplyMy pleasure. I'm happy to help :) I'm glad to hear you're listening to your inner wisdom! Vaseline is an occlusive that suffocates the skin. It will get better, I promise! If you haven't already, have a listen to episode 66 of my podcast where I talk all about my journey with rosacea. And thank you for buying the skincare bundle. You'll love it! https://www.joyoushealth.com/27562-blog-ep-66-managing-rosacea-naturally-and-building-your-healthiest-skin-with-joy-mccarthy
Hello! I have been looking at Kosas and Ilia for their foundation, concealer, and skin tints (specifically Ilia for this one.) I have heard great things about these brands but am scared to try anything because of the potential to clog pores and make flare ups happen!
ReplyI totally get that! I tried Ilia foundation and their tinted serum when I had rosacea and I found it clogged my pores and made things worse, but that may not be the same for you. I didn't find the coverage of their serum tint very good either. I like the Ilia brand overall though. Depending where you live, I would go to a store that sells these brands and get them to give you samples. The Detox Market in Toronto is a great place to check out.
Hi Joy, I can’t fully explain how much your podcasts, IG posts and blogs have given me hope, insight and motivation to solve my own rosacea struggle. I too solved my own rosacea back in 2020, when I went on a 6 week whole food diet and cut out dairy and gluten totally. Unfortunately It started to back after suffering trauma in early 2022 and as of May of this year has grown to unmanageable conditions. I never re-entered gluten or dairy back in my diet but now realize so many trigger foods. I also now realize the importance of stress management and looking forward to checking out the other podcast episodes. I struggled to find anything to cover it up the way liquid foundation does but will try the recommendations above. At one point I was using Cover fx pressed mineral foundation when it was in remission which seemed ok- have you tried or approve of the ingredient list?
ReplyHi Daniella, I'm so happy to hear that the information I have shared has inspired you and given you some hope. I always found that foundations, even the natural ones, made my skin worse by clogging my pores. Have you tried a BB cream instead? I don't know Cover Fx is that a MAC Cosmetics product?
Hey, thanks for this. It's so nice to know other people who r in the same boat with there skin. I'm a bit to scared to try full face make up now iv finally got my skin semi under control but would love to find a mascara to just help me look a little nicer but not sure what is safe, any suggestions?
ReplyI feel you! Less makeup is better for sure with sensitive skin.
For mascara, I love two brands: Pure Anada + Elate Cosmetics. Both clean brands.
Hi Joy! :) I’m so glad I stumbled across your post on rosacea. It can be tricky to navigate in the very beginning, so this was helpful! Could you share what shade you use in the pressed foundation powder? Thank You!
ReplyHi! I need to update this post because I don't use that product anymore. Instead I use Well People https://www.wellpeople.com/bio-powder-foundation/100021G.html I don't know the colour because the label has rubbed off the back but it looks like "light with golden undertone". Hope that helps!
What moisturizer and cleanser do you recommend?
ReplyHi Katherine! This is what I used to heal my skin and it's been keeping my skin healthy.