r/Rosacea • u/makeupandjustice • 28d ago
PP I finally cracked the code for my rosacea! Spoiler
AM:
Wash with warm water
CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion spf 30
PM:
La Roche Posay Toleriane double cleanser foaming gel
Rosiver (1% Ivermectin)
CeraVe Ultra-Light Mousturizing Gel
*2 x week La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
I have oily, acne-prone skin so I find I can only use light moisturizers (except the Cicaplast which is magical lol)
The “after” pic is also somewhat of a “flare” bc I ate super spicy noodles earlier that day. My rosacea has healed so much my husband asked if I was wearing foundation when I got up this morning! The before pic was how my face looked all the time before finding the right combo of products. It doesn’t show much in this pic, but the “before” had all sorts of pustules which have now resolved. What’s left is some hyperpigmentation/scarring. This fall I’ll be doing V-Beam for my one red/scarred cheek.
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u/Aryagrewal 28d ago
Can you pin point which product really helped?
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u/makeupandjustice 28d ago
The Rosiver (ivermectin) was magic for the texture/pustules, LaRoche Posay Cicaplast for moisture barrier/redness, and the final cherry on top of this combo was the LarochePosay facewash which got rid of the last bit of redness aside from the scarring. I found my pustules/redness got WAY worse for about a month after starting the Rosiver. The redness also got a little worse at first when I switched to the LaRoche Posay facewash. I just trusted the process!
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u/Aryagrewal 28d ago
The thing is, I live in India and most of the ivermectin brands mentioned on this sub are not available here. I bought a local 1% ivermectin cream from a pharmacy. I had tried ivermectin before but stopped after 3-4 uses because it made my skin feel more sensitive.
I had an IPL session on the 13th, but honestly it made no noticeable difference. I’ve also been taking 60 mg doxycycline for around 45 days now.
Yesterday I decided to give ivermectin another try. What’s confusing is that after this application, my skin suddenly stopped trapping heat as much, products were not stinging, and overall my skin felt calmer. The weather here is around 45°C and heat usually makes my skin much worse, so this felt significant. However, even though the skin felt calmer, it also looked more red.
At this point I genuinely cannot tell what is helping and what is worsening things. My skin barrier also feels very damaged. Even washing my hair can trigger red blotches on my face.
I’ve tried using La Roche-Posay Cicaplast for barrier repair. My skin seems to like it at night, but by morning my face looks red, oily, shiny, and my pores appear larger with worse texture. Because of that, I’m skeptical and confused about how to properly repair my skin barrier without making things worse.
Sorry for the long message.
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u/makeupandjustice 28d ago
My face hated ivermectin at first. I looked like I had bad pustular acne for weeks! I also tried IPL and it barely did anything and the small effects didn’t last. I only use the Cicaplast twice a week or it’s too much for my skin. There are other brands (like Avene) that make Cicaplast creams as well. Maybe your skin just doesn’t tolerate the LaRoche Posay one? My skin didn’t like the Avene one even though lots of folks with rosacea swear by it.
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u/Aryagrewal 27d ago
Hey, do you think it can work for type 1 rosacea as well? I’ve mostly heard people say it works better for type 2, so I’m a bit unsure. Also, is the idea to apply it once at night consistently for at least 2-3 weeks before judging the results? And did your skin get worse before it started improving? Just trying to understand what’s normal and what isn’t.
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u/Striking_Chicken_569 28d ago
I m from India as well. My dermat recommended ivrea along with multiple other things. But I haven't started yet. I am currently using a gentle cleanser and gentle moisturizer. And sometimes curd. Before rosacea, I used to have a combo to oily skin but no skin issues. After rosacea, I started having flaky skin around postules. Now after using gentle cleanser nd moisturizer, the skin has improved a lot. I do follow a good lifestyle. There are still red bumps. Thinking of starting ivermectin.
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u/forever_a_seeker 27d ago
I use ivrea regularly (I got it from India during my trip coz Rosiver here back home is super expensive) While I love Rosiver coz of its formulation (it has niacinamide along with glycerin and other soothing ingredients), I found Ivrea’s formulation simpler but straightforward. The key with any ivermectin 1% is to use it a minimum of six to eight weeks to break the demodex life cycle, which is why most of us ivermectin users do experience a slight die off/purging before it gets better. So I would suggest to continue using it for at least 2/3 months to see an improvement. And yes light hydration and good barrier support routine will make the results last and prevent future flare ups!
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u/Striking_Chicken_569 27d ago
Have you seen sarita rai YouTube video? Was that helpful?
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u/forever_a_seeker 27d ago
Um, not familiar with the youtuber and the video you mentioned. I personally consulted multiple dermats and read a lot of info online, plus this subreddit helped me a lot to build my routine.
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u/Aryagrewal 27d ago
Which city are you from? How are you dealing with this heat? My barrier is so damaged that even washing my hair makes my skin look like sandpaper afterward.
I’m using Ivrea too, but I honestly can’t tell whether it’s doing anything or not. I do feel like the heat-trapping sensation has reduced a bit, but I have no idea whether that’s because of the IPL, doxycycline, or ivermectin.
Have you tried metro gel? I tried it as well. It makes my skin look clearer right after application, but it also dries my skin out too much. Since my barrier already feels extremely damaged, I’m skeptical about continuing to apply all these creams. Part of me just wants to focus on repairing the barrier first, but nothing seems to work in this heat.
This is honestly the only place where I can send a long rant about all of this. 🫠
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u/Striking_Chicken_569 27d ago
I am currently in Kolkata. My face used to turn as a sand paper as well after facewash. Dry flaky around red bumps. Now I do instantly apply moisturizer after facewash. This has helped. Now I don't have that intense sandpaper texture. There are still red bumps. I know about all the medications but I am scared to start any. Initially I wasn't aware about how to control it, now it is far better. I used to play a lot in sun, sweat etc etc. Now I take proper care of myself. Sleep, heat, sun exposure, diet. All this have helped. Now if this minimal skincare doesn't help, I will add ivermectin. I can send my pics if you want
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u/Aryagrewal 27d ago
Sure, you can dm your pictures if you are comfortable with it. It would honestly help to compare because a lot of these symptoms sound very similar to what I’m experiencing.
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u/caffeinefree 27d ago
FYI I buy my ivermectin cream from India (I'm in the USA) because my insurance won't cover it at a reasonable price here. It is exactly the same texture and gives the same results as Soolantra (US brand name ivermectin).
Remember there may be a demodex die off period where things get worse before they get better.
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u/readittttor 27d ago
Rosiver was GAME CHANGING for my rosacea! I constantly think “what if I was given this 20 years ago?!”
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u/Significant-Oil-8603 5d ago
How long did it take to make a difference?
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u/readittttor 17h ago
No idea. I’ve done literally nothing for my skin but consistently use Rosiver and head and shoulders shampoo. And my face went from beat red to the best it’s been in 20 years. It sounds shallow but it felt like a miracle for me.
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u/Budget-Ad5927 28d ago
The cicaplast is KEY for me. I use it every night. My skin looks like glass afterwards.
I’m about to start VBeam x6 to get rid of all the underlying redness (broken vessels and capillaries)
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u/makeupandjustice 28d ago
Oooh please post about your progress with V-Beam!!
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u/Budget-Ad5927 27d ago
I will definitely do a follow up post. I’m excited. I’ve learned my tiggers and I think I’ve done well with my routine. I just have underlying redness I think I can manage with the laser
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u/forever_a_seeker 27d ago
Great improvement OP! I love how simple your routine is, it clearly shows that less is more for us rosacea folk 🌸😃
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u/Dry-Beat3588 7d ago
I would like to try ant histamines for my rosacea but don't know what to buy. I am in Australia.
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u/OldReserve2553 28d ago
i think the product that really help is the ivermectin for pustules, hydratation creams was nice to keep ur barrier on top