Today, we’re going to talk about the best face mask for rosacea. No, it’s not personal protective equipment but a facial mask, like for beauty. Only in this case, it’s for soothing redness and calming the skin.
What face masks are good for redness? Generally speaking, a mask that cools and hydrates the skin will reduce redness (1). Then, there are specific ingredients like Centella asiatica, niacinamide, and licorice root that may also eliminate redness.
But rosacea is more than red skin. Sometimes, it involves pimples that look like acne. It may also affect the eyes. Which leads us to our next question, what should you not use on your face if you have rosacea?
How to choose the best face mask for rosacea
The brightest minds still don’t know what causes rosacea. It appears to be caused by both genetics and environmental factors. For example, hot drinks, hot weather, too much sun, spicy food, exercise, and wind can aggravate the redness. Moreover, certain ingredients in cosmetics may cause a flare-up (2).
Stay away from face masks with these potentially irritating ingredients:
- Artificial fragrances
- Menthol or peppermint oil
- Drying alcohol (ethanol)
- Eucalyptus oil
- Witch hazel
- Camphor
- Urea
- Alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic or lactic)
When in doubt, always do a patch test. Put a dab of the mask serum on the upper neck behind the ear and wait for at least half an hour. Check back every few minutes to see if it’s turned red. Everyone’s skin is a little different so what affects one person with rosacea might be fine for the next.
If you aren’t sure which face mask is best for sensitive skin, choose one that’s fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, and with as few ingredients as possible. Look for excellent moisturizers like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
Get inspiration below with face masks that cool and calm rosacea-prone skin:
| The best face masks for rosacea | Why we love them |
|---|---|
| TONYMOLY Sheet Masks |
|
| Ebanel Collagen Face Mask |
|
| Lululun Japanese Face Sheet Masks, Intensive Moisture |
|
| Aveeno Oat Face Mask with Soothing Seed Extract and Feverfew |
|
| Paula's Choice SKIN RECOVERY Hydrating Treatment Facial Mask |
|
| Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask |
|
| BENTON Good Bye Redness Centella Mask Pack |
|
Best Face Masks for Rosacea in 2024
TONYMOLY Sheet Masks, I’m REAL and I’m AVOCADO
K-beauty brand Tony Moly offers a variety of facial sheet masks to treat different concerns. We recommend trying I’m Real and I’m Avocado as they are both extra-moisturizing.
If you’ve never tried a Korean sheet mask before, you’re in for a treat. Tear open the packet and pull out the soft white mask. It’s dripping with serum and ready to use. For extra cooling, store the mask in the refrigerator for half an hour before using it.
The first few ingredients in the serum are moisturizers and emollients that hydrate and condition the skin. Every formula is a little different, but each one has fruit and vegetable extracts to nourish the complexion. To illustrate, I’m Real has calendula, a soothing herb. Meanwhile, I’m Avocado has – you guessed it – avocado, which is excellent for the skin.
On the downside, there’s usually an artificial fragrance, but it’s one of the last ingredients and probably not a threat to most people. On the bright side, there are no parabens or drying alcohols.
Carefully unfold the mask and press it to your face. It has openings cut for the nose, mouth, and eyes. We usually scoop up the rest of the serum from the package and pat it onto the neck.
Wear the mask for twenty minutes to half an hour. When you peel it off, gently massage any leftover serum into the skin. Feel free to apply your regular moisturizer on top once it’s absorbed.
We discovered that both of these sheet masks left the skin bright, even-toned, and moisturized. They are super soothing for rosacea.
Pros:
- Super soothing and hydrating for rosacea-prone skin
- Evens skin tone, calms redness, and leaves the skin supple
- Packed with moisturizers and nutrients for a healthy complexion
Cons:
- Has an artificial fragrance, but it’s one of the last ingredients
Ebanel 15-Pack Collagen Face Mask
Here’s another K-beauty sheet mask suitable for rosacea-prone faces. It’s anti-inflammatory, which is helpful for reducing redness. Plus it’s designed to stimulate cellular regeneration and firm the skin.
What’s more, it’s made in the USA with vegan ingredients. (Yes, it’s a collagen mask, but the main ingredient comes from seaweed). It’s a hypoallergenic formula that has no artificial fragrance, alcohol, or oils. Even the soft sheet mask is made from biodegradable plant fibers.
The rest of the serum’s magic comes from hyaluronic acid, vitamins, and botanical extracts like chamomile, aloe, and edelweiss. These not only calm the skin, but they also help reduce acne as well as the pimples caused by rosacea.
Users say this mask cools rosacea flares, leaving the skin a normal color instead of red and inflamed. You might even find that your complexion glows with health.
Pros:
- Fragrance-free, oil-free, and hypoallergenic
- Infused with seaweed-derived collagen to firm the skin
- Features hyaluronic acid, botanical extracts, and vitamins to calm inflammation
- Biodegradable plant fiber mask is soft and fits (most) faces properly
Cons:
- None
Lululun Japanese Face Sheet Masks, Intensive Moisture
If you feel guilty about using individually-wrapped sheet masks, try this multipack from Japan. It’s a box that’s been carefully designed to ensure every mask is saturated with serum all the way to the bottom.
Furthermore, these masks are free of artificial colors, fragrances, alcohols, and mineral oil. They’ve been allergy tested, too.
This brand makes different sheet masks for different situations, so we selected the moisturizing version in the blue box. It seemed the most appropriate for rosacea-prone skin.
The serum is super hydrating because of a special ingredient called Lipidure. It uses hyaluronic acid and other components to keep the skin plump and comfortable. It’s so moisturizing that you can wear the mask instead of applying face cream. You only need to use it for fifteen minutes each time to enjoy the benefits of more supple skin.
What’s interesting is that Lululun has made their sheet mask slightly thicker to hold more of the hydrating essence. We found that we can wear the mask at least half an hour without it drying out.
Pros:
- Excellent hydration, enough to forget face cream
- Allergy-tested and free of artificial fragrances, colors, alcohols, and mineral oil
- Sheet masks are packed in a box to save on waste
Cons:
- None
Aveeno Oat Face Mask with Soothing Seed Extract and Feverfew
What’s the best drugstore face mask for rosacea? We liked this one with redness-reducing ingredients like pumpkin seed, feverfew, and oat. It’s called a rebalancing mask because it normalizes the skin’s pH and moisturizes.
As tempting as it might be to use daily, they recommend no more than three times per week. However, it’s non-comedogenic, allergy-tested, and free of parabens and phthalates.
Unlike a sheet mask, this is a cream in a jar. Gently apply it to the face and let it work for up to ten minutes. Then rinse with lukewarm or cool water and moisturize. Don’t let it sit for too long because it contains bentonite and kaolin clay which absorb excess oil and may cause dryness.
Users with maskne find it helpful for treating the irritation caused by wearing a protective mask. They say it calms redness from rosacea and helps with pimples, too.
Pros:
- Drugstore face mask with redness-calming ingredients and moisturizers
- Creamy texture that’s non-comedogenic
- Rinse off-mask that works in ten minutes
Cons:
- Has an artificial fragrance but no parabens or phthalates
Paula’s Choice SKIN RECOVERY Hydrating Treatment Facial Mask
Those of us with rosacea find that our skin tends to be extra-dry, at least in the parts not affected by an oily T-zone. The solution is to dose the skin with high amounts of moisture. If the skin is well-hydrated, the redness is less likely to flare-up.
If you feel like your daily moisturizer isn’t getting the job done, try a hydrating face mask like this one. It’s made by one of the top beauty brands that never includes artificial fragrances, parabens, or unnecessary fillers.
The mask is creamy and gentle with evening primrose oil, antioxidants, and hyaluronic acid. It’s everything that flaky, dry, red skin needs to calm down and relax.
Apply a generous amount and let it work for twenty minutes before rinsing, or wear it overnight for deep conditioning.
Reviewers say the mask is amazing and causes no irritation. Instead, it’s the perfect antidote to rosacea flares.
Pros:
- Fragrance-free with no harsh ingredients
- Creamy texture melts into the skin, hydrating it and calming redness
- Works as a twenty-minute mask or overnight as an intense moisturizer
- Has hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and evening primrose oil
Cons:
- None
Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask
Sure, you could slice up a cucumber and put it on your face. It would be cooling, moisturizing, and possibly helpful. On the other hand, you could use this cucumber mask that includes other nourishing ingredients. It has papaya, pineapple, aloe, and sugar maple, for example.
What can this souped-up face mask do for you if you have rosacea? Obviously, it can tone down the redness. Even better, it takes away the stinging and burning and hydrates the skin.
It has a gel texture that soothes the skin and brightens the complexion. Smooth it on and let it work for ten minutes before rinsing with cool water. You can also store the jar in the fridge for extra relief.
A quick glance at the label shows no artificial fragrance and no parabens.
Pros:
- Cools down stinging skin, relieves redness
- Packed with moisturizers and botanicals to improve the complexion
- Can be stored in the refrigerator for an extra cooling sensation
Cons:
- None
BENTON Good Bye Redness Centella Mask Pack
How about the best mask for rosacea bumps? They aren’t normal pimples, but certain acne treatments may help get rid of them.
Take this cica mask from Korea, for example. It’s perfect for sensitive skin as it’s based on Centella asiatica. This healing herb treats acne and rosacea. It lessens redness and irritation while accelerating recovery.
Each mask is saturated with a juicy serum of moisturizers and soothing ingredients. It’s pH-balanced to soak into the skin and provide maximum moisture.
Happily, it has no artificial fragrances, drying alcohol, parabens, or PEGs. It’s certified cruelty-free and vegan-friendly.
Users say they love how it makes their faces look normal and hydrated.
Pros:
- Features the proven healing ingredient Centella asiatica
- Fragrance-free and vegan-friendly with no harsh ingredients
- K-beauty favorite for moisturizing and soothing reddened skin
Cons:
- None
Conclusion
If you haven’t tried using a facial mask to calm rosacea, you’re missing out. The best anti-redness face masks hydrate and soothe irritated skin. They leave the complexion calm and balanced. You’ll be astonished at how much better your face looks and feels.
Sources:
1. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/rosacea/triggers/tips by the American Academy of Dermatology, accessed July 8, 2021
2. https://www.rosacea.org/patients/skin-care-and-cosmetics accessed July 8, 2021