I Tested 22 Face Washes for Rosacea—These 8 Derm-Approved Options Came Out on Top

This cleanser comes highly recommended by not one, but two top dermatologists. Board-certified dermatologist Dara Spearman, MD, FAAD, calls it an “excellent” option for rosacea-prone skin. “This is a creamy, non-foaming wash that works well for those with sensitive skin and keeps it calm,” she says. “Instead of using soap ingredients that strip the face, it relies on a safe, skin-identical lipid called ceramide NP. This specific ingredient actively helps rebuild your natural skin barrier while you wash, which prevents the typical burning and stinging you may see with harsher ingredients. It also contains niacinamide, which is fantastic for cooling down active facial redness and blotchiness.”

Board-certified cosmetic dermatologist Dmitriy Schwarzburg, MD, FAAD, agrees. “La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser is one of my favorite options for rosacea-prone skin as it contains minimal ingredients and cleanses effectively without disrupting the skin barrier. The formulation includes ceramides, glycerin, and niacinamide, which can help hydrate the skin and reduce irritation.”

The gentle, creamy texture lathers into a silky foam that soothes my sensitive skin without stripping essential moisture. It also removed sunscreen and makeup without leaving streaks on my white towels. After a few days of consistent use, I could tell my skin looked smoother and less red than it usually does at baseline. This is a 10/10 recommendation in my book.

By definition, rosacea is a sensitive-skin condition. However, depending on the severity of your rosacea, you might be more prone to irritation than others. And if you’re experiencing a flare-up, your skin is especially vulnerable. That’s where Vanicream’s Gentle Facial Cleanser comes in. I’ve been a loyal user of it for years. It’s so gentle and soothing, yet it still removes sweat, oil, and sunscreen like a dream.

However, as a beauty journalist, I didn’t want to recommend it based on personal experience alone, so I asked the experts if it’s as good as I think it is. Spoiler alert: it is. “Vanicream has a very simple formula free of fragrance, essential oils, and many of the ingredients that often trigger irritation in people with rosacea or sensitive skin,” Schwarzburg says. “It’s an easy, gentle cleanser with a relatively short ingredient list, making it a good option for patients who have reactive skin.”

Spearman agrees. “Vanicream is perfect for sensitive skin because it does not contain ingredients that cause irritation or redness, making it safe to use even during a flare.”

Here’s another cleanser I love and recommend often. It relies on a somewhat surprising ingredient: sulfur. While most people associate the ingredient with acne, for which it’s incredibly beneficial, experts say it works just as well for redness and rosacea. Take it from Natia Rufolo FNP-C, a board-certified nurse practitioner and aesthetic injector who previously told Who What Wear, “[Sulfur] has mild anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which can help calm irritation and reduce the overgrowth of microorganisms that may contribute to flare-ups. In lower, well-formulated concentrations, it can help manage redness without overly stripping the skin.”

This lush, lathering face wash visibly reduces redness thanks to the star ingredient, plus 2.5% colloidal sulfur, azelaic acid, cica, bisabolol, panthenol and aloe. It’s no wonder it’s accepted by the National Rosacea Society.

So many lathering cleansers contain harsh surfactants that can strip moisture and irritate sensitive skin, especially dry skin. The fix is a lotion-like formula that cushions the skin, AKA Avène’s Tolerance Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion (another iconic French pharmacy pick!). “Avène’s Tolerance Extremely Gentle Cleanser is a good option for rosacea-prone skin because it was specifically designed for highly sensitive and reactive skin,” Schwarzburg says. “Its ingredient list is minimalist and includes D-Sensinose, which can help reduce irritation.”

A combo of rosacea and clogged pores is a special kind of hell that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. That’s because most pore-cleansing products are too harsh on sensitive skin and can lead to an all-out rosacea meltdown (trust me, I know). Luckily, there are a few diamond-in-the-rough products that walk the line between effective, purifying, and gentle. Ourself’s Daily Purifying Cleanser is one of them.

Take it from Jessica Manges, ARNP, a nurse practitioner specializing in Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine. “Ourself’s Daily Purifying Cleanser gently cleanses without stripping skin and removes impurities, plus makeup and sunscreen,” she says. “It supports a balanced pH, leaving the skin feeling hydrated and soft.”

Spearman highly recommends Revision Skincare’s Gentle Foaming Cleanser, and I can see why. The simple yet effective formula softens the skin while reducing visible redness. “When you have rosacea, you need a cleanser that cleans your skin without making it red or dry,” she says. “A great choice is the Revision Skincare Gentle Foaming Cleanser. Even though it bubbles up, it doesn’t have any harsh soap or sulfates in it. Instead, it uses a mild ingredient called sodium cocoyl glycinate, which is a gentle cleanser made from amino acids. This washes away dirt and makeup without stripping your natural oils.”

Cerave’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser gets a seal of approval from two experts—Manges and Schwarzburg both swear by it for rosacea-prone patients. “CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid,” Manges says. “It is a gentle cream cleanser that doesn’t strip the skin barrier and is excellent for dry, sensitive, and rosacea-prone skin. It’s also great if you’re using tretinoin or other active ingredients.”

Schwarzburg calls it “reliable” for rosacea—the ultimate dermatologist recommendation if you ask me. “It focuses on supporting the skin barrier rather than trying to actively treat the condition (which is not commonly treated with any kind of cleanser),” he says.

Last but not least, I have to discuss Dr. Loretta’s Gentle Hydrating Cleanser. This is another personal favorite, and I’ve been using it on and off for over a year to manage my rosacea. I love how it foams into a silky, luxurious lather, easily removes sunscreen, and doesn’t exacerbate my patchy redness. Once again, though, I wanted to vet my recommendation with the experts. “Dr. Loretta’s cleanser is also a great option because it uses very gentle, coconut-derived cleansers that remove dirt without drying out the skin,” Spearman says.

While the experts agree that it’s generally a good option, they note that it does contain potentially irritating ingredients, namely chamomile oil and ginger root oil. “Even though it’s sulfate-free and non-stripping, it does contain chamomile and ginger oil, which can irritate individuals with highly sensitive rosacea,” Manges says.

Schwarzburg agrees, saying this is a good option for mild-to-moderate rosacea, although he’d skip it for severe cases and use my other favorite, Vanicream, instead. “For this one, I would recommend doing a patch test first, just in case your skin becomes reactive to those ingredients. Overall, both are quality cleansers, but for patients with severe sensitivity and rosacea, I would lean more toward the simpler formulation, Vanicream.”