Why does my skin feel so dry after cleansing?

Rosacea skin care is a serious challenge. The issue is that with rosacea you can have both oily and dry skin, but no matter what your skin type if you have rosacea one thing is for sure, your skin will be very sensitive. Daily treatment of sensitive skin that is prone to redness is not an easy task. It is difficult to find products that keep the skin balanced and don’t irritate the already very sensitive skin or make it any drier.

Even the first step of cleaning is often challenging. 

Washing your face with lukewarm water is certainly not enough, special treatment is needed to remove air pollution, sweat, soot and dust from the open skin pores that are typical in rosacea-prone skin.

Tap water is usually hard and chlorinated, it dries and irritates the skin and so can be problematic for skin prone to rosacea. Facial cleansers are a better way to clean skin prone to rosacea rather than using what as you need to remove the contaminant layer, without damaging or drying the skin more.

However not all cleansers are born equal.

The surfactant-type compounds in many normal cleansers contain hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts, they close the fat, soot and dead cells in a bubble. The stronger the surfactant is ionized, the stronger the cleansing effect. But with more effectiveness comes more irritation, especially for skin prone to rosacea. 

If your skin feels drier and uncomfortable after cleansing, you should switch to a facial cleanser with more neutral active ingredients that is also hydrating rather than only focusing on cleaning ingredients. 

Kalme Cleanser is a water-free cleanser that contains non irritating cleaning ingredients while also being hydrating. It can and should be used as an alternative to washing with water as it cleans pores while also helping to balance and hydrate rosacea-prone skin.

After cleansing, you should always use a serum or cream appropriate for skin prone to rosacea.

Dr Eva Melegh M.D. consultant dermatologist