Rosacea Sucks & An (UNPAID) Review of Rodan + Fields SOOTHE

Monday, March 30, 2015

So.  This is what my face suddenly looked like one day last month:



I've always had a naturally redder complexion, but this was way redder and bumpier than anything I had ever experienced.  Also, the bumps weren't like acne bumps, they were more like a rash.  I tried eliminating a few things from my diet, thinking it was maybe an allergy, but nothing helped.  I was SO puzzled and frustrated cause it literally happened overnight and I had no idea what to do about it.

I did some Googling and saw that Rodan + Fields carried a line called "SOOTHE" that is intended for people dealing with redness.  Taken from their website, it is "clinically proven to reduce redness and irritation in as little as five minutes."  Plus there's millions of reviews (c/o, I might add) online that say it worked SO well to reduce redness and irritation.

I bought some immediately.  And let me tell ya....this stuff ain't cheap.  But I figured it would be worth the cost to try something specially formulated for what I was dealing with.

The regimen for Rodan + Fields SOOTHE is to use the face wash followed by a Sensitive Skin Treatment, and then a Moisture Replenishing Cream.  And finally, in the morning you're supposed to follow up with Step 4, which is a sunscreen.  This is the whole line here:


The upside of using this product is that it didn't ever burn or irritate my skin further; it does seem to be very gentle.  It also made my skin softer and made it appear a little healthier in the places it wasn't so red (which was mostly my cheeks).

But - I tried it for three weeks and the bottom line is that it didn't work at all for me.  My skin was just as red and bumpy when I stopped using it as when I started using it.  So based on that, I'm not sure I would recommend it for others dealing with redness.

Since the Rodan + Fields didn't work, I was fortunate enough to be going home to Illinois, which is where my best friend lives.  The really great thing is that my best friend is a Physician's Assistant, so if I'm home and I need a diagnosis for something (like an ear infection for Hadley or whatnot) I can usually have her call in a prescription.  She looked at my face and immediately said that it was probably Rosacea.

Rosacea, in case you didn't know, is one giant pain in the butt.  It tends to appear in your 30's and there's no cure for it.  It also seems to be triggered by certain things, like alcohol, temp changes or the sun.  It tends to flare up at different times, as well.  I have no clue what triggered mine.

So, point of the story is that Steph (best friend) saved the day by calling in a prescription for Metronidazole 0.75%.


Literally with one day my skin was clearing up.  After using it for two weeks, I'm happy to report a HUGE difference.  Here's a little side-by-side:


I'll be honest, I'm a little worried because the Metronidazole (as with any rosacea medication) tends to lose effectiveness after a while, but the good news is that I'm really only using it every other day, once a day, and it's still working well, so I suppose I could just increase my usage if it flares up again.   Or try a different prescription...but since we don't have prescription coverage (self employed health insurance FTW!) I'm not sure how viable of an option that is, as these scripts all tend to be pretty pricey.

If anyone else has any great tips and tricks to help deal with rosacea, send them my way!!  

And I should add about the Rodan + Fields: I realize that my facial redness was probably due to something entirely different than what it claims to help.  But my opinion is that redness is redness, and it really didn't do anything at all to help with mine, even after reading different accounts online of people with rosacea using it successfully.

14 comments:

  1. This was super helpful, I just went for an eyelash lift and tint yesterday and the esthetician told me my skin was super dehydrated and that I have rosacea. My mom has it, so does my Grandma, so go figure I'm showing signs of it at 32.

    My cousin sells R&F and my first instinct was to call her up, but I am VERY hesitant because of the price.... Do I really want to get hooked on something so expensive? NO.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  2. I was looking into getting this regimen but with the price and all, I'm not completely sure. From the pictures it appears I have similar rosacea to you and I just wanted to know if yours has cleared up or gone away to the point that it's barely noticeable or, if you found something that has helped you besides the Metronidazole.

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  3. I tried the exact same thing and R&F Soothe did absolutely nothing. I went to a doctor who prescribed Soolantra and within days it was looking better. If you don't have insurance, the manufacturer offers coupons so it was cheaper for me not to use my insurance than to go through insurance so that might be an option to look into.

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  4. Can I just say that I really appreciated reading about your honest review? I am so glad that you found something that works for you and that you were honest about Rodan and Fields. I'm sure the brand has some amazing products for other skin concerns but I was very skeptical about their Soothe regimen for rosacea and you just helped me be firm on my decision not to get it. Thank you!!

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  5. what i do know about R and F is that to be fair to the product, it should be used for two months. the other thing is i think the soothe line is not specifically for rosacea, more for red, reactive, sensitive skin. i would also like to know if there are any success stories with using R and F for rosacea. thank you.

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    1. I've had rosacea, pustular type, for nearly a decade now. I switched to R and F about 5 years ago. I've never had anything else work for me. Prescriptions, 4 different dermatologists, high-end skin care, drugstore skin care. I alternate between the soothe line (morning) and unblemish line (at night). If I start to only use one, the rosacea gets worse again and it takes weeks to get under control. I think the sulfur in the unblemish line is a game changer for treatment of pustular rosacea. Sulfur has been known to help rosacea, I found this out years after starting R & F and seeing a difference. The only thing is I wouldn't use the unblemish toner with rosacea, its just too harsh. Hope this helps!

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  6. A great article!

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  7. I have the same issue and it gets worse during any heat/cold weather, anxiety, stress, etc. So what I've tried so far is to eat better, drink more water, only use natural, organic skincare and not wearing any makeup on my skin. I have noticed that my skin is not at all as dry and red now as it used to be.

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  8. It doesn't only affect people with fair skin! Common misconception. I'm brown and my rosacea sucks.

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  9. Thank you for being so honest. My 17 year old daughter has rosacea very bad and I was willing to purchase the R&F soothe line if it would help her. I am so glad I came across this article before spending that kind of money for it not to be effective. I will look into the medicines that were talked about in the article and comments.

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    Replies
    1. I've had rosacea, pustular type, for nearly a decade now. I switched to R and F about 5 years ago. I've never had anything else work for me. Prescriptions, 4 different dermatologists, high-end skin care, drugstore skin care. I alternate between the soothe line (morning) and unblemish line (at night). If I start to only use one, the rosacea gets worse again and it takes weeks to get under control. I think the sulfur in the unblemish line is a game changer for treatment of pustular rosacea. Sulfur has been known to help rosacea, I found this out years after starting R & F and seeing a difference. The only thing is I wouldn't use the unblemish toner with rosacea, its just too harsh.

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  10. My rosacea has flared up lately also. While I have not tried R&F for it specifically, I did try the metronidazole. It worked for a few months but then not so much. My dermatologist switched me to two different medications. I use Mirvaso in the morning and Soolantra in the evening. So far, it seem to be under control, but just like metronidazole, you have to use it everyday. I have also changed to Neutrogena ultra gentle daily cleanser. I have even changed to using just a tinted moisturizer instead of the mineral powder foundation. Thanks for your post and I hope everything stays under control for you.

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  11. I got diagnosed with Rosacea a little over a year ago. I had perfect skin when I was younger. I would blush easily but not bumps. Then it full blown got red and crazy. Horrible. I tried creams too but it either made it worse or worked briefly. Then I heard a podcast by the medical medium (look him up, if you havent heard of him already). CHANGED MY LIFE. I have bern drinking celery juice every morning and let go of eggs and only eat meat a few times a week and my rosacea has cleared up so much that I feel like my skin is normal again. It takes a month to really see the benefits but it works. Hope this helps a fellow rosacea sufferer.

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