Rosacea is an extremely rude and disrespectful skin condition. I say this with authority because my diagnosis last year cleared up any confusion about my skin. So that’s why I get weird whitehead-looking breakouts if I’m out in the sun for too long. (Fun fact: rosacea can manifest as tiny pimples.) It’s also the reason why I turn beet red after a workout class or getting a facial, and why my makeup-free skin resembles a ripened heirloom tomato.
My dermatologist has helped me overhaul my skin-care routine to avoid certain problematic ingredients that cause irritation, adding in some topical prescription treatments that have majorly improved the overall quality and health of my skin. But when it inevitably flares up, I often feel powerless to do anything about it. I’ve historically had very little luck with nearly every so-called “redness-reducing” product on the planet. Yes, I know that green technically cancels out red on the color wheel, but green concealers and creams and serums just leave me looking like the Grinch mid-blush. Not cute.
After listening to my struggles (and seeing them written in red all over my face), beauty editor Zoe Weiner handed me a bottle of the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Camo Drops ($46). It’s a hybrid between a color-corrector and a serum to help reduce redness and soothe angry skin. “My sister has rosacea, too, and she loves this whole line,” Weiner told me. But my built-in trust issues with rosacea products made me more skeptical than Dana Scully on an episode of The X-Files. “I’ve been down this road before,” I said to myself as I put it in my purse to bring home. “Green products to cancel out redness are a scam! You’ll still look like Rudolph!”
Reader, I’m delighted to inform you that I was so, so wrong.
The next morning I woke up with my trademark red face: red nose, blotchy red patches on my cheeks and around my eyes, and right above my brow. I washed my face and put on SPF as usual, but this time, instead of caking on my foundation, I decided to try the Dr. Jart serum. I gave the bottle a good shake and used the dropper to put three dots of light green liquid on my face—one on my nose and one on each of my cheeks. Then I used my fingers to lightly blend it into my skin, and hoped for the best.
I was surprised to find that unlike other color-correcting products I’d experimented with in the past (including a first-gen Dr. Jart redness cream), the Camo Drops blend in pretty much instantly without leaving any residual green tinges on my skin nor overcorrecting to make my skin look chalky and pale. It’s also incredibly lightweight; I never feel like I’m wearing an extra layer of product on my skin. You can use it with foundation, but I don’t find that necessary at all. I look like myself—freckles and all—but considerably less red. Some days I can’t quite believe my reflection in the mirror. To paraphrase The Monkees, I’m a believer. This serum has found permanent place in my morning routine.
Rosacea? Unfortunately, I still know her. But with this serum, no one else will.
Here’s why you literally see red (in your face) when you drink alcohol. And this is the best sunscreen to use if you too have rosacea.
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