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[2023 Edit: This post is 8 years old, but this post and review are still accurate when it comes to Rosacea and Heliocare. I updated the links below on where I now buy Heliocare. Link here.]

Much as I've wanted to soak under the sun and go to the beach...I can't! I have Rosacea, and my #1 enemy is the Sun. Rosacea makes my face red, with nasty bumps called papules and pustules daily. This has been my dilemma for the past months. I used to ignore it, but it has become quite irritating lately. 

I've tried many topical creams/gels, and I am now on Doxycyclin, but my face is still far from clearing up. I have good days, but I also have a lot of bad days. I am now undergoing Laser Genesis, hoping it will give me some relief since it's quite an investment (!!!). Plus - I am now on my 4th Derm for this "case." My teenage acne and breakouts were definitely easier to manage. 

For now, the best I can do about my Rosacea is to "fake it" and avoid further damage. One of the best creams my 3rd Dermatologist prescribed me was the Heliocare Ultra Gel with 90 SPF sunscreen. I was advised to get a higher than 70 SPF sunblock to avoid more redness and flare-ups. It's working for me so far, and I've been using it daily for two months.

Here are the things I love about Heliocare:

I'll be talking about RED in honor of the love month! 

People assume that I have rosy cheeks. Well - I actually have rosy cheeks but it's not a "healthy glow" - much to my disappointment. A consultation with Belo Medical Clinic last year confirmed that I have Rosacea ["roh-ZAY-sha"]. Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes redness in the face and it often produce these nasty bumps called papules which cannot be treated by the usual facial. Rosacea doesn't have any cure but it can be managed with proper care. Red "flare ups" are usually triggered by sun exposure, emotional stress, hot beverages/soups, alcohol, and even spicy food.

I am not too concerned about the red flare-ups but I am very much irritated-annoyed-sad about the bumpy papules and pustules that also came with Rosacea. I am particularly frustrated with these bumps because of our upcoming wedding in December. I've had five (5) trial make-ups in the last month with four using airbrush as cover-up. The make-up covered the redness and evened the skin tones but they cannot hide the bumps especially if you look up close.

A quick Internet search led me to the Rosacea line of VMV Hypoallergenics. VMV is one of my go-to brands in my early 20s. I break-out easily when I was younger and the only powder foundation I can use then were VMV and Neutrogena.

Red Better
The VMV Hypoallergenics for the Rosacea line is called Red Better. I bought the Red Better Daily Cleanser, Red Better Daily Therapy Moisturizer, and the Red Better Spot Corrector three Saturdays ago. The cleanser and moisturizer lessens the redness a few minutes after application. The cleanser is refreshing and I even wanted to bring it to work and clean my face every two hours since the flare-ups are lesser after each use.

The Red Better Spot Corrector is very good in drying pimples and acne. I was able to clear and dry a big zit in less than 4 days. The SAs in VMV told me that the Spot Corrector is a best-seller even to none Rosacea patients because of its drying capabilities (think Mario Badescu or Panoxyl but better) and I truly attest to this.