Drugs & Cosmetics That Cause Flushing & Blushing
Almost 70 percent of rosacea episodes are triggered by flushing and blushing caused by drugs and cosmetic ingredients, according to the National Rosacea Society. Any ingredient or product that causes stinging, itching, burning, warming, reddening or vasodilation upon application may trigger a rosacea episode within minutes-to-hours or even several days. Topping the list:
Oral Drugs & Supplements
- Acetaminophen & Codeine
- Acetaminophen & Oxycodone
- ACE inhibitors
- Adenosine
- Agalsidase
- Alcohol
- Amlodipine
- Some antibiotics (ex: vancomycin, metronidazole*, cirpfloxacin)
- Anidulafungin
- Arginine
- Aspirin & Oxycodone
- Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs)
- Calcium channel blockers
- Cannabis (not CBDs)
- Some chemotherapy drugs
- Fish oil*
- Morphine & other opioids
- Niacin (not niacinamide, which has been found to help control rosacea in some cases)
- Nicotinamide
- Nitroglycerin
- Viagra & other PDE5 inhibitors
Topical Drugs
- Benzocaine
- Benzoyl peroxide*
- Benzyl nicotinate
- Camphor
- Capsaicin
- Corticosteroids
- Hydrocortisone
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Hydroquinone
- Methyl nicotinate
- Methyl salicylate
- Chemical/organic sunscreens
- Octinoxate
- Avobenzone
- Oxybenzone
- Octocrylene
- Homosolate
- Phenol
- Resorcinol
- Retinoids*
- Salicylic acid
- Triclosan
Cosmetic Ingredients (especially high concentrations)
- AHAs*
- Lactic
- Glycolic
- Arachidonic acid (aka: polyunsaturated Omega-6)
- Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
- Bentonite
- Capsicum
- DMAE
- Essential oils
- Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
- Diazolidinyl Urea
- Imidazolidinyl Urea
- Quaternium-15
- DMDM hydantoin
- Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
- Fragrance (synthetic & natural)
- Fruit enzymes
- Papain
- Bromelain
- Pumpkin
- Granular exfoliants
- Mica
- Montmorillonite
- Peanut oil
- Propylene glycol
- Retinol*
- Salicylic acid
- Sesame oil
- Sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate
- Sulfur
- Talc
- TEA-lauryl sulfate
- Tocopheryl nicotinate
* Sometimes used to treat rosacea, this ingredient can cause flushing or blushing in some people.
Please note: Reactions may vary between individuals. Some people will react to only one-or-two items on this list, others may react to the majority of them.
Rebecca Gadberry, LE, FSCC
Our resident cosmetic scientist and marketing and regulatory expert
Co-host | Rebecca Gadberry is a skin care industry legend valued as one of its preeminent ingredient authorities. At the forefront of many of our most popular skin care trends (AHAs, barrier repair, multi-antioxidants, pollution protection, free-from lists, blue light protection, peptides, microbiome, epigenetics, bespoke, and on and on) as well as one of the original cosmetic science communicators and ‘myth-busters’, she has received numerous awards for her work as an educator, journalist, skin researcher, and product developer - including being named the first Marketing Fellow of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (FSCC) and the 13th licensed esthetician in California. During her 55-year career, she has been a leader in the growth of skin care from a luxury reserved for the rich to a 'must' for anyone with skin. She has developed over 1500 cosmetic products sold nationally and internationally in the spa, medical, on-air, direct, and natural product channels, published over 600 articles in consumer and professional journals and scientific texts, and taught the ground-breaking cosmetic science program at UCLA to thousands of industry professionals worldwide. Retiring from skincare in 2015, this passionate truth-teller has come back to address the exorbitant amount of misinformation plaguing the cosmetic sector, online and off. In 2023, Rebecca returned to teach the cosmetic science program at UCLA and is now Director of Product Development and Education at YG Laboratories, the company from which she retired as CEO in 2015. She is excited to be working with a tea… Read More
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