Whether intermittent redness or the persistent redness of rosacea, Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream ($39.50, Clinique.com) promises to “instantly calm and soothe” and “relieve visible redness, blotchiness, and discomfort.” In fact, over two weeks, Clinique states that use of the soothing cleanser, followed by either the urgent relief cream or the Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream, and then the Daily Protective Base SPF 15 should “better skin’s appearance and comfort”. Yet does this product’s ingredients suggest that it has a high level of efficacy?
What is rosacea?
According to Dr. Leslie Baumann’s Cosmetic Dermatology textbook, rosacea is a condition usually found in adults between 25 and 60 years of age that is characterized by facial redness, flushing, papules, and pustules, as well as prominent blood vessels on the face. Although the exact cause of rosacea is unknown, Baumann states that rosacea symptoms usually worsen with AHAs and retinoids, but do well with certain antibiotics, beta-hydroxy acid, and laser treatment of telangiectasias (widely open blood vessels dilated on the surface of the skin). Antibiotics are commonly prescribed to alleviate inflammation in rosacea patients. Laser treatments, such as the dermatological vascular laser (single wavelength) and intense pulsed light heat and damage the capillaries within the reddened skin. A third type of laser, the CO2 laser, is used like a scalpel to vaporize the excess tissue caused by phymatous rosacea (a type of rosacea in which skin is thickened).
Is Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream an effective treatment?
According to Dr. Gary Goldfaden, M.D., “In a recent dermatological comparison study, the use of a lotion containing a tea extract produced a 70% improvement in rosacea compared to use of a lotion containing the base ingredients alone. This tea extract is rich in antioxidant polyphenols and contains a variety of potent flavonoids.” Verifying this is a 2003 study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, which reports that green tea reduces UVB-induced inflammation as measured by double-fold skin swelling. Indeed, Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream contains a plethora of polyphenols, with fairly high concentrations of green, yellow, red, and white tea extracts.
Interestingly, however, drinking tea has been associated with flare-ups, as reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Perhaps this is due to the caffeine content in tea. At any rate, topical application of tea has proven to have an anti-inflammatory and soothing effect on reddened skin. Azelaic acid is available as a 15% gel (Finacea) or 20% azelaic acid creams (Finevin).
How does tea treatment measure up to other rosacea and redness treatments?
Currently, no double-blind, placebo-based independent published research studies demonstrate the efficacy of tea polyphenols versus antibiotics, laser treatment, or other topicals, which is unfortunate. However, in the book The Sensitive Skin Syndrome, Dr. Zoe Draelos, M.D. mentions a self-conducted study in which she compared the efficacy of cleansers and moisturizers with 15% azelaic acid and gluconolactone with cleansers and moisturizers with 15% azelaic acid and no gluconolactone. Draelos reports finding that there was a significant reduction with the addition of gluconolactone, which functions as a humectant and increases the water-binding activity of the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the skin).
A second study, mentioned in a review in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, found that use of a sodium sulfacetamide 10%/sulfur 5% cleanser is advantageous for the treatment of “rosacea, acne and seborrheic dermatitis or combinations thereof.” However, this treatment was not compared with the tea polyphenols in Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream.
So is this a good OTC treatment for redness?
It would seem so, particularly if used in conjunction with the Daily Protective Base SPF 15, which contains additional soothing tea extracts, sunscreen to prevent additional skin sensitivity, and a clever green tint that neutralizes reddened skin. Of course, the tea polyphenol treatment method has not been compared to a 15% azelaic acid/gluconolactone or sodium sulfacetamide 10%/sulfur 5% cleanser treatment.
In addition, anyone with reddened skin should consult his or her dermatologist, who may prescribe antibiotics with anti-inflammatory effects, or who also may recommend laser treatments to eliminate the problem altogether. While the tea extracts in Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream certainly do make a difference, they cannot possibly be as effective as the treatments for rosacea available from your dermatologist. At any rate, however, a solid treatment with independent research backing it, and certainly a clever cover-up with the green-tinted Daily Protective Base SPF 15. I give it an 8/10.