A survey recently conducted by the National Rosacea Society helps identify types of skin-care products that commonly pose problems for rosacea sufferers and which ingredients may be important to avoid.

Fifty-eight percent of 1,023 rosacea sufferers responding to the survey said their rosacea was sensitive to skin-care products, and 24 percent said they were somewhat sensitive. For women, the biggest culprits were astringents/toners (49.5 percent), soap (40 percent), exfoliant agents (34 percent), makeup (29 percent), perfume/cologne (27 percent), moisturizer (25.5 percent) and hairsprays (20 percent).

For men, over 24 percent said flare-ups had been caused by shaving lotion; nearly 24 percent were sensitive to soap; 19 percent were affected by perfume/cologne; and sunscreen aggravated 13 percent. Over 12 percent of both male and female respondents said flare-ups had been caused by shampoo.

Topping the list as the most irritating ingredient by far was alcohol, as 66 percent of all respondents said alcohol burns, stings or aggravates their rosacea. Other commonly aggravating ingredients include witch hazel for 30 percent of the respondents, fragrance for 29.5 percent, menthol for 21 percent, peppermint for 14 percent and eucalyptus oil for 13 percent.

Despite the variety of skin-care products that may aggravate rosacea, the majority of respondents indicated they have been able to find the right products for their individual conditions.

Seventy-eight percent of the women said they are now using effective skin-care products that do not aggravate their rosacea, and 16 percent said this is sometimes the case. For men, the situation may be somewhat more challenging as 56 percent reported using suitable products and 21 percent said they are now using effective products that do not aggravate their rosacea sometimes.