Social media helps new trends spread like wildfire. All of a sudden, everyone seems to be doing some new dance or using a word you’ve never heard before! Skin care is no different. Trendy new techniques and products seem to pop up every day — but those with rosacea should be careful when joining in. While some trends may be great, others may cause the sensitive skin of rosacea to flare up.

“With rosacea, less is more,” said Dr. Estee Williams, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. “Rosacea skin is basically hypersensitive, with a baseline degree of constant inflammation. Because of this, experimenting with various skincare products and trends can be risky. What’s the use of having smaller pores, fewer wrinkles, or lighter brown spots when you appear red?”

One of the fastest growing skincare trends of the last couple years is “K-beauty,” or Korean beauty, which emphasizes flawlessly smooth skin and near-invisible pores.

“Glass skin and mirror skin are purported goals of K-beauty, which emphasize luminosity, clarity and the diminished need for makeup,” Dr. Williams said. “While I applaud aspects of the K-beauty trend, which encourages meticulous attention and devotion to the care of one’s skin, many K-beauty trends don’t jibe well with rosacea sufferers because long, complex multi-step routines involving toners and exfoliation are risky in rosacea skin.”

Many rosacea patients find success by simplifying their routine and using only products and techniques that minimize irritation and avoid damaging the skin’s moisture barrier. Testing new products on a small patch of skin to check for a reaction can also help avoid accidentally triggering a flare-up.

Dr. Williams noted that a combination of gentle skin care and medical therapy is your best bet for getting the skin you’ve always dreamed of.

“The goal of making the skin clear is usually not achievable with skincare alone, especially for rosacea patients, in whom the telltale signs of inflammation, redness, and bumps and pimples often require a medical approach,” she said.