It’s been a good five years since I marched my red, bumpy cheeks and nose into the dermatologist's office and left with a rosacea diagnosis. The inflammatory skin condition doesn’t have a cure per se (one can dream), but I have become quite the expert at managing flares. I avoid triggers like spicy food and the sun, religiously apply my prescription azelaic acid cream, and stick to simple skincare. It’s a fairly good recipe for success, but I still find myself piling on pounds of concealer when redness strikes.
That’s where INNBEAUTY Project’s newest launch, Calm the Red Down Serum, comes into play.
I’m generally not one to buy into over-the-counter products claiming to treat complex skin conditions (I’ll stick to my prescriptions, thank you very much), but after learning that the brand invested nearly $200,000 on clinical trials to prove Calm the Red Down Serum’s efficacy, I felt comfortable enough to give it a fair try.
Launching today and retailing for $54, the dual-chamber product offers two formulas: one to treat flares long-term and another to disguise them immediately.
On the left-hand side is a white, creamy, soothing serum that’s formulated with azelaic acid—a dermatologist-loved ingredient that's clinically proven to reduce redness—hydrating peptides, and cooling mushroom extract. Its goal: target the root cause of redness and soothe hot-to-the-touch skin (if you know, you know).
On the right side is a green-tinted barrel packed with centella asiatica, a very calming plant extract, and ceramides, which are intended to correct redness and blotchiness on impact.
One full pump put a decent amount of product in my hand; roughly a peanut-sized dollop came from each side. It's best to apply them separately, so I start off with the green side, which is watery and oily, and top it off with the white serum, which has a thicker, milkier texture, while the green side is a bit watery and oily.
The pumps on the bottle are separate, so you can pump them one at a time if you choose.
I’m not in a terrible flare at the moment, but I still have some underlying rosiness on my cheeks. It took a little while to rub in fully—and candidly, there’s a bit of a pencil-shaving smell to contend with—but seeing the results in action is well worth the exercise in patience.
Within roughly one minute, every little spec of pink was neutralized, giving me an always-elusive, even skin tone. It didn’t sting or burn (a big pro for my incredibly sensitive skin) and even gave my complexion a hydrated glow.
While I still need to see if this product actually reduces my rosacea flares over time, I can confidently say that it has calmed the bit of redness I had within just a week—and I haven’t worn foundation in days, thanks to the product's redness-canceling powers. If you, too, have rosacea, you know that’s a huge win.
Why Trust Marie Claire
Marie Claire is an expert in skincare, covering topics ranging from how to find the best cleanser for your skin type and the best sunscreens to what serum is right for you. Samantha Holender is a Senior Beauty Editor with nearly a decade of experience in the beauty industry. She is uniquely qualified to review this particular product because she has rosacea and sensitive skin. She has previously written stories about the best skincare products for rosacea, the best foundations for rosacea, and what ingredients to avoid if you have sensitive skin.
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