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I’ve dealt with adult acne —including the painful, cystic variety — and overly sensitive skin ever since I entered adulthood. I’ve thrown just about everything at my skin to manage it, especially BHA and AHA acids meant to clear gunk at the pore level — yet these powerhouse exfoliators didn’t much help my cause. I’d been eying a zinc acne-clearing night cream from Rosen , a Black- and woman-owned small business, for a while. Formulated to combat large breakouts without stripping skin, it sounded perfect for my use. Plus, I’d long loved their Zinc spot treatment , a gentler alternative to the Mario Badescu drying lotion .
Rosen's Zinc night cream combines anti-inflammatory zinc oxide, brightening niacinamide and nourishing grapeseed oil for a sensitive skin-friendly acne antidote.
I took the plunge and was gobsmacked at how quickly it paid off. The cream masterfully calmed my cysts, whisked away my blackheads and soothed my skin within a few nights — without being too harsh or drying to use nightly. My skin drinks it up and it’s now my favorite part of my nighttime routine.
My infatuation with zinc, otherwise known as topical zinc oxide, makes sense from a dermatological standpoint.
″[Zinc] is terrific for sensitive skin of all ages,” Dr. Kate Viola explained to HuffPost, calling the compound a “go-to” treatment for babies, children and pregnant women. Viola is a board-certified dermatologist who practices at Dermatology Partners in Baltimore, Maryland. She is also founder of LadyPolpo , a pregnancy-safe skin care line.
Its standout use for sensitive skin is partly due to its low allergy profile, according to Viola, “meaning it is less likely to irritate or cause a skin allergy.”
Dr. Deanna Mraz , a board-certified dermatologist based in Connecticut, highlighted zinc oxide’s “protective and healing” qualities. “It is gentle and effective,” Mraz explained, “and is commonly the hero ingredient in physical sunscreens and reparative treatments like diaper rash creams and clarifying masks.” Mraz is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Yale Medical School and Co-Founder of Modern Dermatology in Westport, Connecticut.
Zinc can be drying, both dermatologists noted: It’s an astringent that absorbs excess oils and decreases sebum production over time. (No wonder I feel it’s helped balance my oily skin.)
“If your skin is prone to dryness, be sure your zinc oxide-based skincare products contain humectants and emollients as well,” Mraz said, “or that you are supplementing your skincare routine to provide hydration.”
Rosen’s Zinc night cream anticipates this, incorporating grapeseed oil, a natural emollient, to add hydration and nourishment to the formula. Rosen also recommends that you apply the night cream after your regular moisturizer , likely for added humectant support. With both these safeguards, I haven’t experienced any dryness — only oil-balancing.
Rosen's Zinc night cream calms breakouts and soothes skin without stripping it of moisture.
The cream’s nighttime usage also serves another purpose. “Zinc oxide can leave a white caste after application which is not as aesthetically pleasing for skin of color,” Viola noted.
Using the cream before bedtime, as intended, allows you to glean its benefits without having to wrestle with a white cast before you leave the house — or foregoing zinc’s effectiveness altogether.
(Skin care chemists have also created nanoparticles of zinc for use in mineral sunscreen, Viola added; these nanoparticles result in less white casting so folks with melanated skin can better enjoy zinc sunscreens and their sensitive skin-friendly effects.)
Looking for more acne-fighting solutions? HuffPost shopping reporter Tessa Flores previously rounded up some of the internet’s favorite pimple patches :
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