Rosacea Topical Treatment and Care: From Traditional to New Drug Delivery Systems

Rosacea is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory dermatosischaracterizedby flushing, nontransient erythema, papules and pustules, telangiectasia,and phymatous alterations accompanied by itching, burning, or stinging,the pathophysiology of which is not yet fully understood. Conventionaltopical treatments usually show limited efficacy due to the physicalbarrier property of the skin that hinders skin penetration of theactive ingredients, thereby hampering proper drug skin delivery andthe respective therapeutic or cosmetic effects. New advances regardingthe physiopathological understanding of the disease and the underlyingmechanisms suggest the potential of new active ingredients as promisingtherapeutic and cosmetic approaches to this dermatosis. Additionally,the development of new drug delivery systems for skin delivery, particularlythe potential of nanoparticles for the topical treatment and careof rosacea, has been described. Emphasis has been placed on theirreduced nanometric size, which contributes to a significant improvementin the attainment of targeted skin drug delivery. In addition to theexposition of the known pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis,and preventive measures, this Review covers the topical approachesused in the control of rosacea, including skin care, cosmetics, andtopical therapies, as well as the future perspectives on these strategies.

Automated summary

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by flushing, persistent erythema, papules and pustules, telangiectasia, and phymatous alterations. Its pathophysiology is not fully understood yet and conventional topical treatments have limited efficacy due to the skin barrier. New active ingredients and drug delivery systems, especially nanoparticles, show promise in treating and caring for rosacea. This Review covers the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and prevention measures of rosacea, as well as topical approaches including skin care, cosmetics, and therapies, with an emphasis on future perspectives.