There are several ways to reduce redness on the face: the technique varies depending on the cause. A general skin redness can usually be kept under control with cosmetics and detergents, but other conditions that irritate the skin require more specific treatments. Follow the method that best suits your type of problem to reduce redness.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Perfect Your Beauty Rituals
Step 1. Find the culprit
It may be that you are regularly using a product that causes an allergic reaction, pimples, or another type of irritation. Think about the cosmetics, cleansers, creams, and hair products you use. Eliminate them all, then gradually and individually reintroduce them into your routine. This way, you can determine which one is irritating the skin.
- If the redness is accompanied by swelling that especially affects your lips or tongue or is causing you trouble breathing, go to the emergency room immediately.
- Start excluding recently added products, as they are more likely to be the culprits.
- You can make an appointment with an allergist or dermatologist, who will have you undergo a patch test: in practice, tiny amounts of chemicals are applied to a certain area of the skin. The affected skin parts are then monitored to see if an allergic reaction occurs.
- Maybe you just have sensitive skin. If so, some brands have dedicated product lines. Examples are Avène and Eucerin.
- After understanding what causes redness, eliminate all products that contain these substances, whether they are active or inactive ingredients.
Step 2. Wash your face 1-2 times a day
Use lukewarm water: hot or cold water can dry out the skin. If you wash the wrong way, you can irritate and redden your skin even more. You should use a mild, fragrance-free cleanser. Avoid those containing alcohol or other substances that can dry out. Try products like those from Avène or Bioderma.
- After you're done, pat your face with a soft towel. Don't rub it, as this will irritate your skin even more.
- Try sulfur or sulfacetamide-based cleansers, ingredients that can fight inflammation.
- If the redness is accompanied by pimples and you don't have sensitive skin, try products containing benzoyl peroxide.
Step 3. Use your moisturizer
After washing your face, immediately apply a special cream or lotion to fix the skin's hydration.
- You can also store the cream in the refrigerator and apply it to your face when it's cold. Cold products constrict blood vessels and decrease redness.
- Avoid buying products containing alcohol, witch hazel, peppermint, fragrances, eucalyptus, and clove oil. They are considered skin irritants and would only inflame the skin even more.
Step 4. Consider specific over-the-counter creams
The most common ones are based on cortisone, a steroid that helps relieve redness, soothe the skin and reduce swelling. Look for a product containing a hydrocortisone concentration of 0.5% or 1%. Use a small amount 1-2 times a day, but only on the affected areas.
- Do not use these creams for a long time, as excessive exposure can make irritation worse.
- You can also use natural calming creams, with ingredients like licorice, feverfew, tea, turmeric, magnesium, cucumber or ginger.
Step 5. You could use aloe vera gel
It can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain. You can squeeze the gel from the plant or buy a packaged one. Apply it to your face twice a day to decrease redness.
- To extract the gel, remove a large leaf from the bottom of the aloe vera plant. Cut it in half lengthwise and squeeze out the gel using a knife. Apply it on your face 2 times a day.
- Aloe vera gel can be found in well-stocked supermarkets or organic food stores.
Step 6. Try using coconut oil
It is a natural emollient that helps retain moisture. If you have acne-prone skin, try to avoid oils or use small amounts, as they can make the situation worse. Coconut oil prevents loss of hydrolipid balance and dehydration, a common cause of redness. In addition, it contains lauric acid, which has antiviral, antifungal and antimicrobial properties that help revitalize the epidermis. Every evening, massage it into your face, paying particular attention to problem areas that are drier than usual or extremely red.
- You can also use olive, sweet almond, or ruby rose oil. They have nutrients similar to coconut oil and help moisturize the skin.
- Coconut oil helps relieve redness caused by dryness.
Step 7. Try an oatmeal mask
It is great for fighting different causes of redness: sunburn, eczema or simple irritation. Buy organic oatmeal and add water to it. Let them absorb the liquid, then apply the mixture to your face as if it were a mask. Prepare it once a day and leave it on for at least 30 minutes, then rinse it off.
For an even more nourishing mask, you can use milk instead of water. Make sure it's whole. The milk fat proteins help to invigorate the skin
Method 2 of 4: Change Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Hide redness with a special concealer
Classic concealers are not very effective for skin redness, while specific ones are based on the principle of complementary colors to balance skin discolorations. In case of redness, apply a green concealer. Pat it on the affected areas of the face. Blend it gently with your fingers or a sponge.
- If the redness persists over time or is too noticeable to conceal with the concealer, you may have rosacea. If you think this is the case, go to the dermatologist.
- Do not apply a heavy layer. The concealer is not always effective in completely hiding skin redness. If a standard, moderate amount doesn't fix red areas perfectly, you should still avoid creating a thick layer. If you have to blend a lot of it onto your skin, green may start showing.
Step 2. Apply sunscreen
Skin redness may be due to sun exposure. Apply protection before you go out, even if it's cloudy. You can find those for sensitive skin at the drugstore.
- Sunscreen should have a minimum of SPF 30 to be effective.
- Non-comedogenic creams do not clog pores.
- You can also buy makeup or moisturizers with sun protection factor.
Step 3. Protect your skin from the cold
When the weather is dry and cold, the face can be burned by the wind, while the particles that circulate in the air can upset the hydrolipidic balance and damage the skin surface. If you protect it, your cheeks and nose will be less red when you get back indoors.
- When the face is exposed to cold, the blood vessels narrow, causing the skin to turn white. Once you return to a warmer place, however, the blood directed to the face flows all at once, causing it to redden.
- Wear a scarf, hat, or balaclava made from non-irritating fibers.
Step 4. Drink water and eat moisturizing foods
You can make some dietary changes to treat the redness from the inside. Moisturizing and refreshing foods, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, celery, coconut, cucumbers, melons, peaches, papaya, spinach, and broccoli, contain antioxidants that hydrate the skin from within.
- If your urine is almost transparent pale yellow, you are quite hydrated. If it is a concentrated yellow or orange, you should drink more water.
- By consuming more of these foods, you can prevent your skin from drying out when exposed to freezing winter air or other irritating, dry weather conditions.
- Avoid spicy foods, hot drinks, caffeine, and alcohol. They promote skin redness and would only make the problem worse.
Step 5. Apply the cucumber to the skin
Contains lots of water, vitamins and minerals that can help moisturize the skin. Peel and slice a cold cucumber. Tilt your head back and place the slices on the red areas of your face for 15-20 minutes.
- During this time, the vitamin C in the cucumber should reduce redness.
- However, don't rub the cucumber into your skin, as the friction can make the irritation worse.
Step 6. Apply green tea to the skin
It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps narrow blood vessels, thereby reducing redness and inflammation. Place several tea bags or a few tablespoons of loose tea in a saucepan of boiling water. Take it off the heat. Leave it to infuse for 10 minutes. Then, pour it into a bowl and dip a cloth into the liquid. Once it is at room temperature, wipe the cloth soaked in green tea over your face.
- You can also use chamomile tea or peppermint tea (to avoid if you have sensitive skin).
- Make sure you use a cloth that you can get dirty without any problems. Green tea is colored, so it will likely stain it.
- Do not rub the cloth on your face, as it can irritate your face even more.
Step 7. Apply petroleum jelly to your face
Try not to use it if you have acne-prone skin - it can make it worse. In other cases, to further protect the skin, it is possible to spread a light layer of petroleum jelly. This product prevents blood vessels from narrowing and dilating too quickly. This can reduce or largely prevent redness.
If you are not sure, apply it to a small area of the cheek where the redness is not particularly pronounced. If it turns red even more or the irritation gets worse within a few hours, don't apply it to the rest of your face
Step 8. Apply a cold compress
Cold temperatures can reduce redness by narrowing the blood vessels in the face. This method is especially useful if the redness is accompanied by a burning or swelling sensation. To make a cold compress, take a clean, soft cloth and soak it in fresh water. Press it gently on the irritated area.
- If you don't want to use a wet compress, you can use an ice pack carefully wrapped with a towel.
- You can also put a damp cloth in the refrigerator for a few minutes to cool before placing it on your face.
- Do not use coarse or too cold towels.
Method 3 of 4: Treating Rosacea
Step 1. Stay away from triggers
Rosacea is a chronic skin disease that comes and goes. It can be difficult to predict, but one of the best actions to take to prevent and get rid of redness is to avoid some of the more common and known triggers.
- Factors that trigger it include sun exposure, heat, alcohol, spicy foods, hard cheeses, intense emotions and climate changes, such as increased humidity and strong winds.
- The emotional causes of rosacea include stress, fear, anxiety, and embarrassment.
Step 2. Learn about oral medications
Oral medications reduce skin inflammation and can be prescribed if no natural remedy or treatment works. If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, have other medical conditions or are taking other medicines, tell your doctor before starting a treatment.
- Your doctor may prescribe doxycycline, an oral antibiotic that reduces inflammation. Initially, for the attack dose, a low-dose version is given in high quantities, but then it is lowered down to the maintenance dose.
- Doxycycline not only treats redness but also the red wheals associated with rosacea.
- There are also other prescription medicines. Your doctor will be able to tell you which one is most suitable for you. They are prescribed in cases of moderate, not mild rosacea.
Step 3. Use topical prescription treatments
Some patients prefer them to oral ones. Your dermatologist may prescribe creams such as sulfacetamide / sulfur, metronidazole, or azelaic acid creams. They have the same properties as oral treatments, only they are applied topically. They help treat red wheals, but also the redness associated with rosacea.
Step 4. Learn about laser treatments
This therapy is often used for the purpose of relieving redness for longer periods than other treatments. It can also help decrease the visibility of blood vessels found on the face, neck, and chest. It is used to visibly improve the skin and brighten the complexion.
- Laser treatment can be troublesome, but local anesthesia and ice packs can improve the situation.
- This treatment is not unique, in fact it requires sessions at 3-6 week intervals. Several sessions are required for optimal results and costs are generally not low.
- It is mainly used in case of persistent redness that has not responded to easier treatments.
Method 4 of 4: Coping with Acne in Adulthood
Step 1. Use salicylic acid, which helps reduce swelling and redness
In addition, it allows you to free the pores. It is available in the form of gels, wipes, creams, cleansers, lotions and sprays. Try the product that you think best fits your daily routine. Start with a concentration of 2%, so that the skin does not dry out.
Step 2. Apply aspirin locally
The salicylic acid in aspirin constricts blood vessels and effectively reduces skin inflammation. To make a mask, break a tablet in half. Mix the powder with a few drops of water until it forms a thick mixture. Apply it directly to the affected areas. Cover them with a patch for about 30 minutes.
- If you have an aspirin tablet, grind it and add the water to the powder until it forms a thick mixture.
- After 30 minutes, the blood vessels should have narrowed. Acne and surrounding skin should be visibly less inflamed.
Step 3. Take a prescribed medicine
If you suffer from chronic or severe acne, the skin products on the market are hardly enough to cure it. In these cases, a dermatologist must prescribe you a stronger cream or ointment to treat it. He may also recommend oral antibiotics, laser or pulsed light treatments, chemical peels, or microdermabrasion.
- Your dermatologist may prescribe oral antibiotics to eliminate the bacteria that cause breakouts. Medicines that regulate hormones may also be prescribed, such as the birth control pill and spironolactone, which was originally a drug for hypertension.
- Typically, creams and ointments include ingredients such as topical antibiotics, retinoids, sulfur, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid.
- It is not unusual for a combination of these treatments to be prescribed.
Advice
- If you smoke, ask your doctor or dermatologist to help you quit. Smoking can inflame the skin.
- A dermatologist or beautician can give you good advice on products (over-the-counter or prescription) that may be good for your skin.
- If you can't afford a visit to a dermatological office, go to the hospital: the cost of the ticket is lower, and there are also exemptions in some cases.
