Do you suffer from facial redness? Sometimes it's a bit of a struggle to figure out the issue and how to combat it, however if you read our simple guide, it should set you up for success. There's a number of things to consider when trying to soothe facial redness, including the cause and how to combat.
What Is Facial Redness?
Facial redness is a term used to describe how your skin reacts to stress. This can be both internal or external stress, and can occur either consistently or every now and again. It happens when your blood flushes to the skin, with the aim of fighting off whatever is irritating your skin. Although it's not always something you should be concerned about, facial redness can be attributed to some deeper skin conditions.
What Causes Redness On The Skin?
Redness on the skin can be caused by a number of issues. It's easier to understand if we look at them in two categories, internal and external.
Internal causes are the likes of diet, stress and allergies. These tend to be things that aren't directly affected by anything, but are due to your body reacting to something in a certain way. If you're intolerant to certain foods, it may be your diet that is causing facial redness.
External issues are caused by pollution, sun and irritants. Whilst some reactions may be your bodies way of coping, redness can be caused by exposure to pollution in the air, UV rays and over-reactive skincare products that aren't suitable for your skin type.
Facial redness can also be caused by medical conditions such as acne, rosacea or eczema. Whilst there may be ways below that can assist and soothe the redness, if you continue to suffer with it, we'd probably advice seeking medical treatment.
7 Ways To Reduce Facial Redness
1. Uncover The Issue
Before you try and tackle the facial redness, you need to figure out what is causing the issue. Have you recently added any new products to your routine? Have you recently moved home? Considering all the different causes of redness will help you whittle it down to 1 or 2 problems, that are easy to tackle. If you've decided it's an issue with a product, try removing it for a couple of days and see if the condition improves.
2. Cleanse Your Skin
When you're out and about, dirt and pollution can stick to your skin. If you're not cleansing your face, you're leaving all these irritants to sit on your skin and cause redness. It's advised that you cleanse your skin both morning and night, using warm water as this is the most gentle. Try opting for a face wash suitable for sensitive skin, as they tend to be fragrance free and don't contain alcohol.
3. Moisturise Effectively
If your skin is red due to products or external aggressors, it's potentially also irritated. Using a moisturiser will help lock in the hydration, which helps your skin feel smoother and creates a stronger protective barrier against irritation. Try looking for a moisturiser that includes ingredients such as cucumber, aloe vera, oatmeal and honey, as they've all got calming and soothing properties. For that extra added boost, store your face cream in the fridge. Cold products will cause your blood vessels in your face to shrink, which helps reduce redness.
4. Face Treatments
This step is similar to the previous one. If you find that your moisturiser just isn't giving you the soothing benefits you need, it's time to up the ante and use a facial treatment. This can be either a facial serum, oil or face mask. They tend to have more intensive benefits, and should be used in conjunction with your current skincare routine. Once again, look out for soothing ingredients like oats and aloe, and you'll be good to go.
5. Protect Your Skin
Prevention is better than cure. Even if you're not currently suffering from redness, it won't hurt to protect your skin against the elements. Sun, wind, and daily life can cause irritation, so it's important to be protected at all times. Use a daily SPF to protect against UV rays, and look for a moisturiser or serum with antioxidants in to protect from the pollution. You can thank us later.
6. Hide Redness
Some people are genetically prone to facial redness, you might just naturally blush in more areas. Unfortunately, you can't completely eliminate this kind of redness, so the solution here is to use a concealer and reduce the redness. This might sound scary, but applied right it can look really natural and will even out your skin tone. We've got a full guide to help you, click here to check it out.
7. Start From The Inside
If you've tried pretty much everything, and you find that your skin is still red and irritated, it's time to tackle the inside. A main cause of skin irritation can be due to your diet. Try adding some anti-inflammatory foods such as carrots, apples, cucumbers, melons and spinach to your diet. They contain antioxidants that are capable of moisturising your skin from the inside out.
Hopefully our guide will help you combat facial redness. If you’ve got any more questions and want more advice, send us a Tweet.
