If your face looks red or flushed, it can detract from your overall complexion and make your makeup look unnatural. Thankfully, facial redness is not a permanent skin condition. Several lifestyle changes and additions to your regular skincare routine can help correct and calm skin redness for a clearer, fresh-looking complexion.
Step 1
Avoid using facial skincare products formulated with irritating ingredients and chemicals. Skin irritation can lead directly to inflammation and redness. Skincare expert Paula Begoun says some of the most common ingredients found in facial products that are excessively irritating include fragrances, alcohol, lavender and linalool.
Step 2
Cool off. The University of Cincinnati says facial redness may be caused by heat stress, and recommends cooling down by going into the shade, turning on air conditioning or a fan, and drinking plenty of water.
Step 3
Dab on a facial sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater, recommends the Mayo Clinic. The sun can irritate and burn your skin, causing redness. For the best results, Begoun recommends using a sunscreen labeled for use on sensitive skin and made with a sunscreen ingredient such as avobenzone or zinc oxide.
Step 4
Moisturize your skin regularly with a soy-based facial moisturizer, according to "InStyle" magazine's beauty editors. Dryness can cause redness or make redness worse. Additionally, the magazine says soy helps to "diminish skin redness and inflammation."
Step 5
Brush on a color-correcting makeup product, many of which are designed to help camouflage redness. Begoun says yellow-toned makeup products are often designed to help target pink or red skin tones.
Step 6
Talk to your dermatologist if skin redness isn't diminished using over-the-counter treatments. You may have a chronic skin condition or health problem that needs prescription treatment or a surgical procedure, such as a prescription cortisone cream.
Tips and Warnings
- The University of Michigan Health System says procedures offered through a dermatologist, such as a pulsed dye laser or a photofacial treatment, can help lower chronic redness such as rosacea.
Things You'll Need
- Non-irritating skincare products
- Air conditioning or fan
- Drinking water
- Sunscreen
- Soy moisturizer
- Makeup
References
- "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me"; Paula Begoun; 2009
- University of Cincinnati: Facial Flushing With Exercise
- MayoClinic.com: Rosacea
- InStyle Magazine: How Can I Get Rid of Facial Redness I Get in the Summer?
- University of Michigan Health System: Cosmetic Dermatology
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