How to Get Rid of Redness on the Face
Find the offender., Wash your face 1-2 times a day., Use moisturizer., Consider over-the-counter special creams., Consider using aloe vera gel., Consider dabbing on coconut oil., Consider oatmeal masks.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find the offender.
A product in your skincare routine may cause an allergic reaction, pimples, or other irritation.
Think about the cosmetics, skin care products, and hair products you use.
Cut back on all of them and slowly reintroduce them back into your routine one by one.
This way, you can determine which might be causing your skin to break out.
If redness is associated with swelling of the face, especially lips or tongue, or trouble breathing, seek immediate medical attention.
In the United States, call
911.
Start with the products you have added most recently, since these are the most likely to have triggered a reaction.
You can schedule an appointment with an allergist or dermatologist.
Either can do a patch test, during which small amounts of chemicals will be applied to the skin and the treated skin will be monitored for a reaction.
You may just have sensitive skin.
If so, some brands have sensitive-skin product lines; classic examples include the Aveeno Ultra-Calming and Eucerin Redness Relief lines.
After you figure out which chemical is at the root of your redness, cut out any product from your routine that contains that chemical as an active or inactive ingredient. -
Step 2: Wash your face 1-2 times a day.
Use warm water: both hot and cold water can cause your skin to dry out.
If you wash it the wrong way, you can make your skin more irritated and redder.
You should wash with a sensitive cleanser, one without fragrance, and avoid any that contain alcohol or other drying agents.
Try products such as Cetaphil or Purpose.
Pat dry with a soft towel when done.
Do not scrub your face, which can cause your skin to become more irritated.Try cleansers with sulfates such as Rosanil.
These ingredients will help with inflammation.If your redness involves pimples and you do not have sensitive skin, try products that have benzoyl peroxide such as Clearasil. , After washing your face, immediately apply a moisturizing facial cream (or lotion) over the skin to lock in moisture.
You can also store your lotion in the refrigerator and apply it to your face when cold.
Cold products cause the blood vessels in your face to constrict and redness to fade.
Avoid buying products with alcohol, witch hazel, peppermint, fragrance, eucalyptus, or clove oil.
These are considered skin irritants and will only make your skin more irritated., The most popular is topical cortisone, which has a steroid in the cream to help alleviate redness, soothe skin, and reduce swelling.
Find a cream that contains hydrocortisone in a
0.5% or 1% solution.
Use it sparingly 1-2 times a day, but only on the affected areas.
Do not use these creams for long because overexposure to them can actually cause more irritation.
You can also look for more natural calming creams that have ingredients such as licorice, feverfew, tea, turmeric, magnesium, cucumber, or ginger., Aloe vera can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
You can use the gel from an aloe vera plant or buy it over the counter.
Apply the aloe gel to your face twice daily to help decrease the redness.
To extract the gel from the aloe vera plant, remove a large leaf of aloe from the bottom of the plant.
Cut down the center of the plant, score the insides, and pull the gel out.
Then apply that gel to your face twice a day.You can find aloe vera gel at most supermarkets or drug stores. , Coconut oil is a natural emollient, which locks in moisture.
Be careful putting oils on acne-prone skin: oil can make acne worse.
Coconut oil prevents your skin from losing moisture and becoming dehydrated, which is a common reason for redness.
It also has lauric acid in it, which has antiviral, anti fungal, and antimicrobial properties to help revitalize your skin.
Each night, rub coconut oil onto your face, paying special attention to problem spots that feel extra rough or that are extremely red.You can also use olive oil, almond oil, or rosehip seed oil.
They have similar nutrients to coconut oil and will help hydrate your skin.Coconut oil helps alleviate redness when the redness is caused by dryness. , Oatmeal is great for soothing many different causes of redness, from sunburn to eczema to simple irritation.
Buy pure oats and add water to them.
Let the oatmeal soak up the water then apply it as a mask.
As often as once each day, leave the mask on your face for at least 30 minutes, then wash it off.
You can make it with milk for an added boost.
Make sure the milk has some fat in it, such as 2% or whole milk.
The fatty proteins in the milk help rejuvenate your skin. -
Step 3: Use moisturizer.
-
Step 4: Consider over-the-counter special creams.
-
Step 5: Consider using aloe vera gel.
-
Step 6: Consider dabbing on coconut oil.
-
Step 7: Consider oatmeal masks.
Detailed Guide
A product in your skincare routine may cause an allergic reaction, pimples, or other irritation.
Think about the cosmetics, skin care products, and hair products you use.
Cut back on all of them and slowly reintroduce them back into your routine one by one.
This way, you can determine which might be causing your skin to break out.
If redness is associated with swelling of the face, especially lips or tongue, or trouble breathing, seek immediate medical attention.
In the United States, call
911.
Start with the products you have added most recently, since these are the most likely to have triggered a reaction.
You can schedule an appointment with an allergist or dermatologist.
Either can do a patch test, during which small amounts of chemicals will be applied to the skin and the treated skin will be monitored for a reaction.
You may just have sensitive skin.
If so, some brands have sensitive-skin product lines; classic examples include the Aveeno Ultra-Calming and Eucerin Redness Relief lines.
After you figure out which chemical is at the root of your redness, cut out any product from your routine that contains that chemical as an active or inactive ingredient.
Use warm water: both hot and cold water can cause your skin to dry out.
If you wash it the wrong way, you can make your skin more irritated and redder.
You should wash with a sensitive cleanser, one without fragrance, and avoid any that contain alcohol or other drying agents.
Try products such as Cetaphil or Purpose.
Pat dry with a soft towel when done.
Do not scrub your face, which can cause your skin to become more irritated.Try cleansers with sulfates such as Rosanil.
These ingredients will help with inflammation.If your redness involves pimples and you do not have sensitive skin, try products that have benzoyl peroxide such as Clearasil. , After washing your face, immediately apply a moisturizing facial cream (or lotion) over the skin to lock in moisture.
You can also store your lotion in the refrigerator and apply it to your face when cold.
Cold products cause the blood vessels in your face to constrict and redness to fade.
Avoid buying products with alcohol, witch hazel, peppermint, fragrance, eucalyptus, or clove oil.
These are considered skin irritants and will only make your skin more irritated., The most popular is topical cortisone, which has a steroid in the cream to help alleviate redness, soothe skin, and reduce swelling.
Find a cream that contains hydrocortisone in a
0.5% or 1% solution.
Use it sparingly 1-2 times a day, but only on the affected areas.
Do not use these creams for long because overexposure to them can actually cause more irritation.
You can also look for more natural calming creams that have ingredients such as licorice, feverfew, tea, turmeric, magnesium, cucumber, or ginger., Aloe vera can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
You can use the gel from an aloe vera plant or buy it over the counter.
Apply the aloe gel to your face twice daily to help decrease the redness.
To extract the gel from the aloe vera plant, remove a large leaf of aloe from the bottom of the plant.
Cut down the center of the plant, score the insides, and pull the gel out.
Then apply that gel to your face twice a day.You can find aloe vera gel at most supermarkets or drug stores. , Coconut oil is a natural emollient, which locks in moisture.
Be careful putting oils on acne-prone skin: oil can make acne worse.
Coconut oil prevents your skin from losing moisture and becoming dehydrated, which is a common reason for redness.
It also has lauric acid in it, which has antiviral, anti fungal, and antimicrobial properties to help revitalize your skin.
Each night, rub coconut oil onto your face, paying special attention to problem spots that feel extra rough or that are extremely red.You can also use olive oil, almond oil, or rosehip seed oil.
They have similar nutrients to coconut oil and will help hydrate your skin.Coconut oil helps alleviate redness when the redness is caused by dryness. , Oatmeal is great for soothing many different causes of redness, from sunburn to eczema to simple irritation.
Buy pure oats and add water to them.
Let the oatmeal soak up the water then apply it as a mask.
As often as once each day, leave the mask on your face for at least 30 minutes, then wash it off.
You can make it with milk for an added boost.
Make sure the milk has some fat in it, such as 2% or whole milk.
The fatty proteins in the milk help rejuvenate your skin.
About the Author
Jeffrey Powell
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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