15 Causes & 8 Ways To Reduce It – SkinKraft

Reviewed by Expert Prutha B.Nawale (M.tech, Cosmetic Technology)

Updated on August 29, 2022
| Written By Minal Khona

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This blog post is based on scientific evidence, written and fact checked by our doctors.

Our team of dermatologists and formulators strive to be objective, unbiased and honest.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses are clickable links to research
papers from reputed academic organizations.

How often have you noticed your face flushing and turning red? Skin redness can have many causes – from sunburn and allergies to rosacea and spicy food. While prevention is the best cure for some conditions, some might need medical attention. Find out all its causes, solutions and more.

Highlights:

• What Causes Redness In The Face?
• How To Reduce Redness On Face
• When To See A Dermatologist?

What Causes Redness In The Face?

1. Rosacea

Rosacea is a skin condition that usually affects the face, and is more commonly found in light skinned women. Its cause is unknown, but there are triggers which can be controlled with treatment. [1]

2. Spicy Foods and Alcohol

Intake of spicy food, alcohol, cheese, hot drinks, caffeine and aerobic running too can trigger facial redness.

Alcohol flushing is prevalent among Asians due to the lack of an enzyme. Spicy foods dilate the blood vessels due to their heat generating capability, which increases the flow of blood to the face, making it look red.

3. Contact Dermatitis

Redness due to an allergic reaction caused by the skin’s contact with foreign substances is termed as contact dermatitis [2]. For example, fragrances, poison ivy or soaps and hair dyes can lead to allergic reactions.

4. Eczema

Eczema is also known as atopic dermatitis. This is a rash that can appear all of a sudden and makes the skin extremely dry, itchy and scaly. It usually appears on the feet, but is known to affect facial skin as well. [3]

5. Reaction to Medication

The intake of some medications can cause an adverse, allergic reaction to the skin making it go red, especially if you are outdoors. A classic example would be the use of a face cream containing hydrocortisone [4].

6. Retinol Overuse

The use of retinoid [5] creams makes the skin sensitive to the sun, which in turn causes redness on the face.

7. Over-Exfoliated Skin

If you develop itchy and red skin immediately after exfoliating, which lasts for over 24 hours, it is a sign that you are doing it too frequently. Over exfoliation leads to redness especially when you have dry skin.

8. Shingles

This is a condition where a blister like rash appears on the face and usually elsewhere on the body. It is an infection that starts with a tingling sensation. If the rash appears on the face, immediate treatment is advised. [6]

9. Lupus

The autoimmune disease where the human body’s immune system starts to attack its own body parts is known as lupus. When it attacks the skin, a butterfly shaped rash usually appears on the face and cheeks. It can also cause swelling. [7]

10. Genetic Flushing

This condition occurs after the consumption of alcohol, where flushes or red blotches appear on the face, neck and the also entire body at times. It is quite prevalent among Asians, due to the accumulation of acetaldehyde, caused by the absence of the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (helps break down alcohol).

11. Dry Skin and Acne

Acne usually appears on oily skin. It is a result of clogged pores due to excessive oil secretion by the sebaceous glands. A breakout can cause the skin to look red.

Acne can also occur on dry and sensitive skin, when it comes in contact with certain particles. Being out in the sun without applying sunscreen can also cause redness.

12. Hot Weather (Sun Exposure)

Exposure to the sun is one of the most common causes of skin redness. It eventually becomes sun burnt skin. This is due to the damage from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, where the body sends more blood to the exposed skin to repair the damage.

13. Weather Change

Sometimes, the advent of hot summer or humid conditions usually gives rise to prickly heat, a form of rash that causes redness. Usually, it is found on the torso and back. But at times, it can affect the face too.

14. Inflammatory Skin

Inflammation on your skin can be due to contact with poison ivy, an allergic reaction to a food item or dermatitis. Symptoms include redness on the face and swelling. Some people are even known to have red and inflamed skin due to stress or bacteria.

15. Poor Quality Cosmetics

When it comes to skin creams and colour cosmetics, it is best to play safe and go with trusted brands. The dubious quality of ingredients used in cosmetics that are not prepared in a hygienic and scientific environment can often cause the skin to break out into a rash.

How To Reduce Redness On Face?

1. Cool Water Bath or Cold Compress

For heat, sunburn or rosacea-related redness, a cool bath helps to bring the rash down. A cool compress can help reduce facial inflammation and give relief to sensitive skin.

2. Salicylic Acid or Glycolic Acid Peels

Glycolic acid peels [8] remove dead cells from the surface of the skin, brightening the exposed layers. Salicylic acid peels [9] are good for treating redness and blemishes caused by acne. Any chemical peel should be applied by a trained cosmetologist or dermatologist.

3. Sunscreen

For redness due to weather change, using sunscreen with a high SPF helps reduce the rash. Patients on retinoid therapy are advised to avoid excessive sun exposure and take precautionary measures (like use of sunscreens) for sun protection.

4. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera in gel or cream form can help reduce redness and itchiness. The components in aloe vera soothe the skin and promote regeneration of new skin, while helping the skin to heal faster.

5. Cucumber Slices

Cucumbers are known for their cooling qualities. So applying cucumber juice or placing cucumber slices on the face and eyes can help to soothe the skin and reduce redness.

6. Choose Fragrance-Free Products

If your skin is sensitive and reacts to strong fragrances, look for hypoallergenic and fragrance-free products for your skin. These are specifically made to suit sensitive skin, which is prone to redness on application. Avoid deodorants, skin creams and cosmetics with strong fragrances.

7. Changing Your Lifestyle

If you have genetic flushing, avoiding consumption of alcohol is the best way to beat it. Similarly, if you have oily skin, it demands a change in your diet and reduced consumption of oily, high-fat foods. Wearing sunscreen every time you step outdoors also helps.

8. Medication Related Redness

If your skin is turning red due to any medication, we suggest you see your doctor for that ailment and ask him/her to prescribe a drug you don’t react to.

When To See A Dermatologist?

It is suggested that you visit a dermatologist if the rash persists for more than two weeks; or if you have any kind of pain or itchiness. Conditions like lupus, shingles, dermatitis, rosacea, allergic reactions to medicines etc. require medical attention.

Redness on the face can be due to several reasons. Depending on the duration and severity, you can opt for simple solutions or consult a dermatologist.

Begin By Knowing Your Skin

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5828925/

2. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000869.htm

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279399/

4. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682206. html

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641/

6. https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/index.html

7. https://medlineplus.gov/lupus.html

8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3875240/

9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4554394/

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Causes of facial redness, how to deal with and how to soothe the skin with redness and rosacea on the face

My facial skin turns red – is it couperosis?

Redness on the face is a symptom of many dermatological diseases, including rosacea. The difference is that rosacea is dilated blood vessels visible on the skin. In other words, it is a capillary network. The owners of light thin sensitive skin are most susceptible to the condition. Couperosis on the face is localized on the cheeks, lateral surfaces of the nose, sometimes accompanied by a burning sensation and tingling. This can be an independent manifestation of skin changes, or it can be one of the symptoms of rosacea, a chronic dermatological disease with an undulating course.

What causes skin redness in rosacea?

Manifestations of rosacea intensify with vascular and immune disorders, gastrointestinal dysfunction, exposure to climatic factors, emotional stress. The course of rosacea is aggravated by cosmetic preparations and cleansers that have an irritating effect (waterproof cosmetics and tinting preparations, the removal of which requires the use of solvents, as well as cleansers containing soap). Therefore, the following are recommended as the basis of daily skin care for rosacea:

• gentle cleansing of the skin
• support for the natural balance of healthy skin microflora
• moisturizing and protecting the skin from the sun
• control of dilated blood vessels.

How to take care of skin with rosacea and rosacea?

Rosacelin LIBRDERM Collection – 4 steps to healthy and beautiful skin without redness. Gentle skin care products with a plant-derived vascular growth factor blocker normalize microcirculation, reducing skin redness. ” – comments Tamrazova Olga Borisovna, MD, Professor of the Department of Dermatovenereology of the FPC MR RUDN University.

Step 1: Gentle cleansing

Blackcurrant Oil Foam Cleanser contains a bio-complex of malic amino acids that gently removes impurities and make-up from sensitive, redness-prone skin. The natural organic component of MSM based on sulfur has a pronounced anti-inflammatory activity. Pollution and makeup are removed, the skin is cleansed without overdrying.

Step 2. Reduce reactivity and normalize microflora

Innovative texture and effective formula in one bottle – in contact with the skin, the tonic turns into a soothing gel. The prebiotic inulin in the soothing tonic gel maintains a natural balance of healthy skin microflora, caffeine reduces the visibility of capillaries, and the extract of the medicinal plant Lastoven blackish has anti-inflammatory and soothing effects.

Step 3 Moisturize & Protect

Soothing day cream with vegetal growth factor blocker combats persistent dilation and new capillary network formation. Licorice root extract in the composition soothes, softens, moisturizes, relieves skin irritation. SPF 30 in the composition protects against the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation.

Step 4. Deep correction and restoration

Normalizing night cream with an innovative niosomal form of delivery of the active ingredient – troxerutin – reduces the permeability and fragility of capillaries, increases their tone, increases the density of the vascular wall, has anti-edematous and anti-inflammatory effects.

Thus skin care Rosacelin fights microcirculation disorders, which are accompanied by expansion, fragility of blood vessels and the formation of new capillaries.

How to get rid of redness on the face?

The specialists of our clinic are close to the European approach to medical education, according to which a doctor should learn all his life. Every year in cosmetology there are new directions, methods, preparations. That is why regular attendance at conferences, internships in different countries of the world have become a part of life for our doctors and management staff.