For many of us, cold, windy weather or an awkward situation may cause temporary skin redness. For others, facial redness is chronic — to the point of impacting their quality of life and overall self-confidence.
If you’re one of the people asking yourself, “Why is my face always red?”, you know it’s not fun! Not only can a flushed face and the breakouts that follow be embarrassing, but they can also be hard to predict and control. But, there’s good news...
We’re here to tell you about some simple home remedies you can use to reduce facial redness and calm red and splotchy skin. But first, we’re going to discuss what exactly facial redness is, plus what might be causing it.
How Do You Define Facial Redness, and Who Experiences it Most?
You probably guessed it — facial redness is characterized by flushed or blushed skin on the face. Along with redness, you may also notice small bumps or exposed blood vessels. Skin redness can last from just a few minutes to days or even years and can affect anyone; however, facial redness is most common among middle-aged women with fair skin.
So Why is My Face Red?
The exact cause of facial redness is unknown. In fact, it can be a sign of many different underlying conditions. However, it’s often connected to heredity and environmental factors. One important cause of facial redness that is often overlooked is an imbalanced skin microbiome.
Your skin is home to loads of bacteria, even if you can’t see these little guys with your naked eye. While the sound of bacteria may conjure up images of sickness and disease, the truth is not all bacteria are bad. In fact, many of them are good!
So what do these good bacteria do? They help boost our immune defenses by fighting off bad bacteria that can cause disease.
How does this relate to your red face?
Research shows that people dealing with facial redness have skin microbiomes that are different from those without red faces. In other words, those with facial redness have less of the good bacteria and more of the bad bacteria. Without a balanced skin microbiome, your skin’s immune system struggles to function properly. What’s this look like? Skin that turns red every time it perceives an attack… even if it’s not in danger.
Other common causes of redness include:
Rosacea
What is it?
Rosacea is a chronic condition that causes frequent red skin, usually on the face. Small, pus-filled, red bumps and visible blood vessels on your nose and cheeks can also appear.
What causes it?
There isn’t one exact cause of rosacea. Genetics, your environment, harsh skincare ingredients, an imbalance in the skin microbiome, and skin mites could all play a role in the development and flare up of rosacea.
What can I do to treat it?
You’ll need a different type of treatment for your rosacea depending on the underlying cause. In all instances of rosacea, it’s important to avoid potential triggers like spicy food, dairy, alcohol, cinnamaldehyde, hot weather, harsh chemical ingredients, and stress. Balancing your skin microbiome could also help improve your rosacea, because a balanced microbiome is key to overall skin health. A well-balanced skin microbiome strengthens your skin’s natural protective barrier and helps retain moisture in the skin.
Over-Exfoliation
What is it?
Exfoliating your skin removes dead skin cells to help show off the fresh, smooth skin underneath. You can use chemical exfoliators or exfoliating scrubs with sugar, salt, beads, or grains that remove the top dead layer of skin. In general, exfoliating is a healthy and recommended habit; however, over-exfoliation occurs when you exfoliate too much. It can lead to redness, peeling, and inflammation in the skin.
What causes it?
Over-exfoliating occurs when you’ve exfoliated the skin too harshly. You really only need to exfoliate once or twice per week. Exfoliating with a chemical or physical exfoliant more often than that can contribute to redness, peeling, and inflammation associated with over-exfoliation.
What can I do to treat it?
If you believe you’ve over-exfoliated your skin, stop the use of your exfoliating products immediately. Switch to a gentle face wash and makeup remover. You can also apply a cool compress or aloe vera gel to help soothe the irritated skin.
Genetic Flushing
What is it?
Genetic alcohol flushing causes some people to have reddened skin on their face, neck, and/or shoulders after drinking alcohol. This alcohol flush reaction is common for people of East Asian descent.
What causes it?
An alcohol flush reaction is caused by an accumulation of acetaldehyde, a metabolic byproduct of alcohol. People who experience red, blotchy skin after consuming alcoholic beverages lack the enzyme to properly break down alcohol.
What can I do to treat it?
The only definite way to eliminate alcohol-induced flushing is to avoid alcohol. Non-alcoholic social tonics are becoming a popular alternative to drinking. If you do decide to partake, moderation is key in reducing facial redness: drink less and lower ABV options.
Whatever Is Causing Your Flare Ups, These Simple Tips Will Help Reduce Redness On Your Face
1. Avoid Triggers
Triggers of facial redness are varied and may include:
- Chemicals in topical products
- Emotional stress
- Hot or cold weather
- Wind
- Strenuous exercise
- Certain medications, including some blood pressure medicines
- Alcohol
- Diet
Avoiding triggers can seriously reduce facial redness, but this is easier said than done. While you could avoid every potential trigger, that would be exhausting. So first you’ll need to figure out what your personal triggers are.
Wondering how to do this? Take notes.
By keeping a log of your flare-ups, you’ll be able to better pinpoint what’s causing them. Then, you can try to limit exposure. For example, if you realize your face turns red after washing and styling your hair, take a look at any products you use. Shampoo? Hairspray? Also, notice the environment. Are you using super hot water or a hairdryer?
Eliminate these products and possible environmental triggers one by one until you see your redness dissipate. When this happens, you’ve found your trigger!
2. Adjust Your Diet
It turns out your diet can both help and hurt your facial redness! Diets aren't one-size fits all — we're all unique — so it may take some elimination and experimentation to determine which foods do and do not agree with your skin. We can give you some general recommendations, though:
Foods to eat:
- Foods rich in zinc – meat, legumes, seeds, nuts, whole grains
- Probiotic-rich foods – miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt
Foods to test and potentially eliminate or reduce:
- Alcohol
- Hot drinks
- Spicy foods
- Cinnamon
- Dairy, or other inflammatory foods
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to diet. Let your skin guide you in choosing which foods work for you.
3. Balance Your Skin Microbiome
Avoiding triggers helps you avoid substances that can cause flare-ups. On the other hand, balancing your skin microbiome helps you develop skin that can better handle these triggers.
As we explained above, if you’re regularly dealing with a red face, there’s a good chance your skin microbiome is out of whack. Over-cleansing, over-exfoliating, and using products with preservatives or antibiotics can all disrupt your skin microbiome.
Fortunately, you can rebalance your skin’s microbiome. While this may sound complicated, you just need to choose a product that works with your skin’s natural defenses to return your skin to a balanced state.
Gladskin Redness Relief Cream rebalances the good and bad bacteria that live on the skin, thanks to endolysin Micreobalance® (our patented smart protein), while it moisturizes.
Now that’s something to celebrate.
And since it’s formulated without harsh ingredients or antimicrobials and safe for sensitive skin, you don’t have to worry about it causing flare-ups.
4. Skip Harsh Skincare Ingredients
Harsh ingredients will only exacerbate your already-red skin. Gladskin Redness Relief Cream is free from fragrances, alcohols, steroids, preservatives, and parabens. We’re biased, but it really is a great example of the type of clean skincare products to look out for when trying to nourish red and sensitive skin.
When you’re dealing with facial redness, opt out of skincare ingredients with:
- Glycolic acid
- Salicylic acid
- Witch hazel
- Menthol or peppermint oil
- Synthetic fragrances
- Drying alcohols
- Preservatives and parabens
5. Moisturize!
To help keep your facial redness at bay, it’s essential that you keep your skin moist. As you know, this is easier said than done, since many moisturizers contain unnecessary added ingredients.
But, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a great moisturizer that’s safe and effective. Gladskin’s Redness Relief Cream provides your skin with the moisture it deserves without any of the harmful chemicals it doesn’t.
No retinoids, no parasiticides, no antibiotics, no fragrances, no worries.
