How to reduce skin redness on your face

If your skin redness is caused by a skin condition, it’s important to tackle that condition by using suitable skin care products and by consulting with your doctor. Read our article What's the Best Order to Apply Your Skincare Routine? if you need tips on introducing a new routine.

There are also some general tips that can help prevent facial redness.

Use an SPF product to protect from the sun

Protecting your skin from the sun is a key way to prevent skin redness caused by sunburn. UV rays from the sun are a major trigger of skin flushing in individuals (1-3).

Additionally, it’s important to wear sunscreen every day, even when it’s cloudy, as UVA rays can penetrate clouds (1).

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 is a lightweight moisturizer that contains micronized titanium dioxide, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone, which protect against UVA and UVB rays. It is also enriched with glycerin and Vitamin E to nourish your skin throughout the day.

Be careful with exfoliation

Exfoliating your skin too much can cause skin redness. This can also occur if the chemical exfoliant is too harsh on your skin, or if you scrub very hard with a physical exfoliant that contains small granules (4).

If your skin is prone to redness, you should check with your dermatologist whether exfoliation is right for you. There are also gentle scrubs available like Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub, which is gentle enough to use daily on sensitive skin, both on the face and body.

Use gentle skin care products

Some skin care ingredients can irritate your skin and cause skin redness. To prevent this from occurring, it’s important to choose gentle products for skin redness (1).

Panthenol moisturizes and soothes your skin. It also helps to boost your skin’s barrier function. Try Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream as part of your skin care routine. It’s proven to be gentle on sensitive skin and is suitable for both face and body (5).

Other products that are beneficial for sensitive skin include those that are non-irritating and fragrance-free such as Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser that deeply cleanses your skin while remaining gentle on your skin. Gentle Skin Cleanser is also suitable for both face and body.

Lifestyle changes

Your diet may also cause face flushing. It could be useful to limit your intake of spicy foods, alcohol, or very hot drinks (1).

Additionally, it’s important to keep your skin protected from the effects of weather changes. As well as hot weather and UV rays, windy and cold weather can dry out your skin, which can lead to skin redness (1).

Moisturize at night

If you have dry skin, it’s important to apply a moisturizer overnight, as this can help to prevent moisture loss. During the night, ingredients have more time to be absorbed without being exposed to the outside world.