Whether your face has a tinge of redness all over or, even worse, splotchy red patches, redness on your face is a sign of unhealthy skin and can also leave you embarrassed and frustrated.
Moreover, redness on the face can lead to inflammation, burning sensations, itchiness and pain, all of which can add to your discomfort level.
Excessive redness on your face can be due to several reasons. Common causes include rosacea, lupus, acne, eczema, seborrhea, perimenopause, broken capillaries or extremely dry skin.
Some other causes of redness on the face are a sunburn, exposure to cold weather, being in a hot environment for a long time, drinking excess alcohol and too much stress in your life.
Fortunately, there are many simple and effective home remedies that can provide relief from the symptoms of face flushing and get rid of the redness.
Here are the top 10 ways to get rid of redness on your face.
1. Cold Compress
To deal with mild redness on your face, a cold compress is very effective.
The cold temperature helps contract the blood vessels underneath the skin, which in turn minimizes redness. Also, it helps reduce itching and inflammation.
- Wrap some ice cubes in a thin towel.
- Gently rub the compress all over your face for 1 minute.
- Take a break for 10 minutes, then repeat again.
- Do it as needed.
Caution: Do not apply ice directly on the skin, as it can cause frostbite and damage the skin cells.
2. Aloe Vera
You can also use aloe vera to get rid of face redness naturally. Aloe vera has a healing effect on the skin and contains anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation, irritation and dry skin.
- Cut open an aloe vera leaf and extract the gel.
- Apply the gel on your blotchy skin.
- Allow it to dry on its own.
- Rinse it off with lukewarm water and pat dry your skin with a soft towel.
- Repeat several times a day until the redness is gone.
3. Colloidal Oatmeal
A very popular remedy for redness on the face is colloidal oatmeal, which is pulverized oats. It has a moisturizing effect on the skin, which can treat redness due to dry skin and eczema.
It also has an anti-inflammatory property that helps reduce inflammation. Plus, it balances the skin’s pH level.
A 2007 study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology reports that colloidal oatmeal has moisturizing, soothing, protective and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Mix enough water into 2 or 3 tablespoons of colloidal oatmeal to make a paste.
- Apply it on your face.
- Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.
- Use this simple remedy daily until you no longer have redness on your face.
4. Cucumber
Cucumbers contain many vitamins and minerals, and are also high in water content that helps keep the skin healthy and hydrated. In addition, the mild astringent nature restricts the blood vessels in your skin, thus lessening the redness.
Also, the cooling effect of cucumbers helps calm inflamed skin. Furthermore, it helps alleviate skin irritation and swelling.
- Cut a cucumber into thin slices.
- Chill the slices in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- Place a cool slice over the affected area for about 1 minute.
- Replace it with another cool cucumber slice.
- Do this for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Repeat this remedy several times a day.
5. Green Tea
The polyphenols in green tea have skin cell rejuvenating properties and can help reduce any type of facial redness.
Green tea also has anti-inflammatory agents and helps constrict blood vessels in your skin, which will help reduce redness and inflammation.
- Make a cup of green tea and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Soak a cloth in the cold tea.
- Place the cloth over your face for several minutes.
- Repeat this remedy 2 or 3 times daily for effective results.
6. Witch Hazel
Witch hazel also helps combat redness on the face. Being a natural astringent, witch hazel constricts the blood vessels and the pores under the surface of your skin, which in turn minimizes the appearance of redness.
Witch hazel also contains tannins that help inhibit inflammatory responses in the skin.
- Soak a cotton ball in some witch hazel.
- Hold it against the affected area for 5 minutes.
- Repeat 2 or 3 times a day for a few days.