Facial redness is one of those mysteries I’ve never been able to solve—no matter how many times I fervently Google “how to get rid of redness on your face.” It’s apparent when my face seems more flushed than usual, but I'm not always clear what I should do about it or even why I have it.
Case in point: I’ve apparently spent my whole life with a mild case of rosacea (which I suspected for years but didn’t confirm until recently). And last year, when I experienced what turned out to be an eczema flare-up, even the dermatologist I visited had to walk me through a very long series of questions before determining exactly what I was experiencing.
That’s because there are myriad common causes of redness, and how you treat each one differs. “Your face becomes red when blood vessels dilate,” says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “This means that more blood rushes to your skin, giving it a red appearance.”
From there, though, it gets a lot more complicated. So to help anyone else spiraling down an endless search frenzy about how to get rid of redness on your face, I polled top derms to share their best tips for identifying, soothing, and treating any kind of flare-up, from overexfoliation to seborrheic dermatitis. Here’s what they had to say.
1. Redness From Rosacea
Rosacea is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you try to self-diagnose facial redness. But it’s not always the cause, so it never hurts to get a second opinion from a derm. “Rosacea is a condition where your skin is sensitive and overly reactive to environmental triggers,” says Zeichner. “These triggers include extremes in temperature, stress, spicy foods, and alcohol.”
It also varies in appearance. I previously thought it showed up as a persistent flush under your skin, but it can manifest in multiple forms. Jessica Weiser, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City, says the most common one is erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR), which is the usually seen “flat” redness and flushing. But you might also notice papulopustular rosacea, which she characterizes as redness with a primary feature of “pimple-like pink and red bumps, some with whiteheads.”
As far as treatment goes, there are two things to know. First, there is no permanent “cure” for rosacea, although it can be managed, which Zeichner recommends you do as early as possible to prevent progression. Second, what you do depends on how mild or extreme your specific case is. There are topical options that constrict blood vessels and calm inflammation, like Rhofade, which Dendy Engelman, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City, often suggests. In more severe cases, Weiser says, you may need to consider low-dose antibiotics or laser treatments. In any case, expect to wait a minimum of four to six weeks to see noticeable improvement.
The final thing you want to do is keep your skin barrier in good shape. Zeichner suggests gentle cleansers, soothing moisturizers, and total avoidance of exfoliating ingredients (both chemical and physical). A good tip: As far as the rest of your routine is concerned, look for products designed for “redness relief.” I swear by Clinique’s Redness Solutions line, along with anything from this list of the best rosacea treatments.
2. Eczema-Related Redness
Ah, eczema, the brooding mystery of skin conditions. This one can be surprisingly tough to diagnose, as I found out firsthand when I got my 2018 flare-up. That’s because its symptoms are extremely similar to what an allergic reaction looks like. “Eczema and allergic contact dermatitis are difficult to differentiate from clinical evaluation alone because both have inflamed pink dry patches that cause significant itching or a burning sensation,” says Weiser.
If you think you have it, exit your nearest search engine and leave things to a professional. A dermatologist should carefully go through your medical history and personal-care products to determine which condition you’re experiencing. You might be prescribed a topical cortisone or an anti-inflammatory cream to bring down the redness and inflammation. Keep the rest of your routine full of gentle, mild ingredients, and avoid fragrance altogether. Steer clear of retinol and embrace hypoallergenic labels, and you should see an improvement within one to two weeks. “These conditions generally flare with cold weather, change of climate, or change of skin-care products, so they tend to respond readily when conditions are optimized,” says Weiser.
3. Redness and Irritation From Overexfoliation
Take a peek in my bathroom cabinet and you’ll see that I love an intense peel pad or resurfacing AHA. But it’s not such a good idea to use these on any area with redness, particularly if your skin is dry or dehydrated. Engelman warns that this combination can severely weaken your skin barrier and subsequently trigger inflammation. “If the barrier function is damaged, your skin becomes vulnerable to infection from microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungus, and leads to sensitivity and redness,” she says.
To get things back on track, put down the exfoliants and reinforce your barrier function with lots of moisture. Engleman particularly likes products containing the ingredients hyaluronic acid and niacinamides.
4. Contact Dermatitis
This is basically a fancy way of saying that you bought a new product and had an allergic reaction to one or more of the ingredients, whether it’s because they’re causing direct irritation or because your immune system has a true allergy. Zeichner says some common irritating ingredients are things you might find in your acne treatments, like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Other common causes include fragrances and preservatives.
While it’s hard to tell this dermatitis apart from eczema, the good news is that they’re treated in similar ways. Zeichner recommends starting with an over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone ointment, applied twice daily. If there’s no improvement within a few days, you’ll need to head to the derm for a stronger prescription option. Naturally, you should also avoid whatever is causing the reaction. And yes, there is a way to tell. “You can visit your dermatologist for patch testing, a special skin allergy test that will let you know exactly what ingredients you are sensitive to,” he says.
To eliminate the most common culprits, Weiser also suggests using clear, fragrance-free laundry products and “bland moisturizers like Vanicream, La Roche Posay Toleraine, or Lipikar.” These will help build your skin barrier back up, allowing you to heal more quickly.
5. Seborrheic Dermatitis
Not to be confused with the similarly named contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis shows up as redness that tends to concentrate around your nose and eyebrows. According to Zeichner, it’s thought to be similar to dandruff but affects your face instead of your scalp. “We all have yeast living harmoniously on our skin,” he says. “In areas of your face where you make more oil, yeast levels can rise, causing inflammation, redness, and scaling in some cases.”
Treatment is interesting and will likely go against all your instincts, but it’s expert-approved. You need antifungals to lower yeast levels and subsequently reduce inflammation and redness. You will achieve this through something like Kamedis Dandruff Therapy Shampoo, which contains a combination of soothing botanicals and zinc pyrithione, which reduces yeast. “Even though it is called a shampoo, use it as a face wash,” says Zeichner. “Let it lather while you sing the alphabet to ensure enough contact time, then rinse off.”
6. Genetic Flushing
This is one kind of redness that I never have any trouble identifying—I just happen to call it Asian glow. “Genetic flushing due to alcohol consumption is a rarer condition where you lack the enzyme to properly break down alcohol, causing an alcohol byproduct to accumulate and cause flushing,” says Weiser. I guess the most obvious treatment option here would be to avoid alcohol entirely, but I can’t say I’ve really tried doing that.
Engelman has an alternate suggestion: “Taking an antihistamine prior to consuming alcohol may help mitigate some of these flushing effects.” Speaking from personal experience, it doesn’t always work, but sometimes it helps. I’ve also had luck using a green primer for redness, which counteracts my “glow.”
7. Redness From Sun Exposure
Sometimes repeated cases of sunburn might cause you to think you’re experiencing a more persistent form of redness. “Use sunscreen,”" says Engelman—which you should be doing already anyway. She likes Cetaphil Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 20 because it provides both UVA and UVB protection without irritating sensitive skin.
If you skipped SPF application and find yourself with a sunburn, it’s a good time to incorporate soothing products into your routine—the Cetaphil Redness Relief line and Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective products are two derm-approved options.
8. Acne-Related Redness
I could write an entire novel on treating acne, but the condensed version will have to suffice here. “Acne redness is concentrated by pustules or papules,” says Engelman. “A severe case would cause uneven texture, bumps, or skin thickening.”
To quickly bring down breakout-caused inflammation, she recommends treating your pimples “when they are fresh.” And this is the one case where you’re allowed to pile on the ingredients you should avoid when dealing with the rest of this list. Salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and retinol are your friends here. For more severe cases, special types of lasers can be used in office.
There have also been more recent advancements in at-home LED treatments that target redness and inflammation as well as acne. Options include the much-hyped Dr. Dennis Gross mask I recently tried, which I can attest is a solid piece of beauty tech.
How to Prevent Skin Redness on Your Face
No matter the reason your face gets red, the key to preventing it comes down to identifying what triggers it. The one thing you can do across the board, though, is use extremely gentle products that soothe your skin and strengthen your skin barrier. Even if you’re acne prone, be sure to balance your actives with something calming.
All three derms agree that you don’t need to worry about any redness that goes away quickly. On the other hand, if it persists or suddenly worsens, that would be the time to make an appointment. So a surprise single zit? You’re well-equipped to handle it. Something that looks and feels more extreme? Give this list another read, then check in with a professional if needed.
Sarah Wu is a beauty writer in Berlin. Follow her at @say.wu.
