How to Reduce Facial Redness

Natural Facial Redness Treatments for
Sensitive Skin

One of our readers wrote in with some questions about how to reduce facial redness when you have sensitive skin. I decided to do some research to see what I could learn about this very common and embarrassing problem that so many sensitive people suffer with!

First, if you have been suffering with facial redness for a long time, I would recommend that you see a dermatologist to make sure that your facial flushing is not caused by rosacea or other condition.

Then, I recommend if you haven't already that you download our free eBook Clear Any Skin Problem Naturally which will give you some helpful guidelines on first steps to decreasing the irritation and redness your skin is experiencing. It will help you to reduce your exposure to irritating toxins, and help your whole body to be healthier.

Practitioners or acupuncture or traditional Chinese medicine say that facial redness is the result of excessive heat in the body. Anything you can do to reduce this, such as avoiding spicy foods and hot drinks, will be helpful in reducing facial redness. There are many natural suggestions on ways to modify your diet and lifestyle to reduce facial flushing at our natural rosacea cures page.

Causes of Facial Redness

Other potential causes of facial redness include:

• Stress
• Hormonal imbalance
• Too much Niacin (a B vitamin)
• Food additives like MSG or nitrates
• Some medications especially blood pressure, diabetes or cholesterol medication

Home Remedies to Reduce Facial Redness

Some herbs and even foods can help you to reduce facial redness. These can also be added to hypoallergenic products to create a customized formulation.

Some herbs that may be able to reduce facial redness include:

• Green tea
• Feverfew
• Licorice extract
• Aloe vera
• Mint

Some natural foods can also reduce facial redness when used as a facial mask

• Oatmeal
• Cucumber
• Cold Milk

Other natural remedies for facial redness include:

• Zinc oxide can be found in some sunscreens and mineral makeup. A good, non-irritating source is the Mychelle Sun Shield
• Witch hazel is an astringent which is used in many facial toners, and can be used to reduce facial redness.
• You can create your own remedies, for example a mixture of aloe vera, cucumber and mint

Facial Redness Treatment for Immediate Relief

Press an ice cube against the roof of your mouth. It will immediately cool your body and reduce the facial flushing!

Dietary Suggestions for Facial Redness

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet, which provides nutrients that help to clear inflammation from the body. A basic anti-inflammatory diet includes the following:

• Lots of fresh vegetables and fruits
• Food rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as cold water fish, flax, walnuts
• Whole grains and legumes
• Lean white meat

Limit your intake of the following foods, which are healthy but too much can add to inflammation in the body:

• Nightshade vegetables such as eggplant, potato, tomato
• Citrus fruits
• Red meat
• Dairy products

Avoid the following foods which contribute to inflammation:

• Alcohol
• Sugar
• Caffeine
• Refined carbohydrates
• Spicy foods
• Processed foods with preservatives
• Artificial colors and dyes
• Trans fats

Skincare Products to Reduce Facial Redness

In terms of skincare products, your main guideline is to choose safe skincare products that do not contain chemicals which can cause skin irritation. We have some listed here at our site that we've researched and found to be good quality and also non-irritating.

I'm not aware of any skin care products that are both chemically safe, and that also reduce facial redness. You could try some rosacea skin care lines, although most of these that I've looked at have many chemical irritants.

Unfortunately it is difficult to find truly hypoallergenic products that do not contain chemical irritants; however there is one line that we've found that is free of both plant allergens and also chemical irritants.

You will have to try different products to find the ones that work best for your skin as a facial redness treatment. Here are some options I am familiar with:

• Cleure is the only sensitive skin product line that I've found that contains no irritating chemicals like parabens, mineral oil, etc., and that also has no plant based allergens. Their product line is simple, effective, affordable, and will not irritate your skin. They are available worldwide and the skin care and body care products provide moisture and a protective barrier for the skin that can breathe.
  
  The best way to use the Cleure skincare products for facial redness is to try them for at least a month, which will allow your skin time to calm down and stabilize with the new products. Any time you change your skincare, sensitive skin will react!
  
  Your skin will likely find the products nourishing and non-irritating. If you still have facial redness, add some of the home remedies for facial redness that we've listed below to your product regimen.
  
  Since this product line has very few ingredients, and they are free of most herbs and botanicals, you could add some home remedies to the creams and see how they work for your sensitive skin!
• Xtend Life Skincare has a very effective product line with very few irritants, which contains many ingredients that are healing and anti-inflammatory. I've never heard of anyone getting a skin rash from using their products. They also have a skin lightening cream which is very effective for lightening dark spots on the skin. I do not know how the skin lightener might work for facial redness, however it is worth a try if you don't mind your skin lightening a few shades.
• MyChelle has some products to help people who are prone to facial redness such as their Capillary Calming Serum. MyChelle products are very effective and are available in the U.S. Though they are made for sensitive skin, they can still cause irritation due to the bio-active natural ingredients. They have sample kits you can purchase to try them out.
  
  Bioactive skincare products contain potent natural antioxidants that can increase your skin's ability to heal itself, and will also reduce fine lines and wrinkles and create a radiant complexion.
  
  Some people experience facial flushing when first using these kinds of products, which is considered normal as the active ingredients are designed to increase blood flow to the skin. Some people have reported a decrease in chronic facial redness and also hyper pigmentation over time after using them.
  
  People with sensitive skin need to be extremely cautious when using this type of product, as it can create a strong skin reaction unless you transition very gradually to using them.

Reduce Facial Redness by Increasing Serotonin

Some researchers have discovered a relationship between lower serotonin levels in our bodies and facial flushing. When serotonin levels drop, due to stress, depression, anger, exhaustion or other causes, facial redness increases.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in our brains that helps us to sleep and regulates many other important body functions. It is also found in the blood and intestines, and it regulates many important body functions.

Actually, modern living can do a lot to sap our reserves of serotonin. If you eat a standard western diet and work all day in an office, you could easily be suffering from low levels of serotonin. Here are a few of the ways we can develop low serotonin:

• Smoking cigarettes
• Alcoholic beverages
• Too much caffeine
• Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners (use stevia or xylitol instead!)
• Not enough sunlight
• Inactivity and lack of exercise
• Digestive problems
• A low protein diet

Hormonal imbalances or genetic factors can also cause lower levels of serotonin in our bodies.

Correspondingly, when we do activities that raise our serotonin levels, facial flushing can calm down.

Some natural methods for increasing our serotonin levels are:

• Meditation
• Exercise
• Recreation
• Positive relationships
• Sunlight
• Balanced diet
• Supplements

Supplements to Reduce Facial Redness

It is often difficult to get adequate serotonin through our diets because other amino acids in foods often get absorbed first.

Some people increase their intake of the amino acid tryptophan, hoping to raise their serotonin levels, however all amino acids have relationships with one another and so this may not work depending on other foods you are eating, or other supplements you are using.

To help convert tryptophan into serotonin, some people supplement with natural sources of 5-HTP which is derived from the Griffonia simplicifolia plant which is native to Africa. Others prefer Rhodiola rosea, a plant that grows in cold climates that improves mood, reduces fatigue and optimizes serotonin levels.

There are also several natural supplements specifically made for facial redness treatment and rosacea such as:

• Serotain™
• Eredicane
• Rosadyn

If you're interested in the details of how serotonin works, please visit this free online book Secrets of Serotonin

Additional Tips for Reducing Facial Redness

This book written for rosacea sufferers Rosacea No More has some very helpful tips for reducing the facial redness that you may develop after exercise and in social situations. These are extremely useful in daily life including how to stop blushing and flushing even if you are feeling embarrassed!

When all else fails, try a greenish tinted mineral makeup can help to cover the redness. Be sure to use a gentle bismuth free mineral makeup that will work for sensitive skin and will not cause further irritation.

The one I am most familiar with that is safe and non-irritating, looks great and is affordable is the Cleure Loose Minerals .