No matter your age or skin type, redness and irritation can be embarrassing and frustrating to deal with. From painful blemishes to itchiness and dryness, this common skin problem plagues many of us. Fortunately, there are solutions for even the most irritated skin. Let’s take a look at how to reduce redness on your face easily and naturally.
Expert Tips to Soothe Red and Irritated Skin
When you have a blemish beginning on your face, feeling frantic is totally understandable! Getting rid of irritation is one of the biggest skincare concerns of everyone from teens to new (and hormonal) moms and even those with mature skin. When it comes to how to get rid of red spots on your face, here’s how you can get rid of red, irritated skin on your face fast.
Stop Using Harsh Skincare Products
The truth is, not every acne product is healthy for your skin. For sensitive skin especially, anti-acne components like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can be overly drying and even harmful. As your skin begins to heal after a breakout, continuing to use such ingredients can cause pain and irritation.
Are you wondering how to calm inflamed skin on your face? Often, the first step in genuinely repairing your skin is stopping harsh treatments. Ditching high-strength acne creams can help you see the natural state of your skin and address the issues accordingly.
As far as how to soothe irritated skin on your face, you might be surprised at how ineffective harsh chemicals are in treating acne and the accompanying redness. When there are so many natural alternatives, it’s not ideal to start with those over-the-counter medications.
Use an At-Home Facial
A simple at-home facial can do wonders for red and acne-prone skin. When it comes to figuring out how to soothe irritated skin, steam is a great solution. Steam facials help open your pores and clear out the toxins and irritants. Facial steam tea ingredients like eucalyptus and white sage are gentle on your skin, addressing irritation naturally.
Before you begin a steam facial (or apply any facial product), it’s important to start with a blank slate. Make sure to clean off all your makeup with a gentle cleanser before you start a steam facial routine. If you begin steaming your face with makeup on, it can become embedded in your pores and make your breakout issues worse.
Apply Beauty & Skincare Products Cold
One trick to how to calm irritated skin on your face is to store your natural products (those containing vitamin C especially), toners and mists, moisturizers, eye creams, and masks in the fridge. You can store your skincare items in the fridge, or you can learn use a skincare fridge for even better results.
A skincare fridge preserves the shelf life of your beauty arsenal, avoids melting and potentially wasting pricey items, and soothes skin. While steam facials are ideal for opening up pores and getting rid of dead skin cells, a cold beauty stash provides calming and rejuvenating effects.
Focus on Your Gut Microbiome
Applying topical creams and products is an excellent first step toward dealing with problem skin. But the truth is, getting rid of acne isn’t always straightforward. In fact, there’s a strong correlation between gut health and acne. Understanding this intricate relationship between your gut microbiome and your complexion can have a significant impact on your skin’s clarity and ability to purge itself of toxins.
Conditions like inflammation, food allergies, or leaky gut (or all three together) can contribute to skin issues. Helping your gut microbiome to thrive involves eating healthier foods and adding prebiotics and probiotics to your diet.
Eating healthy fermented foods, probiotics, prebiotics, bone broth, and rich, nutrient-dense fats can help improve your gut health over time. Changing your habits is no doubt the most natural way to achieve better skin, but it can take a bit longer than other methods.
In the meantime, taking some of the other steps on this list can help you clear up acne as you begin building up your microbiome and discovering how to easily reduce redness on the face.
Choose Natural Oil Treatments
Oils have always been a popular way to care for your skin, but today we know that certain oils in acne-fighting moisturizers are comedogenic, which means they actually clog pores and cause acne. Fortunately, there are still plenty of oils that are healthy for acne-prone skin.
Skin-friendly oils—like vitamin E and coconut oil—include a slew of benefits such as:
- Helping to shrink pores
- Eliminating breakouts
- Preventing wrinkles
- Avoiding signs of aging
You can apply oils to clean skin and start calming your irritated skin immediately. Consider soothing facial oils, specifically ones that contain natural and non-comedogenic (non-acne causing) pore-friendly ingredients.
Drink More Water
We know, everyone says to drink more water for better health! But in the case of your skin, water is one of the best natural cures. If you’re wondering how to make your face less red, reduce bloating, cut down on breakouts, and enjoy better digestion, water is the answer.
Experts suggest around two liters per day (or about half a gallon) of water for optimal health. In general, it’s smart to drink to thirst, but if you often miss the recommended target, aim for eight eight-ounce glasses daily.
Though it may not be as fast as creams or moisturizers, drinking more water can have quick effects on your overall wellness. Within as little as a day or two, you might see reduced redness and more supple skin. After all, dry skin is often the first visible sign of dehydration. Remedying the problem is one trick for how to reduce redness on the face quickly.
The Best Natural Ways to Soothe Irritated Skin
Learning how to reduce skin inflammation and redness requires you to trust your body. After all, the best methods to soothe irritated skin involve cutting back on chemicals and harsh treatments and relying on your body and nature.
Still not sure how to cure redness on your face quickly enough? Try fast-acting products like our Vitamin C Serum or Butterfly Toner Mist with natural witch hazel and aloe vera to help your skin get back to normal while you implement the other skin-healthy changes we’ve shared.
For even more health and wellness tips that can help eliminate acne from the inside out, explore our lifestyle posts.