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How Do I Choose the Best Face Cream for Redness?

J. Beam
J. Beam

Facial redness, sometimes known as dermatitis, is often the result of inflamed or irritated skin triggered by either contact or something internal. Sometimes facial redness is caused by tiny ruptured blood vessels that are close enough to the surface of the skin to show. Most commonly, facial redness is the result of some common skin condition such as a rash, eczema or rosacea and is consequently dry, itchy and irritated. Using the right face cream for redness or irritation may be all that is necessary to reduce or eliminate redness.

Since contact dermatitis frequently results from the skin coming in contact with irritants in beauty products, choosing a facial cream with no dyes or perfumes is essential to people with red, irritated or sensitive skin. A suitable face cream for redness will have few ingredients and contain no artificial colors or fragrances. It may also be necessary to avoid cleansing creams with even the mildest of abrasives to avoid further irritation.

A face cream for redness.
A face cream for redness.

There are many different kinds of face cream for redness and many of them contain natural ingredients meant to soothe and calm irritated skin. Chamomile and willow bark are both natural herbs that are known to have a soothing, anti-inflammatory effect on skin. Creams that contain hydrocortisone may also be useful for taming redness, especially dry, scaly redness associated with eczema. Avoid using creams that contain oils or other pore-clogging ingredients, as this can lead to breakouts and further irritation.

Facial redness is often the result of eczema or rosacea.
Facial redness is often the result of eczema or rosacea.

In addition to using the right face cream for redness and irritation, consider other products designed to minimize the appearance of redness. For example, a facial primer for minimizing redness applied before foundation or pressed powder is an excellent makeup option. Primers that reduce redness are typically green and some contain ingredients that also calm the skin. Applying facial moisturizer on a regular basis and using facial products and makeup meant for sensitive skin is a good way to control facial redness.

A type of herbal medicine, white willow bark may be effective at treating skin redness and inflammation.
A type of herbal medicine, white willow bark may be effective at treating skin redness and inflammation.

If redness is chronic and can not be controlled with the use of moisturizers and face cream for redness, it may be necessary to consult a dermatologist. People with undiagnosed or untreated skin conditions will find that prescription medications or products may help with redness and irritation, especially if the condition is intermittent. It is also worth noting that people with asthma, hay fever and other chronic allergy symptoms often suffer from eczema. Sometimes the two do not present themselves cohesively and it may be years between one and the other. If redness of the skin is a histamine response, it may be necessary to take daily antihistamines. This serves as another example of why chronic facial redness should be evaluated by a physician or dermatologist.

Discussion Comments

burcinc

Those who experience redness, watch out for green tinted creams! They hide the redness but don't do anything to treat or prevent the underlying problem.

ddljohn

@SarahGen-- Unfortunately, I think that every person with rosacea is a little bit different. A product that works for me might not work for you. So everyone has to do their own share of product experimentation to find what works.

I have found a few products that reduce my facial redness. I've tried many different products and surprisingly, less expensive, drugstore creams have worked better for me than some very expensive, specially formulated products.

The face cream I'm using right now is a simple, drugstore cream with few ingredients. It has glycerin, shea butter, water and little else. I think this is important. The more ingredients, chemicals and fragrance a cream has, the more irritating it will be for rosacea. So tell your sister to keep things simple. And she should not have to spend a fortune to keep her redness under control.

SarahGen

My sister has rosacea and she is constantly battling facial redness. She uses hypoallergenic facial products for sensitive skin. These definitely make a difference but the redness is still there. I think she needs a face cream that does more.

Does anyone here have rosacea? Have you found a face cream that prevents your redness?

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    • A face cream for redness.
      By: picsfive
      A face cream for redness.
    • Facial redness is often the result of eczema or rosacea.
      By: robert mobley
      Facial redness is often the result of eczema or rosacea.
    • A type of herbal medicine, white willow bark may be effective at treating skin redness and inflammation.
      By: marilyn barbone
      A type of herbal medicine, white willow bark may be effective at treating skin redness and inflammation.
    • A dermatologist can recommend facial wash and other products that do not further aggravate rosacea.
      By: ipag
      A dermatologist can recommend facial wash and other products that do not further aggravate rosacea.
    • Many moisturizers and anti-aging creams contain ingredients that help soothe red, irritated skin.
      By: Africa Studio
      Many moisturizers and anti-aging creams contain ingredients that help soothe red, irritated skin.