What Causes Facial Redness?

What is facial redness?

This skin concern often presents as redness on the cheeks and nose or flushed skin over the entire facial area. Facial redness may be accompanied by feelings of discomfort or warmth, but this isn’t always the case.

What are the common causes of facial redness?

Let’s explore some key causes of facial redness, from skin allergies to excess time in the sun. We’ll also provide some simple management tips alongside each cause.

Fragrances

Skincare products, body washes, soaps and detergents are frequently scented with synthetic fragrances and essential oils. These substances are a common trigger for redness, so we recommend looking for fragrance-free skincare products if you have this concern.

Sun exposure

Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun is one of the most well-known causes of red skin in the form of sunburn. Redness from sunburn is often accompanied by swelling, pain and sensitivity. To avoid this kind of skin redness, we recommend wearing SPF daily, seeking shade and wearing sun protective clothing.

Seasonal allergies

Skin allergies to plants, pollen, certain skincare ingredients and more can also cause redness. These allergies are often seasonal but can persist all year round in some cases. If you suspect your skin redness may be caused by an allergy, it’s a good idea to switch to minimalist skincare formulas with only hypoallergenic ingredients.

Over cleansing

Over cleansing is another possible trigger for facial redness. Physical face scrubs, cleansers with chemical exfoliant ingredients and abrasive cleansing tools can all exacerbate this effect. You can avoid causing or exacerbating facial redness while still cleansing twice a day by choosing a gentle yet effective cleanser formula, preferably including hydrating ingredients.

Rosacea vs redness

What is rosacea? When it comes to the difference between rosacea vs flushing and redness, the former is a skin condition and the latter two are symptoms. What does rosacea look like? This chronic skin condition is characterised by redness, flushing, bumps, dry skin and sensitive skin.

Skincare suitable for redness-prone skin

Sticking to skincare with minimalistic formulas is an effective way to minimise triggers for skin redness. CeraVe skincare products provide effective cleansing and hydration benefits, with simple formulas suitable for skin prone to redness on the face and body.

CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser

Our CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser is formulated with dermatologists to gently cleanse with an ultra-mild foaming texture suitable for use on dry, sensitive and allergy-prone skin. This formula is designed to avoid weakening the skin’s natural lipid barrier. Plant derived squalane oil and triglyceride transform from oil to foam, allowing this soap-free facial cleanser to efficiently remove dirt and impurities. Squalane and triglyceride are both emollient ingredients, meaning they form a protective moisturising layer to comfort and protect the skin.

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

Hyaluronic acid lends its moisture balancing powers to our CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, developed with dermatologists for normal to dry skin. As this efficacious cleanser formula washes away makeup, pollution and impurities, MVE Technology provides hydration for up to 24 hours. Three essential ceramides help support the skin barrier, while hyaluronic acid boosts hydration to avoid a tight, dry feeling post-cleansing. This cleanser formula is suitable for redness prone and flushed skin.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion with SPF 15

Hydration and sun protection are extra important for skin prone to redness. That’s why our CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion with SPF 15 combines sun protection with ceramides and hyaluronic acid to protect and hydrate your skin every day. This non-comedogenic formula is also enriched with comforting niacinamide. Also known as vitamin B3, niacinamide is known to help strengthen the skin barrier and minimise skin discolouration. This impressive ingredient is suitable for sensitive skin prone to redness.

CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion

The circadian rhythm and low humidity sleeping environments mean the skin loses more water overnight, which means moisturising at night is important to help minimise dryness and redness. Our CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion is developed with dermatologists for use as part of your evening skincare routine. This lightweight facial moisturiser helps minimise transepidermal water loss (TEWL) thanks to a hyaluronic acid, three essential ceramides and niacinamide. As with all CeraVe formulas, this moisturiser is fragrance-free to avoid the possibility of triggering redness prone skin.

CeraVe Moisturising Lotion

Skin concerns such as redness and sensitivity can extend to the body as well as the face. Our CeraVe Moisturising Lotion is suitable for redness or allergy prone skin on the body, due to its hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and oil-free formula. This comforting ceramide enriched formula is also non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores.