From sunburn to internal inflammation, there are so many reasons that your skin sometimes appears red and flushed. The good news is, it’s relatively easy to treat skin redness once you know what is causing it. Treating skin redness with the appropriate set of soothing botanicals is the best way to keep your skin calm and help prevent it in the future.  

Causes of Redness

Dryness

If your skin is consistently dry, it is prone to becoming itchy and red in a short period of time.  The skin may also appear cracked and/or flaky. As mature skin loses hydration more rapidly than younger skin, as we age, the skin can often have a redder tone, accompanied by discoloration and rough texture. 

Allergy & Inflammation

Many allergens in the environment can activate our immune system and cause the release of a chemical called ‘histamine’. This can initiate redness and  becomes more frequent if your immune system is naturally hyperactive, or as you age.

Your skin can also appear red or develop an itchy rash due to direct contact with an allergen. Chemicals in skincare and artificial fragrances the usual culprits.

Poor Circulation

When there is reduced blood flow, it takes time for your skin to flush out the toxins and bring in fresh oxygen and nutrients for new cell growth and optimum functioning. Some of the consequences of poor circulation and blood flow are redness, dryness, and discoloration.

Eczema

Those who have eczema, have a weakened pH barrier and the skin is scaly, cracked, painful and red but mostly itchy!  The condition usually worsens in the winter season or when there is low humidity in the air. Much eczema is also associated with other allergy symptoms such as asthma and hayfever/seasonal allergies. Eczema can last from a few days to years in some individuals. Yeat

Rosacea

Rosacea is a chronic hereditary inflammatory condition that causes (sometimes intense) skin redness with noticeable blood vessels on the face. Rosacea-prone skin is also sensitive to weather changes and is susceptible to burning, stinging, flushing, acne-like blemishes, and an inability to tolerate many skincare ingredients and products.

Sunburn

Sunburn not only turns your skin red almost immediately (not to mention possibly blistering and peeling) but sun damage accumulates over time. Consistent sun damage from UVA, UVB, and UVC rays leads to not just deep wrinkling and other negative textural changes, but also more permanent redness and discoloration of the skin.

How to Soothe Skin Redness

For Dry to Normal Skin

If you have dry skin with redness and/or are of the predominantly Vata dosha skin type, then it’s best to follow the Vata (or Dry to Normal) Skin Care regimen. Keeping your skin moisturized (learn how) is the key to alleviating your skin issues. The products included in the regimen are –

Make sure to deep cleanse your face 2-3X times a week with Papaya & Honey Facial Mask & Scrub for getting rid of dead skin cells, better circulation, and boosting the cell renewal process.

For Sensitive Skin

For all other causes of skin redness, or when you have identified that your skin is predominantly Pitta dosha type, follow our SBR Regimen guide. The recommended products for you are:

If your skin does not have a cracked appearance, you can apply a mask to your skin with SBR Papaya & Honey Facial Mask (free of physical abrasives) 1-2X times a week for faster skin healing and better absorption of nutrients.

For Sun-damaged Skin

To prevent redness due to sun damage and for long-term skin protection, always apply SunProtect SPF 30+ as a last step to your daytime skin care regimen. Reapply every 2 hours for maximum protection with continued exposure, after swimming or sweating.

Pro tip: To instantly soothe sun-damaged skin or whenever your skin feels dry or irritated, spritz on any of our hydrators (suitable to your skin type) right over your makeup for instant relief.

Devabright (proprietary blend of Kojic acid, Licorice root, and Uva ursi) in our sunscreen and peptide serum will also naturally help fade out hyperpigmentation with regular usage.

For blemish-prone skin

While Kapha skin is usually not prone to generic redness, your skin can develop localized redness due to sudden acne and blemishes. Also, you may have mixed Kapha and Pitta zones on your face.  Use our On the Spot Blemish Treatment or our PVO SBR serum on such areas/spots for instant relief and reduction in redness and size of the flare.

While these treatments can soothe inflamed skin, it is important to know when to see a doctor. As suggested by the AAD, if you experience a lot of pain, or fever and swelling, it is important to check with your dermatologist. 

Last updated on January 17, 2023