Keep Calm and Reduce Redness, In Your Face That Is
When the summer heat sets in, those of us with sensitive skin take cover in the air conditioned indoors as often as possible. We’re already using the best sunscreens to save us from a sunburn, but we still can’t help that we get extra red faced and rosy anytime the temperature starts to rise. An overheated, flushed face is never a cute look on anyone, so we’ve gathered some tips to help prevent and relieve redness from happening this summer.
Body Behavior
There are a million products out there that will claim to take away redness, and while most will help, the real battle begins inside of your body. Before any application of products can even occur, it’s simply about doing your best to regulate your body temperature. It makes sense, the hotter you are the redder your face will be. Besides staying out of the sun, drink plenty of fluids to keep yourself extra hydrated throughout the day. Also – and this is the worst part– be aware of what food and drinks you’re consuming. Things like spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeine (aka all your daily necessities) are known to increase blood flow, which can then lead to a flushed face. Instead, supplement more cooling fruits like apple, coconut and melon into your diet. It never hurt to be a little healthier, right?
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Important Ingredients
It’s a common misconception that during the summer months because of sweat, skin is typically more oily, but for those of us who redden easily this couldn’t be more wrong! Our skin actually dries out more easily because of the heat, so it’s super important to find the right moisturizers and cleansers with certain key ingredients that both hydrate and calm our skin at the same time. Eucerin Redness Relief comes in both a soothing cleanser and nighttime cream and contains Licochalcone, a licorice root extract that is known to soothe skin. This product will reduce redness, but also works as a preventative measure in your daily routine to stop redness before it occurs. Or try Aveeno Active Naturals Ultra Calming Daily Moisturizer, which not only has an SPF of 15 but also Feverfew, an ingredient related to Chamomile that helps to reduce redness and blotchy tones on the skin.
Natural Necessities
Along with the natural ingredients found in your products, there are also at home remedies that you can do yourself to help reduce redness and inflammation.
Green tea is found in a ton of beauty products nowadays because of it’s powerful antioxidants, but it also works as an amazing anti-inflammatory. You can get all the benefits of it without buying the products by brewing your own cup at home and sticking it in the refrigerator until it is cold. Soak a washcloth in the cold liquid and apply to your face for 5-10 minutes, or let the tea bags cool and apply them to the inflamed areas directly. You can try this with Chamomile and Peppermint Tea too!
If you’ve only tried oatmeal for breakfast in the morning, you seriously need to try using it on your skin. Oatmeal, like Green Tea, contains both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, but also works as a moisturizer and pore minimizer. Many spas will offer oatmeal facials, but don’t be afraid to mix one up at home. Trust us, it’s ultra soothing and feels amazing on your skin!
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Makeup Maneuvers
At the first sight of redness, our natural instinct is to grab our makeup bag as fast as possible and begin covering up as much as we can. Unfortunately, caking on the concealer might only be making things worse. If you absolutely can’t stay away from products, there are a few tricks you can use to make sure you’re at least using the right ones. Keep your liquid face makeup in the refrigerator overnight for a cool application in the morning that will immediately calm your skin and help constrict capillaries that tend to flare up. Make sure that face makeup also has a yellow tint to it, like bareMinerals Prime Time Neutralizing Foundation Primer or NARS Concealer (Correcting Shade), to combat redness and even out skin tone. Skip the blush, one perk of a flushed face is that you already have naturally rosy cheeks! Urban Decay’s B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray is rich in antioxidants and vitamins, so spritz it on in the morning before applying makeup or in the afternoon for a smudge free pick me up when your face is feeling flushed.
Watch Your Workout
No matter how in shape you are, a flushed face post workout is inevitable when you have sensitive skin. Nothing ruins your post workout high faster than looking in the locker room mirror to see a red, blotchy face staring back at you. There are a few ways to keep that post workout glow without looking completely like a tomato. During the summer when it’s especially hot, try working out early in the morning or later at night when the temperatures are cooler. Consider switching up your workout as well, instead of the 3 p.m. jog you’re used to that will basically guarantee a beet red face, opt to swim laps or take a yoga class for a workout that still packs a punch but won’t bring on the heat. After your workout, cooling down your body as fast as possible is key. Dampen a washcloth with cold water and place it around your neck or on your face to cool down the effected areas. Wash your face with an anti-redness cleanser to remove any sweat or dirt and finish with an anti-redness moisturizer.
