Are you red in the face? The culprits that generally cause facial redness especially during the summer can be annoying but are possible to manage and/or even avoid. Certain topical skincare products as well as warm temperatures, exercising outdoors, certain foods and drinks can encourage facial redness. Dr. G breaks down the culprits with tips and tricks to try this summer.

Exercise induced redness:

• Occurs when the small capillaries widen to send more oxygen to the muscles
• Facial redness generally affects those with fair skin more than others
• Occurs due to the body temperature rising as extra blood rushes to the surface of the skin as a result of working hard

Solutions:

• Try running indoor at the gym with the AC on
• Take a cold shower post workout. Not only does cold-water help with redness it cools your body down fast
• Keep a cold bottle of water and towel with you and use as a compress

Product induced redness:

• Retinol is a necessary powerhouse but absolutely has side effects. Vitamin A (the ingredient that makes up Retinol) can cause redness, dryness and sun sensitivity
• If you want to stay on your Retinol regimen, cut back on the number of days you use these types of products
• ALWAYS wear an SPF + HAT
• Limit acids, Glycolic, and aggressive exfoliators (go gentle on the scrubbing)

Alcohol + Food induced redness:

• All alcohol can cause facial redness but wine tends to be the worst due to sulfites, tannins and histamines. * try mixing in a sparkling water or skip the alcohol all together
• Caffeine (especially if you have Rosacea) but the heat of the coffee may add insult to injury of already redness prone skin
• Spicy food * Dr. G says “reach for hydrating fruit instead”

Dr. G says increase anti-inflammatory, cooling and soothing ingredients /foods

• Red Tea (Rooibos)
• Alpha Lipoic Acid
• Green Tea
• Oatmeal
• Cucumbers

If excessive redness does happen, try applying a cool compress, splashing your face with very cold water, going indoors and allowing your body to cool off. Wearing a little concealer on areas that do tend to get red can help too.