What Causes Redness On Your Face, and How to Treat it

Why is My Face Red?
Facial redness occurs when the blood vessels in your face begin to dilate—which means more blood is rushing to your skin and causing it to turn red. It takes its cue from many outlying elements. Some of the most common triggers are:

• Feeling overwhelmed or stressed
• Eating spicy foods
• Imbibing an excess of alcohol
• Sensitivity to specific ingredients in your skincare products
• Exposure to extreme temperatures

As a first step in pinpointing your exact triggers, it’s important to note whether the redness occurs after experiencing any of the above common causes.

Red skin can also occur from common skin conditions, including rosacea and contact dermatitis.

How Do I Treat Skin Redness?
We recommend incorporating products with ingredients to help reduce redness. While you may not see the redness disappear completely, but with the right skincare products assuming their place in your ritual, you will discover fewer flareups and instances of red, inflamed skin. There are four very important products to incorporate into your skincare routine:

—Your skin’s moisture barrier helps the skin to retain moisture, which keeps skin looking dewy and protects against irritation. When there is a disruption in the moisture barrier, that can lead to redness in the skin. The Rice Wash is a gently effective cream cleanser that washes away impurities without stripping skin. It’s formulated with a pH-neutral amino acid base to balance the skin—and, because it is pH-neutral, it will not disturb the moisture barrier. It also contains Japanese rice powder to soften, clarify, and boost luminosity, and a blend of hyaluronic acid and Okinawa algae to plump and hydrate.

Step 2: Make Time for a Mask.

—Incorporating a mask into your skincare ritual is not only a way to bring even more hydration and nourishment to your sensitive skin, but is also an ideal way to take time for self-care. The Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask is a unique, coconut-derived biocellulose sheet mask that contains a replenishing serum with Okinawa red algae and natural hyaluronic acid to boost the skin barrier and deliver instantly hydrated, firmer-looking skin.

Step 3: Moisturize Twice a Day.

—The Indigo Cream is a multi-tasking, fragrance-free moisturizer that delivers therapeutic natural ingredients to provide relief and long-lasting hydration for sensitive skin. This velvety-rich, cushiony cream contains natural Japanese indigo extract to calm and soothe, and colloidal oatmeal to relieve minor skin irritation and itching caused by eczema and rashes. It also contains Hadasei-3™, our proprietary trio of Japanese superfoods that combines green tea, rice, and algae, to visibly restore youthful radiance and a dewy glow. This formula would traditionally be referred to as an anti-aging moisturizer, and does indeed treat the signs of accelerated aging that occur from environmental elements, lifestyle choices, and other factors. However, it is our long-espoused belief that beauty knows no age. We believe that time is a gift, and to better align our language with our values, we have pledged to phase out the term "anti-aging" in our marketing.

Step 4: Finish with SPF.

—To avoid painful sunburn and the lasting effects of harmful UV rays, it is imperative to apply sunscreen every single day. Our Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen is a weightless sunscreen with broad spectrum SPF 35 that protects from UVA and UVB rays. It contains Japanese wild rose to tighten the look of pores and smooth skin texture, loquat leaf extract—whose antioxidants protect and calm skin—and silk extract, which leaves skin feeling soft and smooth.

Are There Skincare Ingredients I Should Avoid?
Certain ingredients can be stripping and more irritating to the skin. All Tatcha products are free of mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, sulfate detergents, parabens, DEA, TEA, and phthalates. We also do not use retinol or salicylic acid in any of our products. We also recommend steering clear of harsh physical exfoliants and polishing scrubs — however, our exfoliator, The Rice Polish, is a water-activated exfoliating of nourishing Japanese rice bran that is gentle enough for everyday use.

If you experience continued redness or rashes for more than two weeks after avoiding common triggers or incorporating certain skincare products into your ritual, we recommend making an appointment with your dermatologist for further consultation.