Natural Remedies to Reduce Facial Redness

Red skin on your face can have multiple causes, from mild sunburn or an allergic rash to rosacea -- a condition of chronic inflammation of the capillaries lying underneath your facial skin. Most of the time it's more unsightly than anything else, although rashes can itch and rosacea can make your face feel hot and uncomfortable. Home remedies for facial redness concentrate on calming and soothing the skin to ease inflammation and irritation.

A cup of green tea on a bamboo mat. (Image: DAJ/amana images/Getty Images)

Cucumber-Oatmeal Mask

Combine 1 cup of oatmeal with a roughly chopped cucumber in a blender and mix for a homemade facial treatment. Apply this mask before bedtime or first thing in the morning; leave in place for 20 minutes before rinsing off. Both oatmeal and cucumber have anti-inflammatory properties; cucumber also helps moisturize the skin and is both cooling and soothing. Try chilling the mixture for extra benefits.

Green-Tea Soak

Brew some green tea and chill it. Soak a washcloth in the tea, squeeze it out and apply the cloth to your face to relieve redness. Try this whenever you need relief, such as just after you've been outside in the sun. Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties that may help constrict the blood vessels causing facial flushing and redness. The cold temperature also helps reduce inflammation.

Coconut Oil

Pure coconut oil is a superb skin moisturizer; if your skin redness is accompanied by dryness or tightness, make this oil your go-to remedy. It's also good for wind- or cold-chapped skin. Coconut is also a mild anti-inflammatory, and anecdotal accounts support its effectiveness for some people against both acne breakouts and rosacea. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so it's easy to apply to problem spots.