Acne in the form of pimples and lesions on your face are bad enough, without the addition of the blotchy redness that can accompany them. The redness that comes with acne can make it hard to cover with makeup and can make it more noticeable than before. While facial-calming products are available at your drugstore, you may already have the key to a less flushed face in your medicine cabinet or pantry. Try home remedies to reduce redness due to acne.
Ice Cubes
Making a compress to apply to your pimples can help reduce swelling and redness at the site. It can also help shrink pores for overall smoother skin. Place a couple of ice cubes into a paper towel or washcloth, recommends AcneCrusher.com, and apply to the acne with a one minute on, one minute off pattern for up to 10 minutes. You should see a visible difference in the redness and size of your acne.
Toothpaste
It may seem like an old wives’ tale, but toothpaste’s menthol component could help reduce the redness from acne, if not reduce your acne altogether. AcneAssasin.com notes that paste-based toothpastes work better than those that are gel-based. Apply the toothpaste to the acne in dabs, leaving it on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse the toothpaste away and evaluate your skin to see if the redness is diminished.
Eye Drops
If you have eye drops in your medicine cabinet that work for getting rid of the redness in your eyes, the same eye drops can help remove some of the redness from your acne. The tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride in the eye drops restricts blood vessels so that redness is diminished. Squirt a little solution onto a cotton ball and dab onto the affected area for smoother-looking skin.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is recommended by the Mayo Clinic as a way to treat mild to moderate acne symptoms, such as swelling and redness. It cuts down on the redness, inflammation and calms the skin. Purchase tea tree oil at an organic or health food store. Just add a few drops to a cotton ball and hold on the area for 10 seconds. For added benefit, store your tea tree oil in the refrigerator. It will keep the oil cold so you get the added benefit of the cold to reduce swelling, as well.
