How to Heal Red Skin

Red or irritated skin can be caused by many factors such as an allergic reaction to food, sunburn, bug bites and airborne allergens. Whatever the cause, red skin can be painful. At the very least, it can be an eyesore. With the application of cleansers, lotions and a little makeup to hide the redness; the skin can be treated and healed. In some cases it may be necessary to hide the redness under bandages while it's healing.

Things You'll Need

• Gentle face cleanser
• 2 clean, dry cloths
• Moisturizing unscented body lotion
• Lightweight bandages or gauze

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Instructions

• 1

  Perform a careful facial examination, looking for areas of the skin showing redness associated with acne. Acne is generally recognizable by small pustules (whiteheads), deep red circles and a greasy coating on the skin. Pour a small amount of gentle face cleanser onto a clean, dry cloth. Apply the cleanser to the affected red areas, especially those where there's a high concentration of whiteheads. Take the second cloth and very gently dry the face. Repeat daily until redness starts to subside.

• 2

  Examine the body, searching for red areas that might be caused by airborne allergens and/or food reactions. This type of skin redness usually covers an area larger than 3 inches in diameter with smaller red bumps throughout. In rare cases the red area will contain very dark areas at its center. Apply moisturizing, unscented body lotion to red areas of skin on the body. Pour a generous amount of lotion onto the hands and rub gently onto the red areas. Massage until the lotion becomes transparent and has coated the skin. Repeat daily.

• 3

  For severe irritation, like that of sunburn, wrap the affected area of the body in light bandages or gauze after applying lotion to protect the area from further sunlight or irritants. Apply fresh gauze/bandage daily until the skin is healthy enough to no longer require it.

• 4

  Use foundation or concealer makeup on areas of the face where redness is severe. Make sure to use non-abrasive makeup (it will indicate this on the package). Using the index and middle fingers, spread a light coating of the makeup on the cheeks and forehead. When it's time to remove it repeat Step 1. Use makeup on red skin only when necessary as it's a temporary solution.