Rosacea Awareness Month: Understanding Redness & How to Reduce It

April marks Rosacea Awareness Month: a time to shed light on the skin condition that affects millions. While rosacea presents differently for everyone, one of its most common (and frustrating!) features is persistent facial redness.

At Skinstation, we believe that expert skincare and small daily rituals can make a meaningful difference in how your skin looks, feels, and functions. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with rosacea or simply experience redness and sensitivity, here’s what to know, and how to support your skin.

Common Signs of Redness-Prone Skin

Redness is often the first visible sign of a reactive complexion. While not everyone who experiences it has rosacea, the symptoms can overlap:

• Flushing and persistent redness—often across the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead

• Visible blood vessels (telangiectasia)

• Sensitivity to touch, skincare, or temperature changes

• Occasional bumps or spots that look similar to a breakout

Understanding your skin's behaviour is the first step to finding what works and what doesn’t.

What Can Trigger Redness?

Redness can flare for a number of reasons. Knowing your personal triggers is key to keeping your skin calm. Some of the most common include:

• Sun exposure and weather extremes

• Spicy foods, alcohol, and hot drinks

• Skincare actives or fragranced products

• Stress and poor sleep

While some of these are hard to avoid entirely, simple changes can help minimise their impact.

A Redness-Reducing Skincare Routine

A consistent, calming routine can go a long way in supporting redness-prone skin. Think barrier repair, hydration, and protection—always with a gentle approach.

• Gentle Cleansing

Start with a non-foaming, fragrance-free cleanser to avoid further irritation. Look for calming ingredients like niacinamide, aloe vera, or oat extract.

• Hydration & Barrier Repair

Moisturising is essential, especially when your skin is stressed. Opt for barrier-supporting creams with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or azelaic acid to help soothe and strengthen.

• Daily Sun Protection

UV exposure is one of the most common redness triggers. A lightweight, broad-spectrum SPF is non-negotiable—choose one designed for sensitive skin with mineral filters like zinc oxide.

• Avoid Harsh Ingredients

Fragrance, alcohol, and abrasive exfoliants can compromise the skin barrier and worsen redness. Focus on formulas that calm rather than correct.

Skinstation’s Redness-Reducing Recommendations

We’ve curated products with dermatological backing, loved by those with sensitive, redness-prone skin:

• Epicutis Lipid Serum: A barrier-repairing serum clinically formulated to calm visible redness and deeply nourish sensitive, compromised skin.

• Obagi Rebalance: A gentle hydrator designed to rebalance moisture and comfort delicate, redness-prone skin post-procedure or during periods of reactivity.

• SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Serum: A calming botanical serum that visibly soothes redness, reduces sensitivity and supports an even, clarified complexion.

• Heliocare A-R Emulsion SPF50+: Advanced sun protection tailored for sensitive, redness-prone skin, with anti-inflammatory ingredients to help minimise flushing and irritation.

• iS Clinical Sheald Recovery Balm: A reparative balm that cocoons inflamed or post-treatment skin, supporting healing while reducing discomfort and visible redness.

• Jan Marini Rosalieve: A targeted serum formulated to visibly reduce the appearance of facial redness and calm reactive skin with advanced anti-inflammatory technology.

Beyond Skincare: Daily Practices for Calmer Skin

What you do beyond the bathroom mirror can also affect your skin:

• Stay hydrated and eat anti-inflammatory foods

• Manage stress levels with sleep, mindfulness or gentle exercise

• Choose non-irritating, mineral-based makeup and apply with clean brushes

These daily decisions, while small, can compound over time to support a calmer, more balanced complexion.