Do You Have This Specific Type Of Skin Complexion? Here's How To Tell

December 22, 2021 — 16:28 PM

There seems to be an endless list of skincare concerns, from acne breakouts to wrinkles. But one skincare issue people don’t seem to talk about as much is a ruddy complexion. Our guess is that people might not quite understand what a ruddy complexion is and how it works.

Ruddiness often falls under the skincare category of irritation or inflammation. A ruddy complexion typically presents itself as red, blotchy and dull. Just like most skincare issues, both genetics and environmental factors play a role in causing a ruddy complexion. Though it may be tricky to nail down the exact reason for the ruddy complexion, there are a handful of natural solutions that make it easy to resolve.

 Keep scrolling to learn more about a ruddy complexion and four no-fuss natural treatments. 

A ruddy complexion describes skin that appears reddish in tone, looking possibly sunburnt, blotchy, uneven, and dull. “This reddish appearance can be anywhere on your skin–nose, cheeks, under your eyes,” explains esthetician and celebrity facialist Aida Bicaj. It also might feel rough and dry to the touch.

Though any skin type can experience a ruddy complexion, it’s most often associated with sensitive or sensitized skin types. Founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology and board-certified dermatologist Corey L. Hartman, M.D., points out that this condition is most associated with lighter skin tones. 

Finally, “the severity can vary from person to person,” Bicaj says. “Also depending on its cause.”

As previously stated, harsh ingredients can cause a ruddy complexion. So it only makes sense to steer clear of these to minimize that outcome. “Avoid procedures like chemical peels and certain ingredients like retinol and beta hydroxy acids until the redness is well-controlled,” Hartman says.

In the meantime, you can swap in products with calming and protective ingredients. Hartman recommends emollient ingredients like ceramides and oatmeal extracts (like oat oil or colloidal oat), because they “increase hydration and prevent transepidermal water loss which causes dryness, irritation and redness.”

If you can’t exactly pinpoint what’s causing your ruddy complexion, celebrity aesthetician Joshua Ross of SkinLab recommends a skin detox for a month. What exactly does this mean? For 30 days you should only use a gentle cream cleanser, a fragrance-free moisturizer, and a zinc-based sunscreen. “Ruddy complexions can be difficult to understand as to why it is occurring and also how to treat,” Ross says. “But less is more when it comes to skincare.”

Once you get to the bare bones of it, and let your skin chill out for a while, then you can slowly and carefully add back in other ingredients to see how your complexion tolerates them. For example, you may find that you can safely use an alpha hydroxy acid two times a week—but no more than that. Or you may find that retinols are simply too strong for you, full stop. But at the very least you are understanding your skin a bit better.

Though cutting back on your skin care routine could be key to resolving a ruddy complexion, the one product you should not skip out on is sunscreen. “The best way to protect against most of the triggers that can contribute to facial redness are to commit to wearing sunscreen every single day,” Hartman says.

The best type of sunscreen to ensure great UVA and UVB protection without compromising complexion is a zinc-based formula. Not only does it provide the necessary protection, but zinc also has healing and anti-inflammatory properties that can actively soothe a ruddy complexion.

Ruddy complexions are totally normal and affect many types of people. If you find yourself dealing with red, blotchy skin, the best thing you can do is to pare back your routine for a while.