Depending on the type of facial you have, you may be left with red skin afterward. Chemical peels and microdermabrasion are especially harsh on the skin, notes the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, sometimes leaving it red, chapped and peeling for days following. If you've just had a facial and your skin is red, you can find remedies around your home to help reduce redness and return your skin to its natural balance.
Avoid direct sunlight until you know how the facial has affected your skin. Always wear a hat and sunglasses outside immediately after your facial. Some procedures and their ingredients can leave your skin especially sensitive to sun damage and redness. Until you know how the sun will affect you, wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and a thick layer of sunscreen on your face to keep redness in check. Talk to your dermatologist to find out how long your sun sensitivity will last.
Apply a cold compress to help reduce swelling and calm flushed skin. Make a skin-calming cold compress by placing chamomile or peppermint herbal teabags in a glass of cool water. Allow two teabags to sit in the water for five minutes in the refrigerator. Remove the bags and apply them to the red spots on your face. The coolness of the teabags will help calm irritation and inflammation, while the herbs soothe your sore skin.
Use products that contain oatmeal, suggests the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Oatmeal is an especially good ingredient for calming and moisturizing the skin when it's irritated. If you don't have any oatmeal products, pour a cup of oats into a basin of cool water, and allow them to soak. Then splash the cool water on your face to replenish moisture and calm your skin.
Take an over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. These help reduce some of the swelling, redness and pain you may experience after a facial. Follow dosing instructions on the packaging.
Apply a calming moisturizer each day. Feverfew helps reduce inflammation and redness, so look for a moisturizer with feverfew as an ingredient. For added benefit, store your lotion in the fridge so it stays cold and works double duty each time you apply it.
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Kay Ireland specializes in health, fitness and lifestyle topics. She is a support worker in the neonatal intensive care and antepartum units of her local hospital and recently became a certified group fitness instructor.