Face Rashes: 6 Ways to Manage Them for All Skin Types

Face rashes are inflammations on the skin that can be due to skin irritation, an allergic reaction, or a health condition. These changes in color, texture, or sensation are uncomfortable and can also make you self-conscious. If you're wondering how to get rid of skin rashes, understanding their symptoms and their triggers can help you care for your skin more effectively.

One of the difficulties with rashes is that they can look different on everyone. Are they bumpy, flaky, scaly, or flat? Do they appear as spots, blotches, or welts? Below is a list of the most common types of face rashes, what triggers them, and their usual symptoms.

Contact Dermatitis. It occurs when something irritates your skin or causes an allergic reaction, such as new makeup, skin care, or even hair care. It can look different from person to person, but common symptoms include itching, redness, flaky or scaly skin, and even blisters.

Atopic Dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of eczema. An over-reactive immune system, genetics, and environmental triggers can be the cause. You're also more prone to it if you have asthma or allergies. Skin irritants or an allergic reaction can make the existing condition worse. Its symptoms include dry, itchy, scaly, or bumpy, red skin patches. 

Seborrheic Dermatitis. The culprit is the overgrowth of a type of yeast that lives on the skin's surface. Stress, hormonal changes, illness, cold and dry weather, and harsh chemicals can aggravate the situation. You can find it in areas that have a lot of sebaceous glands, such as the nose, eyebrows, and near the scalp. Usually, it looks like red, greasy patches of scaly skin.

Although treatments often depend on the cause of the face rash, there are easy and gentle ways to help you manage the symptoms of most simple rashes.

Familiarize yourself with common trigger ingredients. Choose gentle, fragrance-free formulations of bath and body products, makeup, skincare, and detergents. If the rash is due to a health condition, your doctor will have a treatment plan that you should follow to reduce any severe symptoms.

Dove Beauty Bar Sensitive has a combination of cleansers and 1/4 moisturizing cream in a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic formulation. Compared to regular soap, Dove helps protect the skin's natural moisture, and you can use it on your hands, body, and face.

Face rashes can point to skin sensitivity. So, you must develop a regimen specially designed for your skin type. Use gentle, moisturizing formulas that do not cause irritation as it prevents dryness.

Hot water can dry the skin and damage its moisture barrier, causing further irritation. Use lukewarm water when washing your face and in the shower to help preserve your skin's natural oils. 

It may feel good to scratch or rub the affected area if it’s itchy, but this worsens the rash. If you break the skin further, you put yourself at risk of infection. After cleansing, pat your skin dry. Moisturizers for sensitive skin can also help soothe itchy eczema symptoms.

If your rash is due to environmental factors such as cold and dry weather, be more diligent with moisturizing your skin. You can also use a humidifier in your room. If your rash started when you introduced a new product into your regimen, stop using it and monitor your skin closely. Symptoms should clear up within a few days after you remove a known trigger.

A study published in the Saudi Medical Journal has shown that psychological stress can cause skin symptoms, which include rashes on the face. Stress has also been known to exacerbate existing atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, and rosacea. Managing your stress, eating right, and getting enough sleep can help support better skin health.

There's no need to panic when face rashes suddenly appear. See a doctor if your dermatitis is fast-spreading, painful, infected, or accompanied by a fever. Meanwhile, you can manage your symptoms at home with gentle skin care using ingredients free of irritants.