Soothing serums to fade red marks and brighten up your skin

Rachel Marie Walsh reports on products that can help boost skin's immunity as well as reduce redness

Out, Damned Spot: Wishful Thirst Trap Juice, €47 at boots.ie

It is International Rosacea Awareness month and talk of redness got me thinking about the pink or red marks left by spots, as these can also persist in Celtic skin. Since 2013, dermatologists have called them post-inflammatory erythema (PIE), but I just call them overkill. You endured the spot, why the postscript? Apparently, it's because capillaries beneath the skin’s surface have yet to heal. Your genes influence the rate at which this happens. Smoking and alcohol consumption slow repair. Pulsed-dye laser treatments will blast PIE into submission but as anyone who has it would be applying skincare anyway, it is good to recognise ingredients that boost natural recovery power.

Please note that if you have active acne as well as PIE it is best to see a dermatologist. The below ingredients are simply proven to encourage post-blemish healing. If your marks are brown, you may have post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) and while all the ingredients below can help, it is worth researching that issue separately. If marks last for years after spots are gone they could be acne scars that require professional treatment.