Having an uneven skin tone can make many people feel self-conscious and embarrassed about their overall appearance. However, blotchy or spotty skin doesn’t always indicate health problems, and many people are born with naturally uneven skin.
Other people with an uneven skin tone suffer from medical conditions like melasma or hyperpigmentation – conditions that causes dark discoloration on areas of the skin, oftentimes due to a lot of sun exposure. Luckily, there are some ways to help even out your skin tone, and they’re fairly simple remedies that most people can take advantage of.
Melasma or Hyperpigmentation Skin
Melasma is a skin condition that results in uneven skin tone. / Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Exfoliate Regularly
Many people that otherwise take excellent care of their skin simply don’t exfoliate on a regular basis. If you have a generally uneven skin tone, exfoliation is something you need to start doing on a regular basis.
Exfoliating regularly will help slough off dead cells that make your skin look dull, exposing newer, healthier skin cells. You can exfoliate on a daily basis with a gentle exfoliating scrub, or you can choose to exfoliate once or twice a week with a stronger product – something that contains beta alpha hydroxy acids or vitamin A, for example.
Chemicals peels and microdermabrasion can also be helpful, but those aren’t treatments you’ll want to receive more than a few times a year because they can cause some irritation and sensitivity.
Moisturize
Most people use a facial moisturizer on a regular basis, but many people don’t use their moisturizer often enough. Ideally, you want to use your facial moisturizer every single time you wash your face, or at least in the morning when you wake up and before you get in bed.
You want to use your moisturizer after washing because the moisturizer will work to seal in the moisture on your skin from washing. You also don’t want to apply moisturizer over dirty skin for obvious reasons.
If you don’t moisturizer regularly, buying a basic moisturizer that’s right for your skin type is essential. You might have to experiment with a few different brands to see what works best for you.
If you have sensitive skin, avoid products that contain too many chemical or man-made products that could irritate your skin. Look for hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic moisturizer.
Makeup Can Help
A lot of women reach for their makeup bag when their skin looks blotchy or uneven. Makeup can be helpful for covering up an uneven skin tone, but you have to know how to use it properly.
Applying makeup to cover an uneven skin tone starts with foundation. You need to pick the right foundation for your skin color. Ideally, you should test any foundation on your face before you buy it to make sure it blends properly with your natural skin tone.
Powder and blush can help to complete your look and cover up a blotchy skin tone. If you have light skin, you should generally choose softer shades. People with darker skin should opt for brighter colors.
Makeup Can Help to Even Out Skin Tone
Using makeup the right way can help even out your skin tone. / Image Courtesy of Pixabay
Consider Tinted Moisturizer
If you don’t want to deal with foundation, powder and blush all the time, you might want to consider a tinted moisturizer. A tinted moisturizer that’s just a little bit darker than your natural skin tone is a quick fix for blotchy skin, and you can apply it in about one-quarter of the time if you will take you to put on your makeup.
Dealing with an uneven skin tone doesn’t have to be difficult, but you do need to stick to your regular routine. Caring for your skin through exfoliation and proper moisturizing is important, and doing that may allow you to use less makeup to cover up your uneven skin tone.
If you have a serious problem with skin conditions like hyperpigmentation or melasma, take the time to see your dermatologist. They may be able to recommend a product that will help treat the condition and restore your skin tone to its natural appearance.
Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer in the Los Angeles area. She has written on everything from marketing, real estate, and technology, though she loves writing most about health & beauty.
