7 Best Ways to Tackle Uneven Skin Tone
Hyperpigmentation is a pandemic. Many factors can influence the amount of hyperpigmentation on your skin, from genetics to how often you protect your skin from the sun. Issues like acne and melasma can lead to an uneven skin tone, particularly around your nose, mouth, and other dehydrated areas of your face. Mild hyperpigmentation is common and usually not a cause for concern, but if uneven skin tone bothers you too much and shatters your confidence, there are solutions.
The two key factors contributing to an uneven skin tone are the texture and color of your skin. This is because the human body can make more pigment than can be removed in a given timeframe. To effectively address this problem, it’s important to improve skin texture, reduce dark spots, and diminish redness by following a stringent skin protection routine and preventing rapid pigment production. So, how exactly do you go about getting a more even skin tone? Keep reading to know the answer.
Meet the Writers
Two skincare-obsessed sisters, Noor and Faiza, have an incurable passion for debunking old myths and decoding the latest scientific research on skincare, thereby helping millions of women around the world make the right choices for their skin. So, if you’re a woman and you love your skin, this blog is for you.
1-Incorporate a Chemical Exfoliant into Your Skincare Routine
Exfoliating will help you achieve more smooth skin texture. You may wonder why texture matters in a conversation about skin color, but let’s be clear. When your skin texture is uneven due to factors such as large pores or fine lines, it prevents you from applying the products evenly on your skin and creates patches of dryness and dullness across your skin.
Our skin tone is 75 percent of how the light hits it and reflects it. Smoother skin reflects light more effectively, resulting in a brighter and more even appearance, with dark spots less noticeable. Therefore, the first step to achieving an even skin tone involves improving skin texture, whether by removing dead skin cells, reducing pore size, or smoothing fine lines. And the best way to achieve this? Regular and proper exfoliation!
Most dermatologists agree that adding chemical exfoliants such as AHAs, BHAs, and retinoids to your skincare routine is a reliable and effective way to help remove dead skin cells, minimize pores, and stimulate collagen production.
2-Get a Peel
Dermatologists recommend using glycolic acid peels for an instant glow on the face, but you should not neglect the fact that not all peels are safe for those with hyperpigmentation. If you are using a glycolic peel that is not gentle enough, it may cause downtime, flaking, irritation, and redness. All these things cause inflammation and trigger hyperpigmentation. For this reason, facial peels have to be very gentle.
3- Include Vitamin C in Your Skincare Routine
If you are looking for that jaw-dropping glow of your youth, vitamin C is your best friend. Vitamin C is a superhero that makes your skin smoother and brighter. Using topical creams or washes containing Vitamin C, in combination with vitamin E, is a simple skincare routine that you can adapt to help clear up skin pigmentation and minimize the production of excess melanin. However, the most common drawback of using topical vitamin C serums and washes is that vitamin C tends to get oxidized very quickly, which means your vitamin C serums, washes, or creams lose their effectiveness over time.
Dermatologists also explain another reason for vitamin C products being ineffective. The ascorbic acid, the main carrier of vitamin C, is a water-soluble substance. When we apply a product containing ascorbic acid on our skin, the natural oil in the pores of our skin tends to block its absorption into the skin. The solution to this problem is to use a lipid-based form of vitamin C that can penetrate the skin easily and effectively.
One such form of vitamin C is tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. It is a stable form of vitamin C, which means it has no odd color or odor, and it doesn’t break down like ascorbic acid1.
If you are looking for a stable and highly penetrable form of vitamin C serum, BeautyRx Skincare Triple Vitamin C Serum is a good option. It is a powerful brightening serum that incorporates both types of vitamin C.
This serum is a powerful shot of triple-strength vitamin C that wakes up tired, dull complexions with three times the age-reversing potency of traditional vitamin C treatments. It is suitable for all skin types. As soon as you apply it, your skin will instantly become more radiant and refreshed. With consistent use, you will reap even greater benefits, such as softer, smoother texture and more even tone.
4- Consult a Dermatologist Regarding Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone has been known as a controversial ingredient among skincare experts. However, when used under the supervision of a dermatologist, it can be very effective at fading freckles, dark spots, and melasma2.
According to dermatologists, dark spots are caused by too much melanin pigment in the skin which accumulates on the surface of the skin. When you don’t have an exfoliation routine in place, you accumulate multiple layers of dead skin cells with extra pigment over your healthy skin.
“Hydroquinone” Can help fight this effect, but consider talking to a dermatologist who could provide you with a prescription and monitor your treatment. You will likely be advised to use a hydroquinone formula for three months straight, then take a break to avoid unwanted side effects.
5- Try Prescription Creams to Cover Redness Temporarily
If skin redness is more of a concern for you, you have a few options to soothe the red spots on your skin. To temporarily relieve red spots from broken capillaries, dermatologists recommend a prescription cream called Mirvaso. It works the same way Visine works — it temporarily constricts the blood vessels underneath the skin and draws out the red pigment that’s causing the redness. It’s temporary, But the results can be excellent for a short-term benefit. However, no prescription cream should be used without consulting a dermatologist. Some users may experience worse side effects after leaving this cream on the skin for more than 8 to 12 hours.
Pro Tip
For other causes of redness, like acne-based rosacea and eczema, talk to a dermatologist about the right treatment plan for you.
6-Try lasers like IPl or Fraxel
Lasers such as IPL and Fraxel have been recommended by aestheticians and dermatologists as a more permanent solution to skin redness. Such treatments are usually available in laser treatment clinics. The redness underneath your skin is caused by dilated blood vessels. These laser treatments effectively target those dilated blood vessels and destroy them, thereby reducing redness permanently.
IPL and Fraxel 1927 are also effective in reducing sun spots and the rough texture of the skin. However, if melasma is the underlying cause of your skin discoloration, laser treatments won’t help you3. Treating melasma with these lasers may give you temporary relief, but the pigmentation will likely return within a few months if not weeks.
7- Be Diligent with Your Sunscreen
Dermatologists emphasize the importance of sun protection to prevent uneven skin tone from worsening. Especially if you have melasma, you should consider using a sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. The reason is simple. Melasma is the hyperstimulation of melanin. When the ultraviolet rays of the sun fall on your skin, they damage the outer layer of your skin and cause injury. It’s like a slow process of burning skin. When you use a chemical sunscreen that penetrates deep into your skin, it works by absorbing harmful light and turning it into heat. The heat then triggers melanin and causes darkness of the skin. A sunscreen containing titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, on the other hand, doesn’t absorb any energy or generate heat—it just forms a thick layer of protection on your skin and reflects the ultraviolet rays.
If you are looking for a high-quality sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, you may consider trying Cerave Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen.
This 100% mineral broad spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide comes with additional benefits of hyaluronic acid and ceramides. Its lightweight, oil-free, and non-greasy formula makes it ideal for skin prone to breakouts.
faq
How to know if you have uneven skin tone?
If your skin tone is dull, rough, and full of dark spots, it is uneven.
What causes uneven skin tone?
Hyperpigmentation and poor texture of skin are usually a result of a lack of exfoliating, sunburn, or genetic factors.
Which vitamin is best to incorporate in topical products to help even skin tone?
Vitamin C is an essential vitamin required for the growth and repair of tissues in the skin. It helps to boost collagen, lighten discoloration, and fight free radicals4.
Article Sources
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem compound summary for CID 15801292, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. Updated November 7, 2020.
- Sarkar R, Arora P, Garg KV. Cosmeceuticals for hyperpigmentation: what is available? J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2013;6(1):4-11. doi:10.4103/0974-2077.110089
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Melasma.
- Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The roles of vitamin C in skin health. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):866. doi:10.3390/nu9080866
