Between the pursuit to achieve the ‘glass skin’ and the perfect poreless skin, we, especially dark-skinned people of colour often have a lot of skin dysmorphia stemming from our prevalent uneven skin tone. Don’t get me wrong, skin tone and texture concerns are prevalent among people of all skin types and colours. Rough patches, dry skin, dark spots, blotchiness, bumpy skin – can all impact how you feel about your skin and yourself. As a result, finding the cause of your uneven skin tone or texture is the first step to finding a solution.
But hey, spoiler alert: there’s no such thing as a perfectly even skin tone. As much as you try, your dark textured knees and elbows, shaded hairline, pigmented knuckles, and hollowed eyes will probably stand in the way of you achieving an even skin tone.
Believe it or not, this is a good thing. Those areas of uneven skin tone add shape and dimension to your complexion. However, the trouble begins when your uneven skin tone begins presenting itself in blotchy patches or dark spots that are extremely visible and distasteful. Although perfectly even skin simply doesn’t exist, there are ways for you to manage an uneven tone to create a more balanced, harmonious complexion.
What Is Uneven Skin Tone
In the skincare universe, uneven skin tone can be an umbrella word for different types of skin discolouration such as dark spots, melasma, sun spots or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. It can also refer to uneven skin texture like dry patches, built-up dead skin cells, fine lines, or ‘blotchiness.’
Both uneven tone and skin texture can be signs of a reflection of skin health, lifestyle choices or damage caused by several factors, including UV rays, pollution, or even the medication you take.
What Does Uneven Skin Tone Look Like?
Depending on the skin colour, when it comes to describing or identifying an uneven skin tone, you can look for a few different telltale signs. It can be characterized by both skin discolouration and a change in your skin texture. The affected skin is usually visibly distinct from the surrounding areas and can have dark patterns or markings of different colouring, or you might see a rough or spotty texture that’s of a darker shade than the surrounding areas.
Causes Of Uneven Tone
There are many reasons behind different forms of uneven skin tone. Here are some common causes of an uneven skin tone:
- Sun Exposure:
The warmth from the sun feels great on the face, and let’s not forget the benefits of getting your daily dose of vitamin D. The downside of the sun is the UVA and UVB rays that can cause sun damage like brown spots and uneven skin tone. UVA rays can significantly worsen the skin and increase pigmentation. As a result, protecting against all UVA and UVB rays is crucial for skin health and its integrity.
- Ageing:
Our skin gets a little bit older every day. And with natural ageing comes fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots. As a result, older adults may have a more uneven skin tone than younger adults for many reasons, including prolonged sun exposure and the use of medications that may increase skin hyperpigmentation.
- Hormones:
Melasma is a type of hyperpigmentation that presents as uneven skin tone, and it’s a result of increased hormone production. It might look like brown or blueish-grey patches, it commonly occurs during pregnancy, and it may also affect people using hormonal birth control. Melasma is more common in females than males. Generally, anyone who has exposure to UV rays may produce more of the hormone that increases melanin. However, it is common, harmless, and known to usually fade after a few months.
- Pollution:
The air is filled with lots of pollutants; millions of tiny particles of free radicals, dirt, debris and gasses from traffic-related air pollution. And all of that bad stuff eventually ends up on our skin. These bad stuff can penetrate the skin and lead to dark spots and discolouration of the skin (particularly on the face) over time.
- Acne and acne scars:
Acne can cause skin inflammation and flushing, giving the skin an uneven tone. It can also lead to redness or hyperpigmentation in people with darker skin. Some people may refer to this as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or hyperpigmentation acne.
- Sleeping habits:
Long nights and restless sleep can contribute to dark circles and puffiness under the eyes. If you have bad or irregular sleeping habits, your skin may look dull or drab and uneven in tone and texture as a result.
- Dry Skin:
Dry skin often lacks sebum and/or water which makes it vulnerable to cracking easily. Damaged, unhealthy skin is prone to discolouration and can appear patchy or ashen. It’s a good idea to keep your skin hydrated and moisturised to prevent skin from becoming dry in the first place. You also want to invest in a good broad-spectrum sunscreen and moisturising product to keep your skin hydrated morning, noon, and night.
How To Prevent Uneven Skin Tone
Depending on the severity of your skin’s uneven tone, you shouldn’t have to spend a fortune on laser treatments and prescriptions to achieve an even skin tone. Here are some ways to safely and non-invasively brighten your skin for a more even skin tone:
- Wear sunscreen every day:
Protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays and everyday environmental factors and harmful pollutants by applying a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day before you go outside.
- Exfoliate at least once a week:
Use a facial scrub or liquid exfoliator to help slough off dead skin that may lead to clogged pores and pimples. Exfoliating will also help your skincare products to penetrate the skin more deeply. Look for a gentle, micro-fine exfoliant you can use daily or invest in professional chemical peels.
- Add a brightening product to your routine:
Invest in skincare products that can help improve uneven skin tone, texture, and clarity. Look for products that contain at least one of the following ingredients:
– Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an ingredient known to help brighten skin by effectively absorbing into the skin’s layers. It helps decrease the skin’s melanin production, prevent the formation of new melanin clusters, and even slow the melanin transfer to the skin’s surface. It also helps visibly fade existing dark spots for a brighter, more even skin tone.
– Green Tea:
Green Tea is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea causes skin-lightening effects and is also effective in managing hyperpigmentation lesions. It has also been found to be effective in preventing skin redness caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. To use green tea for skin, you can make a green tea face mask, put green tea in your homemade mask recipes, or use the Kanda Tea soap which is formulated with green tea.
– Activated Charcoal:
Activated Charcoal can help to remove pollutants and build-up of dry skin. It is the primary ingredient in the Kanda Charcoal soap which is specially formulated to help improve uneven skin tone and texture.
– Niacinamide:
This form of vitamin B3 reduces inflammation to stop flushing associated with acne and other skin conditions. It may also help treat hyperpigmentation and improve the signs of ageing.
You can also experiment with over-the-counter products that contain ingredients like glycolic acid, retinol, salicylic acid and azelaic acid following the prescribed directions for the use of such products of course.
- Keep your skin and body hydrated:
Water helps to promote healthy skin. So, be sure to drink enough water throughout the day to give your skin and entire body the hydration it craves. For extra hydration, use moisturising products that are formulated with actives that will push hydration deep into the layers of the skin.
- Get enough sleep:
Lastly, it’s important to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. This will keep those eye bags at bay and help you feel more alert during your day. If you struggle to fall asleep, try to stop scrolling on your phone about 30 minutes to an hour before bed. Also, try putting on some calming music, try a deep breathing exercise, or do a quick meditation to help you calm down before bed.
How To Treat Uneven Skin Tone
The first step to treating uneven skin tone is to know your skin type. If you know your skin type, it’s time to move to choosing products with your skin type in mind. This is because using the wrong product(s) for your skin type could add acne or dry flakes to your list of problems.
Now that we have that covered, let’s look at the products for treating uneven skin tone based on your skin type. If you’re unsure about the formulas that best suit your complexion, here’s some help:
- Normal skin: Use skincare products that will keep your skin clean and moisturised without making it too oily. For daytime use, find a light, water-in-oil emulsion formula. And for nighttime, use a product containing more lipids.
- Dry skin: Use products that contain water in oil emulsions (more oils or lipids than water). The lipid film will smooth cracked surfaces and prevent a further loss of water from the epidermis – your skin’s outermost layer. Look for products with water-binding ingredients like lactic acid and glycerin to enhance the hydrating effects of your moisturisers.
- Oily skin: Only use oil-free fluids or light, oil-in-water emulsion products made for oily skin. Use “non-comedogenic” products to decrease the likelihood of clogging enlarged pores.
- Combination skin: This skin type needs special care that involves treating the dry spots with water in oil-emulsion products while treating the oily areas with oil in water-emulsions (more water than oil or lipids) to prevent clogging your pores.
Additional Tips For Caring For Your Skin
To improve your skin tone, it’s important to establish a healthy skincare routine by following these five tips:
- Clean and moisturise your skin every day
Use a gentle cleanser that won’t clog your pores and massage it into your skin with clean fingertips. Rinse with warm water, then pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Black skin loses moisture faster than lighter skin. To prevent your skin from having an “ashy” appearance, use a daily moisturising product that contains humectants (such as glycerin). Humectants help retain moisture in your skin. Petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) is another highly effective moisturiser, but use caution when applying it to your face. Be sure to avoid loofahs, abrasive scrubs, and moisturisers with fragrances, which can all irritate your skin.
- Always wear sunscreen, even on cloudy days
One of the biggest myths about brown and Black skin is that it doesn’t burn – it does. Sun exposure can also cause dark spots or make existing dark spots even darker. As a result, you should wear sunscreen every time you go outside, even on overcast rainy days. Always use sunscreen with 30 SPF or higher to protect against both ultraviolet rays (UVA and UVB).
- Use products that reduce the appearance of existing dark spots
Wearing sunscreen helps prevent new dark spots from developing. Still, you should also treat existing dark spots with a product that contains ingredients like Retinoids (ask a dermatologist to recommend one). Products containing Vitamin C are also great as they may reduce dark spots, increase collagen levels, and protect against sun damage
- Treat acne at the first sign
Treating acne immediately when it shows up can help prevent the formation of dark spots, which is part of a condition called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
- Eat a balanced diet
Healthy skin starts on the inside. To give your skin the nutrients it needs to repair itself, eat a diet rich in:
– Lean proteins (such as fish or chicken),
– Fruits and vegetables,
– Whole grains, and
– Healthy fats (such as avocados or nuts).
Drinking alcohol and eating sugary or processed foods can worsen certain skin conditions that lead to the appearance of uneven skin tone. So, ask your dermatologist if there are any foods you should avoid.
