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Faking an even complexion ain’t tough these days. Sure! You can swipe on your trusty colour corrector and foundation to fake a flawless face. Healthy, even-toned skin is the stuff of beauty dreams. Sadly, as we get older (and wiser), our skin changes too. Be it the constant sun exposure that propels melanin production (hello sun spots and skin darkening), pigmentation, red blotches, or discoloured acne scars, your skin bears the brunt. And let’s not even talk about the rest of your body; dark, flaky elbows, knees, stretch marks, and tan lines that have comfortably settled in. But don’t despair. We’ll show you how to reclaim the skin you were born with, from head to toe.
But before you learn how to get even skin tone, we need to identify what counts as uneven skin tone, what causes it, and how to reduce it with the right ingredients and potent formulations. Learn how to improve your skin texture with the serums and body lotions that do the job right. If you have discolouration on your body, beyond your face, there are many Homemade Body Scrubs & DIY Recipes that you can try.
What Is Uneven Skin Tone?
Uneven skin tone is the lack of consistency in your skin tone, colour, shade, and texture. Uneven skin tone manifests itself in the form of dark spots, pigmentation, red or brown patches, dullness, and discolouration. Your skin looks brighter when it’s even-toned, and the blotchiness can make you look prematurely aged, tired, and dull. There are several causes of uneven skin tone, ranging from naturally occurring reasons such as sun damage, environmental stressors, hormonal changes and pollution to more indirect reasons such as acne-scarring, stress, lifestyle changes, and more. Let’s look at these causes in detail so we can improve our uneven skin tone faster.
Body lotions help re tain moisture on the skin; moreover, they also help add and lock in moisture when used right after a shower. Due to the dry air, hot showers, and weather conditions, your body loses moisture.
Common Causes of Uneven Skin Tone
Here are some common causes of uneven skin tone.
1. Prolonged Sun Exposure
Long sun exposure is one of the most common causes of uneven skin tone. When your skin is exposed to the sun for a longer period of time, it creates excess melanin as a defence mechanism. These melanin particles accumulate in some areas, causing dark spots on your face, hands, back, and neck. Without sunscreen or other forms of sun protection, these dark spots deepen and form bigger patches of discoloured skin.
2. Skin Discolouration from Hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation can occur when melanin accumulates in some areas of the skin due to sun exposure, hormonal changes, medical reactions, acne, inflammation, and more. Although this dark-toned, patchy skin is not harmful, you may look dull, tired, and aged due to the lack of uniformity.
3. Dark Spots from Acne Scars
Once your active acne dies down, it leaves behind acne scars and post-inflammation hyperpigmentation. This leads to uneven skin tone in the form of acne scars, dark spots, freckles, and patchy skin. Even if you don’t pop your pimples or fidget with them when they’re active, it can still leave a mark on your skin.
4. Natural Ageing Process
As our skin ages, its ability to restore new skin cells and collagen slows down, and the speed at which the new skin cells turn over takes more time than it does to get affected. Moreover, melanin spots get collected in one area, making some sides loom more patchy than the others.
5. Hormonal Changes Causing Melasma
Melasma is a skin condition that gets triggered due to hormonal changes such as pregnancy, menopause, hormone therapy, birth control, or even menstruation. Melasma manifests itself in the form of dark spots, pigmentation, and brownish patches on the cheeks, forehead, and upper lip, leading your skin to appear uneven in terms of skin colour.
6. Flaky, Dry Skin Patches
Dry and flaky skin appears lighter than the other parts of the skin due to a lack of moisture and lipids. This means that when light reflects on these parts, they appear a different tone than the rest, making your skin look uneven overall.
7. Damage from Pollution
Environmental impurities such as dust, dirt, grime, and even micro metalics can enter your pores and clog them. This leads to oxidative stress that can cause discolouration to your skin tone. These pollutants can also cause free radicals to increase, and the right antioxidants can neutralise these free radicals that break down collagen production and the skin barrier.
8. Skin Trauma or Injuries
Any form of trauma or injury, such as cuts, bruises, bites, or procedures, and bruises can also deepen your pigmentation. Your skin produces extra melanin in order to heal the injured skin, and thus the molecules accumulate in one place, leading to pigmentation and discolouration.
How to Treat Uneven Skin Tone – One Area at a Time
Neck Lines
Since the skin of the neck is thin as compared to the rest of the body, the décolletage is more prone to sun damage. Combine that with gravity and the constant craning over smartphones, and you have sagging skin and fine lines. What you need is not just an SPF but also a stronger formulation, such as the Chemist at Play Vitamin C Neck Roll On, to reverse ageing. It’s also a great idea to incorporate a night cream with Retinoids, such as the Olay Retinol Kit For Overnight Repair, that fades lines and boosts cell turnover.
Tan Lines And Dark Spots
Want to get rid of those awkward tan lines left by your cut-out maillot and your strappy platforms? Buff away dead skin in the shower with a heavy-duty body exfoliator such as the Biotique Bio Papaya Revitalizing Tan Removal Scrub daily till your lines are no longer noticeable. If you’ve been hiding your less-than-even-toned feet in closed footwear, try It's The Face Shop Smile Foot Peeling Mask that sloughs off dead cells to reveal baby soft feet in a few weeks.
Stretch Marks
Stretch marks usually appear on the abdomen, breasts, hips, shoulders, buttocks and thighs; and while you might not be able to get rid of them 100%, you can certainly minimise their appearance by building collagen (improves skin elasticity) and boosting antioxidants. Try Wishcare Collagen 1% Retinol Body Lotion that lightens stretch marks and firms skin. You can also stimulate the renewal process with emollients such as Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter. Bio Oil and Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Cream For Stretch Marks are tried-and-tested products we recommend.
Discolourations On Knees, Elbows, Underarms And Knuckles
Dark knees, elbows, underarms and knuckles are caused by dead skin buildup, which gets worse with sun exposure and friction. Since exfoliation is key, use the Vaadi Herbals Elbow-Foot-Knee Scrub Soap to slough off dead cells. To get rid of discolouration, rub lemon (natural bleaching properties) on the offending area. Follow this up with a targeted cream such as the SANCTUS Elbow & Knee Cream. Up for some pre-emptive measure? Opt for products with Vitamin C that brighten up skin as well as prevent pigmentation from appearing in the first place. Use It's Skin Power 10 Formula VC Effector alone or mix it with your daily moisturiser for a quick Vitamin boost.
Cellulite
Dieting might melt those extra kilos, but it won’t banish your cellulite. Now, here’s the good news: you can diminish its appearance by using a caffeine-based product such as the Aroma Magic Coffee Bean Scrub to stimulate lymphatic drainage and tighten skin. We also recommend dry brushing, which aids circulation and eliminates toxins. Start at your feet and move up your legs on both sides, then work from your hands up your arms towards your chest, using the Vega Cellulite Bristle Bath Brush. Lastly, smooth on a lotion such as the Votre Cellulite Lotion to make your skin smoother and softer.
How to prevent uneven skin tone
1. Use Sunscreen Daily
When you use sunscreen every day, the natural production of melanin is reduced. Our body produces excess melanin to protect our skin from the harsh UV rays, and sun protection will stop these rays from entering our skin, thus making the use of sunscreen of utmost importance.
2. Avoid Picking at Your Skin
If you have cuts, bruises, or inflammation such as pimples, lesions, or cysts, your skin stretches and naturally heals itself, but this inflammation can cause itchiness and rashes. If you pick, pop, or prod your skin during this time for some relief, it is temporarily going to soothe you, but it will leave your skin with permanent scars.
3. Stick to a Skincare Routine
After a little bit of experimentation, try sticking to a skincare routine that works for you. Constantly changing your skincare routine can cause irritation, itchiness, and inflammation leading to pigmentation. Find what works for you, and stick with it for consistency and skin health.
4. Exercise Regularly
Excersing regulary helps boost blood circulation, oxygen flow, and improves cell regenration. This means your skin renews and restores itself faster and usual and helps minimise cells causing pigmentation and discolouration.
5. Maintain a Healthy Diet
This goes without saying, but what you eat manifests on your skin. If you eat deep fried, sugary, carbonated food and beverages, your skin is going to breakout due to the excess oil and sebum prosecution. Excess acne breakout leads to itchiness and irritation, which then causes pigmentation and uneven skin tone.
Parting Thoughts
The best way to get even skin tone is to not fidget or tamper with your skin and let it heal if you have redness, inflammation, and other injuries. Other than this, the other best way to avoid uneven skin tone is to apply sun protection to reduce excess melanin production. Even skin tone is not just about getting rid of dark spots, it’s about bringing uniformity to your skin tone which automatically brightens your skin from within.
FAQs
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How to make even skin tone naturally?
The best way to even out your skin tone naturally is to maintain a healthy diet, excersice regularly, hydrate yourself, maintain a consistent skincare routine, use antioxidants such as vitamin C to reduce pigmentation.
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How long does it take to see results from even skin tone products?
If you use your skincare products consistently while maintaining a proper healthy diet and lifestyle, then the formualtions should take 3-4 weeks to completely even out your skin tone.
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Can I use face products on my body to even out skin tone?
Products made for your skin are generally more targetted and light, since they are designed for gentler skin. Your body has thicker skin and even experience different concerns as compared to your skin, so it is not ideal to use the same products on your face and body to even out the skin tone.
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What ingredients should I look for to treat dark spots and discoloration?
Use antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and brightening ingredients to treat dakr spots and discolouration, some of the ingredients you can use are:
- Vitamin C
- Glycolic Acid
- Niacinamide
- Alpha Arbutin
- Azelaic Acid
- Kojic Acid
- Retinoids
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How can I prevent skin from getting darker in specific areas again?
You can prevent specific areas from getting darker by doing the following:
- Use sun protection regularly and avoid excessive sun exposure
- Maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle
- Opt for hydrating and brightening prodcuts
