How To Get Even Skin Tone: 6 Simple Steps

What Causes Skin Tone To Look Uneven?

Melanin is the pigment that provides color to the skin. When melanin is unevenly distributed or concentrated in one area, it creates dark spots also known as hyperpigmentation. This causes your skin tone to appear uneven. There are numerous factors that play a role in causing uneven skin tone.

Common Causes Of Uneven Skin Tone

Photoaging

Photoaging, more commonly referred to as sun damage, is caused by prolonged and repeated exposure to UV light. Your skin produces melanin as a protective response, and when distributed unevenly, it causes dark spots, resulting in uneven skin tone. People typically refer to these darkened areas as sun spots, age spots or liver spots.

Melasma

Melasma is characterized by brown to gray-brown patches and is more common in women than men. It is also known as “the mask of pregnancy” as it’s frequently triggered by hormonal changes. Melasma typically forms on the chin, cheeks, nose and upper lip. Although there are numerous causes for melasma that are not related to UV exposure, it can be further exacerbated by sun exposure, making SPF and sun protective measures imperative.

Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation

This form of hyperpigmentation commonly caused by acne or skin trauma. Once a pimple or injury heals, the area afflicted is left with a darker pigment than before. PIH is more common in individuals with darker skin tones but can happen to anyone who experiences trauma to the skin. Whether it’s a big scratch or a tiny insect bite, melanocytes also known as pigment cells, respond by creating more pigment.

Periorbital Hyperpigmentation

This form of hyperpigmentation is associated with darkening of the skin around the eyes, appearing as dark circle. Also known as periocular hyperpigmentation or periorbital melanosis, periorbital hyperpigmentation is caused by various factors, including genetics, health and diet.

How To Achieve A More Even Skin Tone Naturally

Regardless of what is causing your skin tone to appear uneven, with just a few tweaks, you can be on your way to enjoying visibly radiant, even-toned looking skin. And it’s really not as complicated as you might think. Before you invest in expensive cosmetic procedures, read on for simple ways to promote an even-looking skin tone.

1. Protect Your Skin From The Sun

Sun exposure is one of the main causes of uneven skin tone. Wearing sunscreen, protective clothing and a hat is a lot easier and less expensive than dealing with the potential consequences of unprotected sun exposure. And remember, no matter how great your skincare routine is, if you aren’t using SPF 30+ daily, results from your vitamin C or any other ingredient that helps with evening skin tone will be short lived. So the moral of the story is: apply SPF 30+ daily, regardless of being indoors or not. Future you will thank you!

2. Exfoliate Weekly To Remove Build Up

Regular exfoliation helps to remove buildup of dead skin and impurities, which can make your skin tone appear uneven and dull. When you remove dead skin and debris from the top layer of your skin through exfoliation, your skin’s ability to reflect light is improved and in return it appears brighter and more even. Exfoliation also prepares your skin to receive ingredients in skincare products, such as brightening vitamins and protective antioxidants. Exfoliation ensures that your products are able to penetrate your skin and do their job with ease. We recommend staying away from ingredients that cause sun sensitivity or harm the planet, such as exfoliating acids and plastic microbeads. Instead, opt for gentle exfoliants supercharged with antioxidants, such as our superfood exfoliant Polish.

3. Use A Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that’s considered an A-list ingredient in skincare due to its numerous, research-backed skin benefits. Whether you want to visibly even out your skin tone, minimize the look of wrinkles or target blemishes, vitamin C is not to be missed in your routine. Vitamin C serums are an especially effective, gentle and non-invasive way to minimize the appearance of stubborn dark spots. However, not all vitamin C serums are created equal. Vitamin C is notoriously unstable and when exposed to air, light and water degrades at a rapid pace, eventually becoming inactive. Thankfully, due to advancements in cosmetic science there are more stable versions of vitamin C available, such as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, found in our Arctic-C Vitamin C Brightening Serum.

4. Apply Antioxidants To Your Skin

Research shows that antioxidants are amazing at promoting a healthy-looking complexion and the more you consume, internally and externally, the better. Antioxidants are known to defend your skin from free radical damage, which may cause premature signs of aging such as dark spots, causing skin tone to appear uneven.

With daily application, antioxidants not only provide environmental protection, but also promote a youthful, healthy appearance. As mentioned above, one of the most sought-after antioxidants in skincare is vitamin C. However, to fully witness the skin transformational powers of antioxidants, you need variety. That’s where natural ingredients such as botanical oils and plant extracts come into play as they contain a plethora of antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin E, pro-vitamin A, carotenoids, and curcumin. This is one of the reasons we created our very own proprietary Nordic Antioxidant Complex, which combines some of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, including Astaxanthin.

5. Watch Out For Photosensitizing Ingredients

Did you know that many popular skincare ingredients make your skin more susceptible to sun damage? This includes the highly sought after exfoliating acids and citrus essential oils, included in many “luxury” products.

Consumers love the instant results from acids and the fresh olfactory experience from citrus oils. We totally get it! However, these do come with the unfortunate side-effect of photosensitivity, meaning your skin may be more sensitive to the sun. So, unless you live under a rock and never see the light of day, you could be making your skin more susceptible to skin damage, which can show up as dark spots and uneven skin tone. If you’re super diligent and apply sunscreen daily, we envy your tenacity, but you are not the norm.

For the rest of us who can barely manage getting enough vegetables into our diet, let alone remember to apply sunscreen daily, we felt it was important to include this word of caution. This is also the reason why we at Root Science, do not formulate with photosensitizing ingredients. We understand that people have busy lives and don’t have time to deep dive on the side effects of every skin care ingredient. That is unless you are an ingredient nerd like us.

Common Photosensitizing Skincare Ingredients:

— Bergamot Essential Oil
— Lemon Essential Oil
— Lime Essential Oil
— Grapefruit Essential Oil
— Retinol
— Hydroquinone
— AHA’s: Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Mandelic Acid
— BHA: Salicylic Acid

6. Eat Foods That Support Skin

What you eat can affect your overall health. So it’s safe to assume that food also affects your skin, after all, it’s your bodies largest organ. Consuming unhealthy food that is fried, processed or loaded with sugar and inflammatory oils can create a domino effect of reactions within the body that can negatively affect your skin. This is why it’s so important to eat a healthy diet rich in organic, whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. A simple trick to ensure you’re eating healthy is to avoid buying packaged foods and sticking to the outer aisles of your grocery store, where they keep fresh food, helping you avoid temptation. We recommend reading up on the basics of an anti-inflammatory diet to help you choose foods that support your skin health.

The Bottom Line

As much as skin irregularities such as an uneven skin tone can be bothersome, let us kindly remind you that when it comes to your skin, a healthy dose of acceptance is good for the mind, body and soul. We should not aim for perfection or unrealistic results, after all, skin is a living organ and imperfections are normal signs of a life lived. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care for your skin in the best way you can. So next time you cleanse your face or apply your vitamin C serum, repeat after us “I am beautiful just as I am.” Because you really are!

Shop Featured Products