How to Even Skin Tones in 3 Easy Steps
If you’ve spent too much time in the sun, noticed skin damage related to getting older, started taking a medication that’s affected your skin, or experienced a hormonal imbalance, you might notice uneven skin tone as a common side effect. Your skin tone can become uneven for a variety of reasons.
If you have acne and are dealing with acne scars, you may experience hyperpigmentation. Even if you simply forget to apply your SPF each day, you might notice some dark spots creeping up. The goal of makeup for years has been to get rid of uneven skin tone and create a smooth complexion. However, as we learn more about skin and makeup, concealers and foundation just aren’t cutting it.
Rising to take their place are color correcting products, and we’re not surprised. Color correctors work based on color theory, and they are effective ways to reduce uneven skin tone without packing on a ton of product. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about how to even skin tone in just a few easy steps!
How to Even Your Skin Tone
We often want that perfectly airbrushed skin look, but sometimes it feels unachievable. There are so many products to choose from, methods to use, and techniques that determine how smooth your makeup ends up looking.
But don’t be discouraged. Smooth, evenly toned skin is attainable! The first step to learning how to even skin tone is to know which products to choose. Do you want to use a concealer or color corrector? What kind of color corrector do you need for your skin concerns? Let’s take a closer look.
1. Choose a Product to Use
The first step in how to even skin tone is to choose the type of product you want to use. If you walk into your local beauty store or even look online, the options can be overwhelming. In general, two main products are known to even the appearance of your skin tone.
Concealer vs Color Corrector
Concealer is a staple in the world of makeup and has been used to even skin tone for years. However, color correctors, popular with makeup artists over the last few years, have risen in popularity as ways to even skin tone too. Choosing between a concealer and a color corrector is important, so let’s compare the two to find out which one is best for getting an even skin tone.
Concealer comes in liquid form, cream, and even stick form. Concealers are typically thick and are used to cover up blemishes, dark spots, and acne. While concealer is a makeup product that many people stock in their makeup bags, most of us are realizing that it just doesn’t get the job done.
Many concealers tend to crease after application, look cakey, or look like you’re wearing a mask. The whole point of makeup and skincare in the first place is to enhance natural beauty, whereas concealers can cover up some of the best parts of what makes you who you are.
This is where color correctors come in. Color correctors don’t work by adding heavy layers of product onto your skin and covering up your natural beauty. Instead, they work via the concept of color theory. Basically, any color you want to cancel out, like redness, dark spots, or acne, can be neutralized by using the opposite color on the color wheel.
To cancel out redness, you’ll want to use a green color corrector. To cancel out blues and purples in the skin (dark circles, hyperpigmentation, dark spots), you’ll want to use a color corrector with orange or peach. Simply use the opposite color on the color wheel to cancel out the color you don’t want.
The benefits of using a color corrector in place of concealer are many. You can avoid some of the adverse effects of concealer like creasing, cakey makeup, and discomfort. Color correctors work with your skin to cancel out unwanted colors and enhance your natural beauty!
However, the decision doesn’t stop here. As far as color correcting products go, there’s still a lot to choose from. To help you narrow it down a bit, here are our favorite color correctors that can help you even your skin tone!
Color Correctors by Journ
At Journ, we know not all color correctors and skincare products are made the same. That’s why we made our Alpenglow with ingredients like Grapefruit, Blueberry, and Daisy. These are packed with Vitamin C and E, Polyphenol, L-Arbutin, and antioxidants that help reduce free radicals and protect skin from oxidative stress.
This formula is purple, so it cancels out the dullness and brightens your skin tone. If you’re looking for a skincare product that will address the underlying concerns behind uneven skin tone while also addressing the problem at hand and minimizing the appearance of unevenness over time, Alpenglow is for you!
If your skin concerns are more around hyperpigmentation, we have products for you too! Try out our Kauai or Marrakech products for dark circles and brownish (blue/purple undertone) dark spots, or use Matcha to combat redness from acne or acne scars or Dew to combat redness from dryness and irritation. Take our skincare quiz to learn more about what skincare products you need, so that you can find the product that’s your perfect match.
2. Prep Skin
Before applying the color corrector, it’s important to prep your skin. You want a clean, moisturized surface to put the product on. We recommend using a gentle cleanser and moisturizer on your face before using our color corrector.
It’s also important to know the most effective timing for putting on your moisturizer after you wash your face. There is a sixty-second window after you wash your face where your skin still contains moisture. During this time, you can apply moisturizer on your skin, and it will seal in moisture.
3. Apply Color Corrector
Next, it’s time to apply a color corrector. If you’re using Alpenglow, place a small amount on the back of your hand. Using your finger, warm the product on your hand for about 7-10 seconds. Pat on any area of skin where your tone is uneven.
If you need more coverage, perform the process again and reapply the product to your skin. You can use whatever makeup tools you prefer or even use your fingers. However, we recommend using a small concealer brush or your fingers for applying our color corrector for the best possible results.
What Products Can You Pair With the Right Color Corrector?
While we certainly have our favorites when it comes to evening out the complexion, there are quite a few other products out there that can work with your color corrector to further even your skin tone.
Drunk Elephant
Drunk Elephant also carries many products that can help even skin tone and smooth out complexion, and we think a serum will be a great addition to your nightly routine. The TLC Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum makes use of AHAs and BHAs to exfoliate and resurface your skin. That means it combats fine lines and wrinkles, as well as texture and discoloration on the skin’s surface. Use this at night, and then the Journ color corrector of your choice in the morning, and you’ll be unstoppable.
Charlotte Tilbury
After you’ve applied your color corrector in the morning, you may want to top it with a light layer of foundation. That’s where the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation comes in. This sheer coverage foundation works to smooth over any discoloration, and it’s made with hydrating ingredients that ensure it won’t dry out your skin over the course of a day.
Marc Jacobs
For a day where you want your skin to glow even more, the right highlighter will work wonders when paired with your color corrector. The Marc Jacobs Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter will illuminate your skin just enough for those natural days without making you look like a disco ball. You can even mix this product with the Charlotte Tilbury foundation for an all-over glow.
Other Ways to Keep Skin Healthy
While using a color corrector is an excellent way to address underlying skin tone issues and improve the appearance of skin in the moment, it’s still important to take care of your skin. Of course, Journ’s products target both your immediate concerns about appearance, as well as the underlying causes of those concerns, but it can’t hurt to attack from all angles. If you’re not sure how, here are some of our favorite skincare tips that don’t involve products at all!
Hydrate
The first and most important principle to keep in mind is to hydrate! Our bodies need water to carry out the metabolic processes and functions that keep us alive. Hydrating our bodies adequately is not only essential but to keep our skin healthy.
Most health experts recommend adults drink two to three liters of water a day. However, these amounts increase with more physical exercise, weather, and how much fluid you get from foods.
Get Enough Sleep
It’s also important to give your body enough sleep as well. From the ages of 18 to 64, we need to get anywhere from 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Our bodies need sleep to keep our immune systems, cognitive abilities like memory and focus, and physical health in check! So, when they tell you that you need to get your beauty sleep, they really mean it.
Use SPF
Sun protection is another great way to keep your skin safe from hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone! While using sun protection won’t reverse any signs of sun damage or dark spots, it can certainly help prevent more in the future! Plus, protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays can help prevent even more serious concerns in the future.
Smooth, Even Skin Is Within Your Reach
Using a color corrector is an excellent way to even skin tone and feel fabulous in your own skin without causing creasing, cakey-looking makeup, or discomfort. You won’t have to worry about packing on tons of makeup to even out your skin tone. Simply use our Alpenglow color corrector and enjoy taking care of your skin while enhancing your natural beauty!
Sources:
Hyperpigmentation | AOCD
How Much Water Do You Need | Eatright.org
How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? | National Sleep Foundation