Textured and uneven skin tone is something we all hate dealing with. Whether it’s as minor as a few bumps and wrinkles here and there or major like highly-visible hyperpigmentation and acne breakouts most of us have something we have had to tackle from time to time.
While it does take proper research, time, and consistency to get your skin together, it’s most certainly not impossible and doesn’t even have to be expensive!
Here are 4 simple ways to improve textured and uneven skin tone.
Wear Sunscreen
If we’re being completely honest, sunscreen is not something too many black women think to add to their skincare routine.
In fact, there are quite a few people who believe that their melanin fully protects them from the harmful effects of getting too much sun.
This is simply untrue. Those of us who struggle with hyperpigmentation, fine lines, age spots, wrinkles, frown lines, dryness, and the like should be the first ones to know that too much sun can—and will—make all of these issues worse.
So instead of just wearing a moisturizer or foundation with SPF, make it a point to add an actual sunscreen to your routine.
To be clear, this does not mean you should only wear it during the summer or when it’s a sunny day.
The whole point of sunscreen is to protect your skin from UV rays, and UV rays aren’t blocked by clouds, rain, sleet, or snow. So make this a daily thing—no matter the weather!
For Uneven Skin Try A Chemical Exfoliation
When most of us think of exfoliation, we probably think of all the different scrubs we use.
Maybe that sweet-smelling sugar scrub sitting in our shower or that oatmeal face wash we use every morning is all we know about exfoliating.
And while physical exfoliants (products that use rough materials to remove dead skin) are great, they might not be what you need to get the smooth skin you desire.
Cue chemical exfoliation. Chemical exfoliation is exactly what it sounds like—the use of chemicals to smooth and refresh your skin.
I know the word “chemical” can seem a bit intimidating, especially with all the chemical peel content floating around that shows raw, peeling skin.
That is the extreme end of it and not at all the reality for all methods of exfoliating.
There are two gentle and safe acids to look for in your face washes if you want to properly exfoliate:
- Glycolic Acid (AHA): A water-soluble acid that encourages cell turnover and works to improve acne scars, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkles.
- Salicylic Acid (BHA): An oil-soluble acid that targets pores in order to effectively clear up acne, managing oily skin, and various forms of skin inflammation outside of acne.
If you decide to go the chemical exfoliant route, make sure not to over-do it! Discontinue using scrubs on your face and make sure you’re not using multiple products that contain glycolic, salicylic, or lactic acid.
Make Sure You’re Really Cleansing
I know that you feel like that makeup-remover wipe really did remove everything, but I promise you—it didn’t.
That goes for that half-effort water-only face wash you just did with your hand towel and that cute little $1 jelly mask you got from the beauty supply, too.
All of these are great to use in addition to other methods, but if you really want a deep clean, you’ll have to do a little more than that.
An unclean face might be the main culprit in why you can’t get your skin as smooth and even-toned as you want it to be.
You’re trying all these different masks and peels, and the whole time you’re having breakouts because your pores are clogged.
Simply put, wash your face—and then check your work. Hit it with a cleansing wipe, go in for a thorough 60-second wash, and then do an additional wipe down with a clean, disposable cotton pad dipped in micellar water.
Hydrate and Moisturize
Hydrate and moisturize are sometimes used interchangeably, but the fact of the matter is, they’re very different things.
Hydrating is all about adding moisture back into your skin, while moisturizing is about trapping in and sustaining the hydration.
This is the reason why “dehydrated” skin and “dry” skin are very different things.
Dehydrated skin talks about skin that isn’t properly hydrated and is a temporary state. This can be because of sweating at the gym, wearing your makeup to bed, being inconsistent with your routine, and a bunch of other things.
Dry skin, however, talks about your skin type and how you naturally don’t produce enough oil to keep your skin balanced and moisturized.
This is something you cannot change, but you can work to negate the negative effects of it.
However, it is possible to have dry and dehydrated skin, or just one or the other. Either way, you’ll need products that cater to both.
For Hydration: Go for products mainly formulated with water and humectants such hyaluronic acid, propylene glycol, alpha hydroxy acids, urea, or glycerin, and aloe.
For Moisture: Go for products mainly formulated with fatty acids, silicones, and occlusives such as coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, and castor oil.
Do you have textured and uneven skin tone? What are your favorite products?
