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What causes uneven skin tone?

Three diverse woman of different ethnicities all smiling and hugging each other with the sun setting behind them

There’s no such thing as perfect skin; just like there aren’t perfect people. We all know uneven skin tone is very common based on the number of concealers and foundations in the make-up aisles. We enjoy wearing some of those brands, especially for date night or a good photo op. Why not try to address the causes of uneven skin tone too?

 Age is a primary factor in your skin tone. Your skin weakens as you get older, affecting the regularity of your melanin production. Hormonal changes can have this same effect as well as overexposure to sun. Even if you just apply your sunscreen haphazardly too many times, more melanin will be produced on the areas of skin that weren’t well-protected compared to the other areas. That excess in melanin production usually looks like brown spots.

Lastly, if you’ve experienced damage to your skin from acne or scarring, you may have uneven skin tone that is called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The explanation is in the name. You’re seeing the effects after you’ve had inflammation on your skin. That now affects the way your melanin, or skin color, is presented. Inconsistent coloration in your skin is different than having rough patches or blotchiness (which is more about skin texture than skin tone.) Usually those two experiences are caused by irritation to the skin or a lack of moisture. No matter the reason for an imperfection in the appearance of your skin, we hope you love the skin you’re in. Love it enough to nourish it. May it radiate with health! We just wrote a post about products we have to help with skin tone and hyperpigmentation. We’d love for you to check it out!

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