When your skin gets the blues or functions less efficiently with age, tweak your beauty routine to enhance skin tone. The appearance of your skin can become temporarily cloudy, spotted or dull due to sun, wind or low humidity. These symptoms may also arise, along with wrinkles and roughness, over time as skin matures. Address your particular issues using a combination of natural remedies, skin-care products and doctor-administered cosmetic facial treatments.
Step 1
Cleanse and moisturize. Do this daily to keep skin clear and rosy. The Skin Sciences Institute notes that keeping pores clean and skin moist assists cellular rejuvenation, the body's self-renewal system.
Step 2
Purchase hypoallergenic skin-care products to reduce irritation and blemishes. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) reports that your skin tone suffers when ingredients such as fragrance, color or strong preservatives create irritation or an allergic reaction.
Step 3
Treat facial skin gently. Skin is most delicate and most noticeable on the face. Cleanse with warm water and lathered fingertips instead of a washcloth on sensitive facial skin.
Step 4
Exfoliate your skin. Use an exfoliant once a week or so, using a natural or cosmetic product. Exfoliation promotes cellular turnover, which can be a quick fix for dull skin caused by environmental damage, periodic clogged pores or reduced function of aging skin.
Step 5
Wear an sun protection factor of 15 or stronger-formula sunscreen and a hat. The Skin Cancer Foundation notes that sunscreen is one of the most effective skin-care products you can buy, blocking damage from at least 93 percent of ultraviolet rays. To block the remaining 7 percent, wear protective clothing or sunglasses.
Step 6
Do not smoke. The Mayo Clinic reports that smoking detracts from a smooth, clear, even skin tone by harming the blood vessels near the skin surface.
Step 7
Get a photofacial, chemical peel or microdermabrasion facial on the advice of a dermatologist. These doctor-administered treatments temporarily fade skin spots, blotchiness and dullness, to even out color and tone.
Tips and Warnings
- To avoid dry facial skin, the AAD recommends cleansing the face with a moisturizing, rather than a deodorant or antibacterial, soap and applying a moisturizing cream or lotion immediately afterward. Aid your skin's natural exfoliation process by using a little baby oatmeal and water as a scrub or choosing a skin-care product with a hydroxy acid, such as glycolic or salicylic acids.
- Because invasive procedures can harm some people's facial skin, the AAD reminds you to secure a medical OK before getting a cosmetic treatment such as microdermabrasion or a chemical peel. The AAD does not consider at-home microdermabrasion and similar skin tone treatments safe to use.
Things You'll Need
- Hypoallergenic cleanser and moisturizer
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
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