Aside from magazines' airbrushed pages, having an uneven skin tone is entirely normal. Both texture and color contribute to the skin's appearance, which constantly changes throughout your life. Different factors like acne, sun exposure, weather, and skin conditions can contribute to skin texture changes over time. There are, however, some steps you can add to your skincare routine to help even and brighten your skin tone.

Before buying a bunch of new products, though, it's essential to pinpoint what is specifically causing your uneven skin tone. Knowing this will help you narrow down specific products and ingredients to add to your skincare routine. Dryness, large pores, fine lines, or acne can contribute to changes in skin texture and tone. Read on for some tips on how to get a more even skin tone.

1. Exfoliate often

Having a regular exfoliation step in your skincare routine will provide so many benefits for your skin, including improving its texture and overall skin tone. Whether physical or chemical, exfoliants slough off the uppermost layers of skin. With consistent use, exfoliants will help decrease the appearance of dark spots and scarring. Check out our past blog all about exfoliants and how to choose the best one for your skin.

2. Treat early

It's important to note that hyperpigmentation and scarring from acne can happen much faster than the slow fade of dark spots and scars when using an exfoliant. This makes it essential to treat breakouts early. The more inflamed and redder a pimple becomes, the higher the scarring chance. With acne-prone skin, it's ideal to consistently use an acne treatment, even between active breakouts, to prevent pimples and lessen their severity. This will also help minimize the formation of whiteheads and blackheads, which are precursors to inflammatory acne.

3. Wear an SPF

Sun exposure increases the likelihood and intensity of hyperpigmentation due to post-acne scarring and sun damage. Wear a daily SPF to minimize and slow hyperpigmentation. Even with consistent exfoliation and early treatment, just a little bit of unprotected sun exposure can quickly wipe your hard work away. Religiously applying an SPF will help with hyperpigmentation and prevent premature aging and skin cancer.

4. Stop picking!

Is it us, or do large, pus-filled pimples tend to pop up right before a big event? It can be so tempting to immediately pop and pick at the lesions the second they turn up, but picking at pimples is the number one way to ensure an acne scar will appear as soon as that pimple disappears. Instead of picking at your next set of breakouts, apply a hydrocolloid acne patch. These patches create a moist environment to speed healing, reduce scarring, and they're great at creating a protective barrier to keep your picking hands away.