A Skin-Care Routine for Dark Olive Skin Tones

When customizing your skin-care routine, it’s important to consider not only your skin type but also your skin tone. That’s right  — different skin tones experience different concerns. Therefore what may work for someone with a fair skin tone and rosacea may not work for someone with a darker complexion experiencing hyperpigmentation. If you have dark olive skin tone, meaning a brown complexion with green or yellow undertones, your complexion requires specific attention. Learn how to take care of your dark olive skin tone, ahead. 

STEP 1: Cleanse

Cleansing is important for all skin tones and skin types. Reach for a gentle formula to rid your skin of dead surface skin cells, makeup, oil and any other impurities. We love the L’Oréal-owned CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser,  which is a gentle wash that soothes all types of skin.

STEP 2: Gently Exfoliate

The trick to exfoliating the right way is by sloughing away dead cells while still managing to be careful with your complexion. That means finding an exfoliation method that is gentle enough for your skin and being sure not to overdo it. Use a gentle scrub like the Tula So Polished Exfoliating Sugar Scrub. 

STEP 3: Correct Dark Spots

Dark spots aren’t reserved for those with a dark olive skin tone — they can affect anyone — but it’s true that you may have to be more diligent than your fair and medium-skinned friends. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), there are many everyday things that can trigger dark spots and patches in people with dark skin. Those triggers can include anything from pimples to bug bites. It’s safe to say you won’t be able to avoid the things that bring about dark spots entirely, which means you’ll need a different plan of action. Your best bet is to develop a skin-care routine that helps to combat dark spots. You won’t need to make any major adjustments, but after making sure your skin is properly cleansed and exfoliated, apply a dark spot correcting serum. The L’Oréal Paris Youth Code Dark Spot Correcting & Illuminating Serum Corrector is a perfect pick, thanks to its ability to fade dark spots, age spots, sun spots and post-acne marks over time.

 STEP 4: Make Time to Moisturize

Take a look at any skin routine, for any skin tone or type, and you’ll see that daily moisturizing is a must. However, it’s even more important for darker skin tones to moisturize regularly because, as the AAD confirms, darker skin has a tendency to appear “ashy” when it is not moisturized. To keep your dark olive skin looking beautifully moisturized, try the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, made by our parent company L’Oréal. Formulated with aloe juice, this non-greasy moisturizer will leave your skin feeling smooth and hydrated. 

 

STEP 5: Be Strict With SPF

While dark skin tones may not be prone to sunburns, sunscreen is essential for everyone. Be sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF value of 15 or higher every day. For a white-cast free finish, try the Glossier Invisible Shield that won’t leave any grease behind.