If your skin tone is blotchy and red, has a rough texture, or you’ve got post-pimple popping spots, sun damage, or other dark marks (hyperpigmentation) that aren’t fading, you know how hard it can be to find a moisturizer that lives up to its promises and makes a noticeable difference in your skin tone.
A consistent skincare routine that includes a moisturizer is a must-have. To avoid spending your precious dollars on products with very little results, you must know which ingredients are proven to even out skin tone and why.
How to Even Skin Tone: What About Chemical Peels and Other Treatments?
A quick Google search on how to even skin tone will bring up exfoliants, chemical peels, and laser treatments as top solutions — and these can work for some people, depending on what’s contributing to their uneven skin tone. Uneven skin tone can stem from many causes, including excessive sun exposure, hormonal fluctuations, genetics, and inflammation from internal and external factors (such as pollution, smoking, and a diet high in processed foods).
A quick Google search on how to even skin tone will bring up exfoliants, chemical peels, and laser treatments as top solutions — and these can work for some people, depending on what’s contributing to their uneven skin tone. Uneven skin tone can stem from many causes, including excessive sun exposure, hormonal fluctuations, genetics, and inflammation from internal and external factors (such as pollution, smoking, and a diet high in processed foods).
However, keeping skin hydrated with a moisturizer is a simple, crucial, and often overlooked step worth trying consistently for a few weeks before turning to more intensive procedures. A moisturizer is still essential to any skincare routine, even with these procedures.
Moisturizing prevents dryness, redness, irritation, and clogged pores — all of which contribute to uneven skin tone over time. Certain moisturizer ingredients can help soothe, smooth, and brighten your skin by supporting cell repair and regeneration. This is what helps skin heal and prevent future damage.
What’s the Best Moisturizer for Even Skin Tone? Two Powerful Ingredients to Look For
Since everyone’s skin type and condition is unique, there isn’t a holy grail moisturizer that can fit everyone’s needs. However, a few key ingredients are praised for their natural ability to improve complexion and promote even skin tone. The best even skin tone products will ideally include one or more of the following ingredients:
Astaxanthin
What do algae, trout, shrimp, salmon, and lobster have in common — and what does this have to do with your skin tone? The answer is a red pigment called astaxanthin, and it’s one of the best nutrients for your skin due to its unusually high antioxidant content. (1) You may want to write this one down.
Before we get into the details, it helps to know why antioxidants are the most important nutrient in your skin routine.
Free radical damage to cells is one of the most common causes of blotchiness, dark spots, and other undesirable changes to your skin. This can occur from excessive sun exposure, smoking, environmental pollutants, processed foods, and even as a natural byproduct of the body’s metabolic processes. (2) Free radicals can also weaken your skin’s collagen, which slows down the body’s natural ability to heal skin damage and accelerate signs of aging. (3)
Now, antioxidants (especially carotenoids) are the antidote to free radical damage to skin cells. (1) Antioxidants are the nutrients skin cells need to help calm inflammation, allow hyperpigmentation to fade, and promote a smooth, even tone and texture.
Your body also requires certain antioxidants (such as vitamins A and C) to help stimulate collagen production, which is key for maintaining youthful-looking skin. (4)(5)
Any antioxidant will be beneficial for your skin. But astaxanthin is a powerful carotenoid that’s up to 65 times higher in antioxidants than beta carotene (the antioxidant form of vitamin A), vitamin E, and vitamin C. (1) This makes it a superior nutrient to have in your moisturizer and other skin care products for promoting skin cell repair to achieve an even skin tone and brighter complexion.
In addition to applying astaxanthin topically, you can also eat it. Astaxanthin-rich foods like salmon, lobster, trout, prawns, and crab will encourage a brighter, more even skin tone from within.
Looking for a moisturizer that contains astaxanthin? Astarella Primetime Skin Cream is formulated with astaxanthin and other complementary nutrients to support skin cell health, including jojoba oil, shea butter, and Chlorella Growth Factor.
Next, let’s look at the Chlorella Growth Factor and its benefits for even skin tone.
Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF)
Meet another incredible nutrient that promotes skin cell health and even skin tone: Chlorella Growth Factor. Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) is only found in one food on the planet — and you probably already guessed what it is. Of course, it’s chlorella.
You may know chlorella, a green algae, for its ability to support several aspects of your health and well-being. However, its unique nutrient, Chlorella Growth Factor, benefits internal and external skin cell health because it contains the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, which can aid in cellular regeneration. Supporting skin cell health is the key to promoting even skin tone and texture. And that’s not all Chlorella Growth Factor can do for your skin.
Chlorella Growth Factor contains another skin-supportive nutrient: a polysaccharide called beta-glucan. If you haven’t heard of it already, you’ll notice beta-glucans on the ingredients list of even skin tone creams, cleansers, and serums more often. They’re an “up and coming” skin care nutrient for their natural ability to hydrate and lock moisture into the skin — which is said to help with improved skin tone, wound healing, and a smooth, dewy texture. (7)
In addition to chlorella, beta-glucans can be found in other food sources, like mushrooms and yeast. When looking for the best moisturizer for an even skin tone, it’s ideal to get beta-glucans from Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) to receive double the skin benefits from nucleic acids.
Two moisturizers that contain the Chlorella Growth Factor are Astarella Primetime Skin Cream and Sun Chlorella Cream.
Other Helpful Ingredients to Look For in Even Skin Tone Moisturizers
Here are a few other natural ingredients beauty bloggers and cosmeticians recommend to even out your skin tone, which are easy to find concentrated on their own and in moisturizers, cleansers, and serums.
Rosehip Seed Oil
Helps keep skin moisturized and is rich in vitamin C. Its antioxidant content may help speed up the fading of dark marks, other imperfections, and fine lines and wrinkles. (8) You can apply concentrated rosehip seed oil directly to your skin or mix a few drops with your moisturizer. It can be slightly sticky and oily if applied independently, so adding a few drops to a moisturizer for daytime wear or use at night is best.Jojoba Oil
Commonly discussed for its effectiveness in lightening and fading dark marks to help improve skin tone — and prevent pimples and clogged pores from forming in the first place. Jojoba oil’s benefits for the skin may be due to its antioxidant vitamins A and E, but more research is needed to determine how. Unlike most facial oils, jojoba oil doesn’t have a sticky or tacky texture, so that it can work well under makeup.Niacinamide
Also known as vitamin B3, niacinamide is said to help brighten skin tone and fade unevenness when applied topically. Studies show it acts as an antioxidant, reduces blotchiness, and can significantly penetrate the skin, which means it’s actually getting to work. (9) Niacinamide is most commonly applied as a concentrated face serum and is found in many moisturizers that support skin barrier health.Eating to Even Out Your Skin Tone
While a moisturizer rich in astaxanthin and/or Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) will have you well on your way to promoting an even skin tone, you may notice faster results when adding skin-supportive foods to your diet.
The best foods for your skin are unprocessed (or minimally processed) and rich in antioxidants. So double up on colorful fruits and vegetables, including leafy greens, blueberries, blackberries, pumpkin, peppers, chlorella, and carrots. Healthy fats like nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado are also rich in antioxidants and help moisturize skin.
Of course, don’t forget to keep your skin hydrated internally by drinking plenty of filtered water.
The Takeaway
The best moisturizer for even skin tone will contain astaxanthin, which is far higher in antioxidants than beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The high antioxidant content promotes even skin tone through skin cell repair collagen production and helps reduce the damage done to skin cells by free radicals naturally present in our internal and external environment.
Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) is another excellent nutrient for skin health and a balanced complexion. This is because it contains the nucleic acids, DNA, RNA, and beta-glucans. Together, these nutrients promote skin cell repair and regeneration and lock in the skin’s natural moisture for a naturally supple and plump texture. Hydrated skin is healthy and less prone to pimples, dryness, redness, and irritation — contributing to uneven skin tone.
Want to get your hands on a moisturizer that includes astaxanthin, Chlorella Growth Factor, and other ingredients that support even skin tone, like jojoba seed oil and shea butter? Try dermatologist-recommended Astarella Primetime Skin Cream.
Ready to Find Your Chlorella?
Find your best chlorella that fits your lifestyle. Sun Chlorella offers easy-to-take small tablets, larger tablets, and powder form.