Dull skin

Dull Skin Explained: The Science-Backed Guide to Achieving Radiant Skin for Women of Color

Dull skin refers to skin that lacks radiance, has texture, appears tired, and seems to have lost its natural glow. It’s a concern that can affect any skin type, whether oily, dry, or anything in between. More often than not, dull skin is a sign of underlying issues such as poor skincare habits, environmental factors, and overall health concerns. So, let’s dive into what causes dull skin on melanin-rich skin and how to prevent it. Plus, we rounded up some of our favorite skincare products to help you restore your skin’s glow!

Understanding Dull Skin: Causes and Contributing Factors

Dull skin can have four main causes:

1. Dehydration

In our recent blog about dry skin, we highlighted that melanin-rich skin tends to have lower hydration levels compared to lighter skin tones. Studies show thatwomen of color have approximately 26% less hydration in the skin’s outermost layer. This may be due to lower levels of ceramides—essential lipids that help keep the skin’s barrier healthy. When ceramide levels are reduced, the skin’s ability to retain moisture weakens, leading to a compromised barrier and drier skin.

2. Accumulation of Dead Skin Cells

For your skin to stay healthy and youthful, it needs to continually shed dead cells in a process called desquamation. In healthy skin, this process takes about two to three weeks. However, factors such as aging, environmental stressors, and dehydration can slow down this turnover process, resulting in rough texture, compromised barrier function, clogged pores, and—ultimately—dull skin.

3. Environmental factors

The most common outside environmental aggressors for your skin are UV rays from the sun and pollutants. Prolonged exposure to UV rays without adequate sun protection leads to photodamage, especially in melanin-rich skin. Sun damage not only causes premature aging but also strips the skin of its radiance. UV rays can also cause dark spots, uneven skin tone, and a rough texture, all of which contribute to a dull appearance. On the other hand, pollutants such as dirt and smoke can stick to the skin’s surface and enter pores, causing oxidative stress and inflammation. Over time, pollution can break down collagen andelastin, essential components for the skin’s youthful appearance.

4. Lifestyle choices

We hardly need someone to tell us that a non-healthy lifestyle affects our skin complexion. Insufficient sleep, a poor diet, and chronic stress will negatively affect skin health, leading to a tired and dull appearance.

Our best skincare recommendations to make dull skin glow again

Apart from skincare, we recommend always using sun protection, incorporating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables into your diet, and prioritizing 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Now, let’s talk skincare! We’ve created a day and night routine specifically for melanin-rich skin:

Day-time Routine.

1. Start with a clean face

Skincare ingredients work best on clean skin. For a deep but gentle cleanse try our Exfoliating Cleanser Nectar. It’s formulated with apricot seed powder and jojoba beads for gentle exfoliation. We’ve also added panthenol and allantoin- two great humectants with calming properties on the skin.

2. Hydration is Key

Dehydrated skin always looks dull, especially in melanin-rich skin. Use a moisturizer that provides all the hydration your skin craves. If your skin is particularly dry, a quick way to add back that healthy glow to the skin is with a couple of drops of face oil after your moisturizer.

For busy mornings, we recommend our Illuminating Rose Face Balm. Our face balm is formulated with both humectants (Aloe Barbadensis water, Sodium PCA & Sodium Hyaluronate) and several plant-based oils (avocado, squalane sunflower, sesame, hazelnut, and jojoba oils) to give your skin that extra glow without leaving a greasy sensation. The formula also includes antioxidants like Centella Asiatica, Echinacea extracts, and Vitamin C to help your skin fight oxidative stress during the day.

3. Sun protection

Ultraviolet damage causes everything that you don’t want: sagging, rough texture, leatherlike thickness, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, dullness, and more. Consider your sunscreen as the ultimate antiaging product and use it every day, regardless of weather conditions! Opt for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

Night-time Routine

1. Remove daily dirt

Before bed, don’t forget to cleanse your face to remove the buildup of sebum, skincare products, pollutants, and dirt.

2. Regular exfoliation

Exfoliating 1-3 times a week, depending on your skin type, can significantly improve skin texture and radiance! Chemical exfoliants, such as alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), are especially effective. They work by dissolving the chemical bonds or “glue” between your skin cells, allowing them to shed more easily.

Once the chemical exfoliators help kick out those old cells, your skin can benefit from a brighter and smoother texture relatively quickly. But the benefits don’t end there, when using exfoliating acids in the long-term, as a regular treatment, they can help improve age spots, and uneven skin tone and even reduce wrinkles and fine lines!

If you’re not sure where to start, we introduce the Clarifying AHA Toner – our best secret for glowing skin. This is a concentrated but gentle formula of AHAs derived from fruit acids that will bring back a smooth texture to your skin. But because we know exfoliants sometimes can be drying, we’ve included several hydrating and antioxidant extracts such as Geranium, Sage, Witch Hazel & Green Tea, as well as the oily Vitamin E to seal and lock in all that moisture in your skin. Use it 1 to 3 times per week on clean, dry skin.

3. Deep hydration before bed

At night, your skin enters repair mode and becomes more prone to dehydration. This is why we recommend adding our Overnight Recovery Sleep Mask for a deeply hydrating treatment before bed. This mask penetrates deeply into the skin, delivering hydration where it’s needed most, without feeling heavy! This is our concentrated formula made of glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and a unique blend of plant-based oils for an extra boost of hydration.

Let us know in the comments: What’s your favorite Brunette product to bring the glow back to dull skin?

REFERENCES

• Imhof, L. & Leuthard, D. Topical Over-the-Counter Antiaging Agents: An Update and Systematic Review. Dermatology 237, 217–229 (2021).
• Clifford, P. Alpha Hydroxy acids in Skincare. (1996).
• Luebberding, S., Krueger, N. & Kerscher, M. Skin physiology in men and women: In vivo evaluation of 300 people including TEWL, SC hydration, sebum content, and skin surface pH. Int J Cosmet Sci 35, 477–483 (2013).
• Ganceviciene, R., Liakou, A. I., Theodoridis, A., Makrantonaki, E. & Zouboulis, C. C. Skin anti-aging strategies. 4, 308–319 (2012).