Overview
In centuries past, it was a sign of wealth and femininity to have porcelain skin; it was a sign that you spent most of your time indoors as the affluent did. Now smooth, fair skin is sought after as a measure of skin health. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that the sun is your worst enemy in the fight against skin cancer, fair, smooth skin shows that you care enough about your skin to be sun smart. Even if you have a rough or an uneven complexion, you can alter it to have smooth, fair skin.
Step 1
Exfoliate your face. Do this several times each week as part of your skin care regimen. Exfoliating sloughs away dead skin, dirt and oil so that your skin appears to be smoother and more evenly toned. You can use a store-bought exfoliating cream or make your own by combining enough olive oil and brown sugar to make a paste and rubbing it on the skin in a circular motion. Cosmopolitan.com recommends exfoliating with beta hydroxy (salicylic acid) pads. Choose a method of exfoliation that gives you results without irritation.
Step 2
Moisturize daily. Dry, chapped skin looks rough and flaky and doesn’t portray the smooth texture that you want. Use a good-quality non-comedogenic moisturizer that won’t clog your pores and cause breakouts.
Step 3
Apply a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher. Use sunscreen every day, even if it doesn’t seem sunny out. The sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays can penetrate clouds and cause burns, discoloration and spots. Protect your skin, and make sunscreen a part of your skin care regimen; sun damage can make your skin look brown and rough, making you look prematurely old. If you go out in the sun, take measures to protect yourself by wearing protective clothing and a hat.
Step 4
Smooth a pore primer over your face. Pore primer is a colorless product that fills in pores and wrinkles that can make your skin look mottled. It creates a perfectly smooth surface for your makeup to be applied over, giving you the appearance of smooth skin. Apply the pore primer before you apply your makeup, according to Stylehive.com. You might also try using a foundation that is slightly lighter than your natural skin tone for fairer-looking skin.
Step 5
Make a homemade facial mask. Preliminary studies by the American Academy of Dermatologists found that the lactic acid commonly found in milk products was effective in smoothing the appearance of the skin. Mix enough powdered milk with water until you create a paste. Apply to your face with your fingers, and leave it to dry before rinsing with cool water. Use this mask one to two times a week as part of your regimen to keep your skin looking hydrated, smooth and fair. You might also dip a washcloth in milk and apply the washcloth to your face as a way to smooth your complexion.
