Change these little things in your life and get even

These things may surprise you.

Have you been disciplined about maintaining your skincare regimen, and yet still wondering why your skintone isn’t completely even?

Here are five other things that could be affecting your skintone.

1. It could be your favourite window seat

Have you noticed that one side of your face is more tanned than the other?
It could be because of where you always sit in a car, taxi or bus. Vehicle windows these days have some level of UV protection, but not enough to shield your skin from a daily onslaught of UV rays during your commute. While you can’t control the amount of UV rays that sneak in through windows, avoid sitting too close to the windows, alternate your seating position as much as possible and don’t forget your sunscreen before you step out of your home.

2. Your seat in the office may affect your complexion 

A window-facing desk is always nice and feels open, but just like in cars and buses, those UV rays will come in. Glass only filters out UVB, which means UVA can still get through. UVA penetrates deeper into the dermis, weakening your skin and causing skin aging.

Then there’s the air-conditioning. If it blows directly at you, your skin is at risk of drying out and possibly looking dull and patchy, affecting your skintone.

Moving desks may be an option, but why give up your beautiful view? Instead, use skincare products with protecting ingredients like vitamin E, and don’t skimp on the moisturizer with healing ingredients like 12-HSAs and vitamin C to strengthen skin.

3. Your sunglasses could be the culprit

The “reverse raccoon” look is never a good one. But there’s no need to toss out your favorite sunnies, which you need to protect your eyes against UV rays. If you’re planning to spend a prolonged amount of time out in the sun, sunscreen isn’t enough. Wear a broad-brimmed hat to protect your face as well. 

4. If you ride a bike, maybe it’s your helmet

If you’re a biker or you ride pillion, the type of helmet you use can make a difference. Old-school, open-faced helmets are cute, especially if you ride a scooter, but there’s little protection against the sun and wind. For fuller protection, choose a full-faced helmet with a polycarbonate face shield. When applying sunblock before a ride, be more liberal with it around your nose and eye area, which is still partially exposed under the shield. 

5. You use sunscreen — but always in a rush

This might seem silly, but slapping on sunscreen in a rush can affect how effective it is. Firstly, experts recommend applying it 30 minutes before stepping out into the sun, so that the ingredients fully bind to the skin. Secondly, if it’s applied unevenly on the face, different parts of your face will receive different levels of protection, which could mess up your skintone. Make a conscious effort to apply sunscreen evenly on the face.