What Is Pale Skin Tone? (With Pictures)

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A pale skin tone can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the individual. Natural, healthy, glowing, pale skin is beautiful and highly desirable by many, especially in Asia.

If you are unhealthy or feeling sick, you can develop a pale skin tone (skin tone that is unusually lighter than your normal complexion) until you regain your health.

In this article, I’ll focus on a naturally pale skin tone, including tips for anyone who has a natural pale skin tone.

What is pale skin tone? Pale skin tone is also called pale complexion and is very light in color. This skin tone is commonly found in North America, Asia, and Europe. It may develop in some people due to low levels of red blood cells or reduced oxygen and blood flow in the body.

Pale skin may also cover all parts of the body, or it can be located only in some areas of the body. This skin tone can also be accompanied by paleness in the mouth, eye linings, and tongue.

Read on to get more detailed information about pale skin tone, including the right makeup and colors to complement a pale skin tone.

Also, for an excellent moisturizer for anyone with pale skin tone, take a look at our top pick, the Rodial Bee Venom Moisturiser:

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What Is Pale Skin Tone?

If you have pale skin tone, you easily burn, so great care is necessary for protecting the skin from the sun. In the winter, the skin is extra pale, but it will acquire a healthy glow when summer comes.

Your skin appears pale because you don’t have enough red blood cells or oxygen-rich hemoglobin underneath the surface of your skin. Genetic conditions can also affect skin pigmentation. These conditions include vitiligo and albinism.

Those with pale skin normally have cool undertones (rather than warm undertones). Those with cool skin undertones have a bluish undertone along with veins that are more blue than green.

Those with cool undertones often have blue eyes and burn easily. You can read more about cool skin tones here.

Celebrities with Pale Skin Tone

Looking at pictures of people who have pale skin tones will surely help you visualize the appearance of this skin complexion. Here are three photos of famous female celebrities with pale skin.

1. Lily Collins

Our first example is Lily Collins, the lead actress in the action-fantasy film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. This photo reveals the flawless beauty of Lily’s natural pale skin.

pale skin tone
Lily Collins – Pale Skin
ID 146575497 © Vonora | Dreamstime.com

2. Dita Von Teese

Another celebrity with a gorgeous pale skin tone is Dita Von Teese. She is a multi-talented artist who excels as a singer, model, dancer, and actress. She starred in the movie The Death of Salvador Dali. Here’s a picture of Dita showing her impressive pale skin.

what is pale skin tone
Dita Von Teese – Pale Skin Tone
ID 107924306 © Starstock | Dreamstime.com

3. Elle Fanning

The third female celebrity on this list is Elle Fanning, who is recently known for her role as Aurora in the fantasy film Maleficent. Look at how she carries her pale skin in the photo below.

pale skin
Elle Fanning – pale skin tone
ID 174401548 © Featureflash | Dreamstime.com

Best Colors to Wear for Pale Skin Tone

The most critical factor that determines the best colors to wear for your pale skin tone is knowing your undertones. Your pale skin tone typically has cool undertones. Therefore, the best colors will be those at the cool end of the color spectrum.

These colors include emerald green, cobalt, sky blues, frosty purples, and all pastel colors. Gray and lavender also work well with cool undertones.

Stay away from bright yellows and orange shades, as these colors will take away the natural beauty of your pale skin.

Sometimes, you want to accentuate your legs, and wearing light-toned pantyhose will do the trick. Wearing a light-colored pantyhose will make your legs look natural and help enhance the shape of your legs.

How to Use Makeup to Let Your Pale Skin Glow

makeup for pale skin tone

There are many ways to make your pale skin glow. Below are some tips that you may want to consider.

1. Use the Right Foundation

Make your skin glow by using a luminous foundation or a tinted moisturizer. You can do full coverage on your face if you mix the foundation with a small amount of liquid highlighter. This combination will be enough to acquire that certain glow on your pale skin.

2. Don’t Use Neutral Makeup

Neutral makeup will not make your pale skin look good. But if you really want to put on neutral makeup, limit yourself to peaches and pinks. Stay away from brown shades, especially with lipsticks and blushes.

These colors will make you look old. Your pale skin color will get even lighter with these colors.

3. Blush Is Important

You need to use a blush if you want to show a beautiful glow on your pale skin tone. To get that pink glow on your face, use a blush in peachy rose shades. Enliven your pale skin tone by applying enough amounts of blush on the apples of your cheeks.

Stay away from blushes that have shades of orange and brown as they will age your skin. Limit yourself to pink shades if you want your skin to acquire a healthy glow.

4. Use the Right Eyeliner

Using the right eyeliners can help your face makeup stand out in a crowd. If you have light-colored hair and eyelashes, the look of your eyes will get better if you use gray or brown eyeliner. But if your hair and eyelashes are dark, using black eyeliner will accentuate the natural beauty of your eyes.

But don’t overdo your eye makeup and just stick to neutral tones. These colors are the best for making your eyes look more natural. Using darker shades will most often make it look like someone has just given you a black eye.

5. Bright Lipsticks Are Good for Pale Skin

Wearing bright-colored lipsticks will also make your pale skin look vibrant. Bright colors on your lips often have amazing effects on your pale skin. Try using bright reds and pinks and see how they beautifully contrast with the color of your skin.

6. Use a Color Corrector

One of the usual problems of those who have pale skin tone is blotchiness. If you are experiencing this problem, the best remedy is to use a color corrector. It will enable you to create a smooth canvass and eliminate blotchy skin on your face.

7. Don’t Over Bronze

You can contour your face with a bronzer. However, you can’t fake a tan by using a bronzer with a darker shade. If you do this, your face will look dirty instead of being pretty.

A lighter shade of bronze is better than faking a tan. Just apply a dash of light bronzer on your chin, cheeks, nose bridge, and on your forehead.

The Best Skin Care Tips for Pale Skin Tone

skin care for pale skin tone

Pale skin needs much more care than darker skin. But it is not really that difficult. You just have to be consistent in your skincare routine. Here are some tips that will enable you to maintain a healthy and glowing pale skin tone.

1. Cleanse Daily with a Mild Facial Cleanser

If your skin is very sensitive, washing it once a day will be enough. But if it is not that sensitive, you can wash it in the morning and at night before bedtime. A gentle facial cleanser containing micellar water is excellent since it will be friendlier to your sensitive skin.

2. Exfoliate with a Gentle Exfoliant

There will be some dead skin cells in your skin that you have to remove. Use a gentle exfoliant to remove them. Ensure that the exfoliant you are using is free from harsh chemicals to prevent unnecessary irritation or damage to your already sensitive pale skin.

You can also make a homemade exfoliant by mixing honey with organic sugar (if you can find any) or oatmeal. The mixture should have a consistency that is comparable to a facial mask. Gently rub the exfoliant on your face in small circles, and then rinse it off with clean, warm water.

3. Moisturize with a Gentle Moisturizer

The best moisturizers are those that contain antioxidants and natural ingredients. Choose moisturizers that don’t have harsh chemicals, which are harmful to your sensitive skin.

Gentle moisturizers are the best for hydrating your face. If your current moisturizer doesn’t have an SPF rating, you should apply sunscreen with SPF 30 or 50 under your makeup.

Moisturize your skin after washing your skin in the morning and again before going to bed at night.

A light moisturizer with a rating of at least SPF 30 is best to use in the morning and a heavier or denser moisturizer before bedtime. Using moisturizers will ensure that your skin is always plump and supple.

A good moisturizer that you can consider is the Rodial Bee Venom Moisturiser. It contains an advanced formula that will revitalize and renew your skin to its youthful look.

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Some of its ingredients are honey bee venom and special plant stem cells.  

4. Use a Serum to Prevent Skin Aging

Pale skin is more prone to premature skin aging, especially if you are spending considerable time under the sun. You can minimize skin aging effectively if you use an anti-wrinkle serum.

One serum that you can use is the Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum Elixir.

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This serum contains a unique bioactive blend of anti-aging agents, such as tripeptides, Padina pavonica, and African birch bark. This skincare product will considerably help reduce fine lines and wrinkles on your face.

5. Don’t Go Out Without Wearing Sunscreen Protection

Because you have a limited amount of melanin in your skin, you are more prone to sun damage. To prevent any skin damage, always wear sunscreen protection, even on cloudy days. Preferably, use sunscreen products with an SPF 50 rating.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

6. Don’t Avoid the Sun too Much

Even your pale skin needs vitamin D, which the sun can provide. The safest amount of time you can go out in the sun is about 20 minutes, three times a week, during summer. But before basking in the sun, you also need to eat more fish, including vitamin supplements, to boost your skin’s overall health.

7. Use Self-tanners

If you want a darker shade on your skin, don’t go to tanning salons. Their tanning beds are just as harmful as overexposing yourself to the sun’s rays. The better way is to use self-tanning products. You can easily regulate the tan that you want with these self-tanners. That’s why they are safer to use.

8. Don’t Forget Your Body Hair

Dark body hair can be too visible in people with pale skin tones. If your body hair is darker than your pale skin tone, you need to get rid of it regularly.

Conclusion – What Is Pale Skin Tone?

So, to revisit our initial question: What is pale skin tone? Pale skin tone is also the same as pale complexion. This skin tone is commonly found in Europe, North America, and Asia.

If you are unhealthy or feeling sick, you can develop a pale skin tone (skin tone that is unusually lighter than your normal complexion) until you regain your health.

It is believed that the pale color is due to the diminished red blood cells or reduced oxygen and blood flow in the skin. Pale skin tone may cover all body parts, but it can also be located in some areas of your skin.

People with this skin tone may also have paleness inside their mouth, eye linings, and on the surface of their tongue.

Related reading:

Pale Skin and Black Hair for Caucasians

What Is Pasty Skin Tone and Its Causes?

Fair vs Light Skin Tone: What’s the Difference?

Alabaster Skin Tone: What Is It? (With Pictures)