You may remember your freckles from childhood and how they weren’t the most desirable quality to have to grace your complexion. Fast forward to today, and freckles are featured in editorial magazines, and people who don’t have them draw them on!
Freckles bring a unique feature to your skin tone. However, they’re often their most potent when exposed to the sun, which is why you may have more of them in the summer. Freckles can also appear lighter or disappear during the colder months.
You may choose to embrace your freckles or try to preserve them year-round. It may be challenging if your freckles come and go with the season or if you don’t have that many natural freckles. Thankfully, you can still embrace these jumbled brown spots!
How can you make freckles darker? You can darken or enhance your freckles in multiple ways, like using makeup or adjusting your skincare routine. In addition, you may learn discreet techniques to create faux freckles that look realistic.
One thing to consider when darkening or enhancing freckles is that they are unique to every person. So, not everyone will have the same size, shape, or freckle pattern. How can you enhance your freckle to suit your features?
What Are Freckles?
According to Healthline, “freckles are small brown spots on your skin, often in areas that get sun exposure. In most cases, freckles are harmless. They form as a result of overproduction of melanin, which is responsible for skin and hair color.”
There are also two types of freckles, and the most commonly referred to are Ehpedlides. The other type is Solar Lentigines, which appear more in adults and can house other discoloration concerns aside from freckles.
Freckles can look and appear differently on every skin complexion. They are often small, brown, and have a unique pattern.
How Do You Naturally Get Freckles?
You may be wondering: is it possible to have freckles naturally? Some people are born with intense and prominent freckles that are present year-round, while others will have freckles seasonally when they get more sun exposure.
Freckles are often determined by genetics and environment, so it’s possible some people won’t have freckles at all.
Healthline states, “people whose skin produces pheomelanin aren’t protected from UV radiation and tend to have: red or blonde hair, light skin, freckles, skin that tans poorly.”
Even if you don’t have natural freckles, you can still draw them on!
How To Bring Out Freckles
Do you want to preserve or darken your freckles? It’s crucial to care for your complexion, even if you have freckles. In addition, you can enhance them in more ways than one, thanks to a combination of makeup and skincare!
You can try multiple techniques to draw on freckles or adapt your makeup routine to showcase them. Likewise, you can eliminate or reduce the use of certain skincare products that can make them appear lighter.
1. Try A Freckle Pen
What’s the easiest way to bring out freckles? You can use a freckle pen. Various cosmetic brands are now formulating a specific makeup product that mimics the look of real freckles. Freckle pens create an effortlessly natural result.
Freckle pens are simple to use and require you to dot on the product and tap it gently with your fingertips. The pen will act as a stain and add more pigment to any freckle or can be used to draw freckles from scratch.
2. Use A Brow Pencil
Most people already have an eyebrow pencil in their makeup bags, so why not use it as a freckle enhancer? Chances are your brow hair is similar in tone to your freckles, and you can dot on the pencil to freckles needing more pigmentation.
This is a great daily-use solution and a more accessible method than a freckle pen. You can also purchase a brow pencil to match your freckles, but freckles don’t have to be uniform!
3. Apply Hair Root Spray
Those who’ve been on TikTok long enough have most likely seen the latest freckle trend. Hair root spray is excellent for covering grays, but it can also create a full face of freckles in one go — the secret is only to push the nozzle to spray halfway.
This will create an inconsistent mist that will leave a stippled effect on the face, similar to freckles. It can look natural due to its irregular spraying pattern. However, please make sure your spray is safe for the skin first!
4. Skip Foundation
Another way to darken or enhance your freckles is simply by skipping foundation in your makeup regimen. More individuals are opting to embrace their natural skin, freckles and all. Foundation can conceal your beautiful texture or create a flat skin tone.
Instead, you can try spot concealer as needed or use a lightweight tinted moisturizer that allows your freckles to shine while offering coverage.
5. Sit In The Sun Safely
We mentioned how freckles are usually triggered by sun exposure. So, one way to darken their appearance is by catching some rays. However, you’ll want to do so safely and apply SPF religiously to shield your skin from burns.
In addition, you don’t need to fry outside for hours; protected and minimal exposure can ensure your freckles are lively. Also, consult with your dermatologist beforehand!
6. Apply SPF Daily
Regardless if you have freckles or not, SPF is important! One way you can preserve your skin’s health is by applying sunscreen. This is crucial for those with freckles because you may be prone to other discoloration concerns like age spots.
You may want to avoid mineral SPF if you fear white casts that could potentially conceal your freckles. Instead, a chemical SPF can protect your skin and showcase your freckles.
7. Warm Up Your Complexion
How else can you bring attention to your freckles using makeup? Cream formulations are freckle-friendly because they offer a tint to the skin without the coverage. So, you can achieve a natural glow-from-within using a cream bronzer — a few swipes of the product are all you need!
Warming up your complexion can enhance your other features, like freckles. It adds a layer of depth and dimension that could be lacking, especially if you’re trying to keep your summer glow lasting through winter.
8. Keep Cheeks Glossy
Another way to highlight your freckles is with a highlighter. However, stay clear of pigmented, shimmery, and powder highlighters that can conceal the skin. Instead, you can create a glass-skin effect without using makeup at all!
You can use Vaseline to protect your skin barrier and highlight your freckles. This will ensure your cheekbones remain sharp and your freckles won’t be hidden away under a layer of shimmer. It’s the perfect no-makeup-makeup look!
9. Brighten Up With Blush
You can still add a pop of color to your makeup routine with blush! Liquid, cream, and oil blushes are fantastic formulas for freckles because they can stain the skin — this will provide a flush of color that doesn’t conceal freckles!
You can also play around with blush placement to find an area on the cheeks that best suits your feature. For example, you may want a classic “apple of the cheeks” glow, or you could apply it on your temples for cheeks that cut.
10. Dot On Self Tanner
Are you looking for a semi-permanent way to enhance or darken your freckles? A self-tanner can create highly pigmented freckles that last longer than brow pencils or freckle pens. Self-tanner freckles can look natural and offer longevity.
You’ll need to find the right self-tanner for your complexion and dot it over your existing freckles. The self-tanner can even create new freckles! Then, allow your tanner to process fully before rinsing and unveiling your newly enhanced features.
11. Reduce The Use Of Exfoliants
Finally, you may want to limit or reduce the use of exfoliants in your routine. Exfoliants are designed to sweep away dead skin and discoloration to make way for an even complexion. However, they can lighten or reduce the appearance of freckles.
Try to limit exfoliation to once a week or once every two weeks if you want to preserve your freckles. Exfoliants can also increase your sensitivity to the sun, which can cause a broken barrier if you don’t apply SPF.
12. Consult A Dermatologist
Freckles are usually harmless, but it’s always wise to get them checked annually by a dermatologist! Any noticeable change in your freckles can be easily addressed so you can keep your skin safe.
In addition, a dermatologist may recommend a safe method to preserve your freckles or have them appear darker. For example, they may clear the safety of a permanent makeup tattoo for freckles or other clinical treatments that cater to your complexion.
The Takeaway
You can experiment with makeup and use multiple tools to darken freckles, like brow pencils or freckle pens. You can opt for lightweight base products like cream bronzers/blushes and tinted moisturizers.
Finally, you can enhance freckles with unique products like self-tanner or Vaseline. You may also decide to adjust your skincare and limit using exfoliants.