Your Skin’s Undertone: The 2 Most Important Things That Define It

“Oh I can’t wear [insert colour here], it makes me look sick”.

Have you ever heard yourself using this as an answer when discussing clothes and makeup before?  I definitely have!  It’s most likely to do with your skin’s undertone.

It’s really easy to see that we all have different skin colours, and they’re actually makeup of a mix of our undertone and skin tone.  It’s also what makes some colours work so well for us and others make us look like we’ve come off the back of a hard night.  Who knew there was so much to it?!

As with anything in the beauty industry, it’s a little bit science and a little bit art.  And I’m constantly amazed by where the two intersect and create the beauty we see all around us.  So in this article, I’ll hopefully shed a bit of light as to why our undertones look the way do and how you can find the perfect colours for you.

What the science says about our skin’s undertone:

Our skin colour is mostly affected by a pigment called melanin.  We often hear that lighter-skinned people have less melanin, which is partly true, and it’s also a simple explanation of the process.  But there’s a bit more to it than that.

Inside our skin there are cells called melanocytes, which produce melanin.  And they come in two forms – eumelanin, and pheomelanin.  They determine whether we have dark or light skin, and then how dark or light the skin is.

Pheomelanin is a reddish-yellow colour and is what gives light-skinned people their colour.  Eumelanin is a black-brown colour, and results in darker skin.  How much of each is produced determines how dark or light the skin is.  Cool huh!

What’s even more fascinating is that our melanin works with the sun’s UV rays to create Vitamin D and Folate!

But, it’s not only our skin colour that makes us unique, it’s our skin’s UNDERTONE.  And this happens under our skin.  Did you know that when we see colour it’s actually different wavelengths of light being reflected back to us?  So, our skin colour is kind of an optical illusion.

We know our blood is red, but when we look at our veins they are usually either blue or green.  And the way that we see colour when different wavelengths of light get reflected off an object is important too.  Technical, I know, but what’s most important to know is that red light has a longer wavelength so it gets absorbed by our skin, and we just see blue.  But if you have yellow-toned skin (or warm tones), the blue AND yellow wavelengths mix and you actually see green!  Mind. Blown.

So now you know how we get the colours, how does that affect our clothes and makeup?  For that, we have to look at art.

What the art says about our skin’s undertone:

A man named Robert Dorr is probably the biggest influence in how we use colour today.  About 100 years ago, he discovered that we have undertones to our skin, because he was painting posters for the movie theatres, and he noticed some people’s skin would be peachy, and others would be more of a rosy colour.

Then when films started to be made into colour, he was asked to advise on colours that would show power, happiness, strength and beauty.  He started to see that warm colours would look great on some people, and cool colours would look best on others.

And so, the process of colour analysis as we know it today was born.  Dorr was key in defining the groups of colours we should use to choose clothing and makeup, and created the colour palettes we still see in use today.

Mixing science and art:

Today we can take what we know about the science of skin colour and undertones and use it to inform us about what art tells us.

Since defining warm and cool colours in the fashion and beauty industry, they have since been separated further into 4 main groups – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter – as a way to quickly associate the group of colours being described.

There are a couple of quick tests we can do that will tell us whether we are warm or cool-toned, and which colours will work best for us.  And in doing so, we now have the ability to make sure we are wearing colours that make our eyes sparkle and show our own personal beauty, strength and power within.

What colours do you love to wear?  Which ones do you feel most comfortable in?  This is the first step in understanding your skin’s undertones.

Download my FREE e-book, The Power Colour Playbook, and find out how you can look your best, every day.  I am passionate about helping women live their best life, and feel good doing it!  I’d love to have you join us and be a part of the journey too.