The Best Products to Brighten Dull Skin

We all lose our light from time to time. In our skin, this is known as “dullness.” Dull skin may seem almost imperceptibly distinct from “normal” skin. But if you were to compare states, dull skin seems more muted and less luminous than it usually does. It’s a common trait of skin—or common enough that dullness is frequently a target of skincare applications.

Enter “brightening” skin care. These products don’t endeavor to change the tone of skin as much as they treat the skin conditions that lie beneath dullness, leading to a brighter skin—among other benefits. Before you begin treating dullness, it’ll be helpful to understand exactly what a lack of luster means for your skin, and then meet the brighteners that can help turn on your light.

A brief guide to dull skin

Unlike other states of skin, from an overabundance of oil to inflammatory conditions like eczema, that make themselves obvious to the naked eye. Others, like skin dullness, require a closer look. Dullness may have a rough texture similar to dry skin, but generally is observed by what it isn’t: An absence of color, or glow. Some dermatologists merely define dullness as “a lack of radiance.”

The what of dry skin can be answered with a few other W’s:

Why we get dull skin: A lack of radiance can, it turns out, come from a variety of sources. Reasons for dullness range from the buildup of dead skin to pollution in the air wreaking havoc at the cellular level to emotional stress. These factors can steal light away from the skin, and leave a sallow, almost gray pallor in their wake.

Who gets dull skin: The answer is everyone, at some point. As its variety of causes indicates, dullness isn’t limited to a particular skin type—so every skin type should be ready when it appears.

Where does dull skin appear: Dull skin can appear anywhere there is skin. Sometimes it’s easier to spot on areas that are prone to under-exfoliation, like on knees and elbows. Since using an overabundance of skincare products can also cause dullness, those high-traffic skincare areas, like our faces, are also likely sites. This is all to say that dullness can happen to anyone, anywhere. Now that you can recognize it, you can give yourself a thorough once-over for unusually dull spots.

When dullness is most likely: It’s possible to be dull at any time, but it tends to become more noticeable during winter months, when the air is dry (and more likely to steal moisture from skin’s surface). This is why experts recommend switching up your skincare routine for winter to include richer textures when the seasons cool down. 

Your dull skin priorities

Despite a wide array of potential causes, there are only a few things your dull skin probably needs. Think about “brightening” as a multi-step process that involves hydrating and decongesting the skin at every level. You can break it down into three necessary components:

1. Water. Dull skin can't get enough water. You can (and should) be drinking the stuff, but dermatologists say that, when it comes to hydration, it’s what’s applied to the outside that counts: Creams, gels, serums, and oils are all great ways to prevent against transepidermal water loss, by leaving water-binding ingredients on the surface of the skin. 

2. Exfoliation. Sometimes, dullness is the result of built-up dead skin, which contributes a gray tinge. Perhaps the environment is unusually dry, or maybe your cell turnover has naturally slowed, but in any case, a topical exfoliant—be it a chemical, like an acid peel, or a physical scrub—can slough away old skin cells and encourage the production of new ones. 

3. Repair. Increased hydration and exfoliation will get you well on your way to brighter skin, but they don’t treat one of the main causes of dullness: Oxidative stress. Environmental aggravators, like UV rays from the sun or pollutants from the air, can cause reactions in the skin that age us. Our best defense against these “free radicals” are antioxidants like vitamin C or E capable of neutralizing them. Their usefulness in slowing this vehicle of skin’s natural aging makes antioxidants very popular in dermatology, and especially in products that promise brightening effects. 

The best products to brighten dull skin

There are many products designed to turn the wattage up on skin, by hydrating, exfoliating, or providing antioxidant protection—or a few of those tasks at once. These steps can happen at virtually any step of your skincare routine, but if you’re looking to adopt a simple but potent treatment for dull skin, there are a few places in the order of operations that are more opportune than others.

The best serum for skin dullness. A serum, which is applied after cleansing and exfoliating but before moisturizing, is an excellent way to introduce active ingredients into an otherwise simple skincare routine. Tatcha’s Violet-C Brightening Serum combines power with purity—as in not one but two types of pure vitamin C, skincare’s favorite antioxidant. A cocktail of fruit-derived alpha hydroxy acids also provides gentle exfoliation.

The best exfoliator for skin dullness. Some formulas ask consumers to choose between physical and chemical exfoliation; The Rice Polish Deep simply offers both in one elegant jar. This potent version of the brand’s best-selling exfoliant combines a finely milled rice-bran with papaya enzymes and antioxidants from wild rose. Emulsified with water, it becomes a soft, downy foam; skin looks a little brighter after a single rinse.

The best moisturizer for skin dullness. The Water Cream puts skin into balance. A suite of active botanicals, like leopard lily, help to minimize excess oil production and calm problem skin. Hadasei-3™, Tatcha’s complex of double-fermented rice, green tea, and red algae, restores healthy-looking radiance—and the cream imparts a subtle, shine-free glow with a touch of 23-karat gold. In one study Tatcha conducted using the Water Cream, 90% of participants agreed skin felt balanced and looked radiant and luminous.* The idea of a “brightening” product can seem confusing, but in treating dullness, you’re really just giving skin what it needs. A little skincare glows a long way.