How to Determine Skin Tone

Co-authored by Paul Friedman, MD

Last Updated: October 3, 2024 Fact Checked

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Your skin tone, also called the undertone, is different from your complexion, which is the shade of your skin (light, medium, dark). Your undertone will remain the same no matter how much sun you get, even if you’re pale in the winter and tan in the summer. There are three different undertones - cool, warm, and neutral.^{[1]
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Research source} Knowing your skin tone can be helpful in many ways--it can help you choose the right lipstick color, figure out which hair color is most flattering, and know which colors you should wear to really look like a knockout.

Licensed Cosmetologist Laura Martin reminds: "The color of your hair and skin come from the same melanin pigments. There are two types, a reddish-yellow pigment (Pheomelanin) and a brown-black color (Eumelanin). The precise amount of each gives each person their particular hair and skin color."

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Finding Your Undertones

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Wash your face, then wait 15 minutes. Your skin should be clean and free of makeup, lotion, or toner. Your skin needs to rest for about 15 minutes before proceeding, as your skin may appear pink from scrubbing and make it difficult to see your true undertone.
2
Find a natural light source. Different lightbulbs can affect your skin differently--they may give it a yellow or green cast, and interfere with the appearance of your skin tone. Choosing a sunny spot to look for your undertones will prevent you from misjudging your undertones.
- Try sitting next to a window.
- If you have an outdoor seating area, go outside.
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Look at the color of the veins on the inside of your wrist. This is a quick way to determine your undertones if your veins are visible. Hold up your arm in the natural light and determine the predominant color.^{[2]
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- If you can't tell if your veins are green or blue, you may have a neutral skin tone. If you have an olive complexion, you likely fall into this category.^{[3]
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- If your veins appear green, you have a warm skin tone.^{[4]
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- If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool skin tone.^{[5]
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Consider how your skin normally reacts to the sun. Do you tan easily? Do you burn or get freckles? The amount of melanin in your skin determines how it reacts to sun exposure and can help you determine your skin tone.^{[6]
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- If you tan easily and rarely burn, you have more melanin and you likely have a warm or neutral skin tone.^{[7]
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- If your skin burns and doesn't tan, you have less melanin and therefore a cooler skin tone.^{[8]
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- Some women with very dark, ebony skin may not burn easily but still, have a cool skin tone. Try a few more tests to figure out your undertone.^{[9]
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EXPERT TIP

Paul Friedman, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist
Paul Friedman, MD, is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, and the Director and Founder of the Dermatology & Laser Surgery Center in Houston, Texas. He has over 25 years of experience and specializes in Mohs micrographic surgery, dermatologic laser surgery, and cosmetic dermatology. Dr. Friedman is the current President of the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery and was named by Newsweek Magazine as one of the Best Dermatologists in America for Laser Treatments. His awards include the Husk Prize for his research in dermatologic surgery and the Young Investigator's Writing Competition Award of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Dr. Friedman completed his dermatology residency at the New York University School of Medicine and received his medical degree with the highest honors from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine.

Paul Friedman, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist

Our Expert Agrees: Typically, as skin tone gets darker, it is less sensitive to exposure. However, other factors can cause photosensitivity, like certain medications or autoimmune conditions.
5
Hold a white piece of paper up to your face. Looking in a mirror, try to see how your skin looks in contrast to the white paper. It may appear to have a yellow cast, a blue-red or rosy cast, or it may not appear to be either, but a gray color instead.
- If your skin appears yellowish or sallow beside the white paper, you have a warm skin tone.
- If your skin appears pink, rosy, or blueish-red, then you have a cool skin tone.
- If your skin appears gray, your skin probably has an olive complexion with a neutral undertone. The green from your complexion and the yellowish undertone combines to create this effect.^{[10]
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  Research source} You can experiment with neutral and warm tones since you fall somewhere in between.^{[11]
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- If you can't determine any cast of yellow, olive, or pink, you have a neutral skin tone. Neutral tones can look good in foundations and colors on both ends of the cool/warm spectrum.^{[12]
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Use gold and silver foil or jewelry to find your skin tone. Hold a sheet of gold foil in front of your face so that it reflects light back on your skin. Note whether it makes your face look grayish or washed out, or if it enhances your skin. Then try with a sheet of silver foil.
- If the gold foil looks best, you have a warm skin tone.
- If the reflection from the silver foil makes your skin glow, you have a cool skin tone.
- If you don't notice a difference (both silver and gold are flattering), then you likely have a neutral skin tone.^{[13]
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- If you don't have gold or silver foil, try laying gold and silver jewelry on your wrist, and notice which one is more flattering.^{[14]
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7
Ask a friend to look at the skin behind your ear. If you have acne, rosacea, or another condition that might mask your skin tone, you can have a friend look at the skin directly behind the shell of your ear, as this area is less likely to be affected.
- Have them examine the skin right in the little crease behind your ear.
- If your skin is yellowish, then your skin tone is warm.
- If your skin is pink or rosy, then your skin tone is cool
- If they have difficulty, they can try holding a white piece of paper near the skin. That should help them see if it appears yellow or pink.
8
Look at your eye color. Your eye color can be a key to your undertones. Lighter eyes like blue and pale brown usually mean you have cool undertones, while gold flecks usually indicate warm undertones.
- For example, ice blue eyes usually mean you have cool skin, while honey brown eyes usually mean you have warm skin.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Choosing Your Lipstick

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1
Try blue- or purple-shaded lipstick colors if you have cool undertones. For example, choose bluish-red, magenta pink, or purplish-brown. Avoid oranges and colors that are too pale because they can wash you out.^{[15]
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- If you have fair or light skin, look for raspberry, mocha, or nudes, especially.^{[16]
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- If you have olive or tan skin, look for wine-colored shades or cranberry.
- If you have a dark or deep complexion, look for metallic shades in ruby red or a deep wine shade.^{[17]
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Choose reds and orangey colors if you have warm undertones. Great options include corals, peaches, and bright reds.^{[18]
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- If you have fair or light skin, try red with blue undertones (this will make your teeth look very white, too), coral, pale pink, or peachy nudes.^{[19]
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- If you have tan or medium skin, go for cherry red, rose, mauve, corals, or berry. Try tangerine, orange-red, copper, or bronze.^{[20]
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- If you have a dark or deep complexion, look for browns, copper, bronze, purples, caramel, plumb, or wine-colored lipsticks.^{[21]
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Play with color if you have neutral tones. If you have neutral undertones, most colors will look good on you.
- Try to play up your complexion by wearing darker, contrasting colors if you have pale skin, corals if you have olive or tan skin, and berry colors if you have dark skin.^{[22]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Selecting a Flattering Blush

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1
Pick a shade of pink if you have cool undertones. Pinks will complement the pink, red, and bluish hints in cool skin, bringing your skin to life.
- If you have fair or pale skin, try light pinks.^{[23]
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- If you have medium skin, try a bright pink shade.^{[24]
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- If you have deep or dark skin, try a berry shade. You may also look great in pink-tinted shades of tangerine.
2
Choose orange-based colors if you have warm undertones. Rich, warm colors like those typically used around fall are your best bet for glowing skin.
- If you have fair or pale skin, opt for light peaches.^{[25]
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  Research source} You can also try bronze shades.
- If you have medium or tan skin, try apricot, mauve, orange-peach, bronze, or berry shades.^{[26]
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- If your skin is deep or dark, try brick red, raisin, or tangerine.^{[27]
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  Research source} Fuchsia can also look great against your skin.
3
Play with color if you have neutral undertones. If you’re lucky enough to have neutral undertones, any shade of blush could look great on your skin. Try several shades to find out which one you like best.
- If you have pale skin, try pink shades.
- If you have medium skin, start with peachy colors.^{[28]
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- If you have dark skin, opt for deep, rich colors.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Choosing an Eyeshadow

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1
Look for colors that add warmth if you have cool undertones. If you go too icy, you can look washed out. Instead, add warmth to your features without creating too much contrast.
- If you have pale skin, try sheer shades of taupe, pinks, and greens.
- Try a pink or peach if you have medium skin.^{[29]
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- If you have dark or deep skin, look for bright shades like jewel tones that stand out against your skin.
2
Play up your warm undertones with rich shades. If you have warm undertones, bring them alive with deeper colors that enrich your tones.^{[30]
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- If you have pale skin, opt for earthy tones and bronze colors.
- If you have medium skin, try bronze, deep pinks, and peaches.
- If you have dark or deep skin, look for rich purples, bright blues, emerald greens, and burgundy.
3
Try out the whole palette if you have neutral undertones. Be adventurous if you have neutral undertones because any color could look great on your skin.
- If you have pale skin, play around with jewel tones, earth tones, and metallic shades.
- If you have a medium skin tone, play around with bronze, earth tones, pinks, and peaches.^{[31]
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- If you have deep or dark skin, play around with dark, jewel-tone shades.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Looking Your Best in Clothes

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1
Choose earth tones and deep colors if you have warm undertones. People with warm undertones should try neutrals, like beige, cream, orangey-coral, mustard, off-white, yellow, orange, brown, warm red, and yellow-greens.^{[32]
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- Incorporate gold and bronze into your look, especially when choosing jewelry.
2
Opt for blues and paler colors if you have cool undertones. People with cool undertones should try blue-red, blue, purple, pink, green, plum, navy, magenta, and blue-green.^{[33]
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- Look for silver shades in your clothing and choose silver jewelry.
3
Try any color if you have neutral undertones. If you have neutral undertones, you can draw from both groups. Most shades will flatter your skin.
- You can wear any metallic color when you have neutral undertones, including when choosing jewelry.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Picking the Best Hair Color

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1
Choose a shade of blond that contrasts your undertones. To ensure you don't look washed out, select a hair color that contrasts, rather than matches, your skin tone.
- Choose cool shades of blond like platinum or champagne if you have warm undertones.
- Choose warm shades like honey or butterscotch if you have cool undertones.
- Neutral undertones can work with any shade.^{[34]
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2
Play around with shades of brown. Brown hair can look great with any complexion, and it’s a lot easier to get the right shade.
- Warm undertones look best with ashy browns, especially with highlights added. Try a chestnut brown.
- Cool undertones look great with rich browns. Look for chocolate, and mocha browns.
- If you have a deep skin tone, look for a shade of brown that is either darker or lighter than your skin color, rather than one that is too similar. Warmer undertones will look great with deep blacks or espresso colors, while cooler tones will come alive with colors like toffee or maple brown.
- Neutral undertones can rock any shade of brown.^{[35]
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3
Stand out with a shade of red. If you pick the right shade of red, any complexion can wear it well. However, light skin most easily glows with a red shade.
- Those with pale skin and warm or neutral undertones can best wear light reds like strawberry blond.
- Pale skin with red undertones can look great with cool, dark reds like true red or dark auburn.
- Cool undertones also look great with dark auburn shades, no matter if your complexion is light, medium, or deep.
- If you have olive undertones, it’s best to avoid reds, as they can make your skin look greenish.^{[36]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you know what type of skin you have?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Skin type usually refers to how oily or dry the skin is. Dry skin looks poreless and is prone to wrinkling. Oily skin has larger pores and is prone to getting shiny and breaking out. Combination skin is a mixture of oily and dry or may be mostly problem-free.

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Question

Do I have a pink or yellow undertone?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

If you have a yellow undertone in your skin, your veins will appear greenish on the inside of your wrist. If you have pink undertones, your veins will look blue or even purplish.

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Question

How do you know if you have a warm or cool skin tone?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

If you have a warm skin tone you probably look good in warm colors like earth tones, red, yellow, etc. If you have a cool skin tone, you'll look good in cool colors like grey, blue, purple. etc.

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