How are Indian skin tones and undertones different from the rest of the world?

It’s likely that more often than not, you’ve headed to a makeup counter by an international brand, and not found the right foundation shade for your “Indian skin tone”. While that is changing today, it’s a slow process wherein local and global brands are more inclusive, accommodating the vast sphere of Indian skin tones and undertones. Here, we dive into how they differ from the rest of the world, and how you can correctly identify yours.

In this article

What are Indian skin tones?

“Indian skin is much thicker and blessed with more melanin formation that protects us from sunburns and skin rashes but is prone to tanning,” explains Dr. Geetika Mittal Gupta, celebrity cosmetic dermatologist, and founder, ISAAC LUXE. “The melanin formation in our body corresponds to both UV radiation and our colour constitution.” Globally, the Fitzpatrick scale — a measure of how your skin reacts to the sun — is used to determine skin tones ranging from Type I(1) to Type VI(6), or fair to dark, respectively. “While Indian skin complexions are collectively presumed to be wheatish, our spectra extends to both the sides of Fitzpatrick scale from Type 3 to Type 6,” says Dr. Gupta. Indian complexions vary greatly across the country. “While some places might have a smaller range of skin tones, India’s got this whole spectrum thanks to its diverse genetics and climate,” adds Dr. Chytra V Anand, celebrity cosmetic dermatologist, and founder, Kosmoderma.

What are Indian skin undertones?

“Undertone is basically the subtle hue that lies beneath the skin surface, is permanent and doesn't change on melanin deposition unlike skin tones,” says Dr. Gupta. Indian skin undertones are either warm, cool or neutral. Dr. Anand explains: “Warm undertones might have a bit of yellow, gold, or peach to them. Cool undertones can show hints of blue or pink. Neutral is a mix of both. We tend to have this lovely golden or olive vibe, which means warm undertones are pretty common.”

How to understand your skin’s undertone

According to the experts, there are four ways to determine your skin’s undertone.

• The veins test:“Blue or purple veins depict a cool undertone, greenish veins are inclined towards warm undertones and if the colour of veins is not identifiable then it depicts a neutral undertone,” says Dr. Gupta.
• The veins test:The jewellery test “If gold jewellery looks great on you, you might have warm undertones. If silver’s your thing, cool undertones could be the reason. If both work, you’re likely neutral,” says Dr. Anand.
• The wardrobe test:What’s in your closet can help you determine your skin’s undertone. According to Dr. Gupta, you have cool undertones if colours like blue suit you, warm undertones if shades like yellow work for you and a neutral undertone if every shade looks good on you.
• The white paper test:Dr. Anand suggests holding a white paper next to your face in natural light. If your skin looks more yellow or golden, you’ve got warm undertones. If it seems rosy or bluish, those are cool undertones. A mix suggests neutral.

Buying makeup for Indian skin tones

It’s very important to understand your skin tone and undertone when buying your base makeup — it can make or break your look. Indian skin tones can often look ashy in makeup formulas that have been developed keeping primarily white skin with cool tones in mind. “Your skin tone is your natural skin colour and your undertone is the radiance or hue that shines from within the skin. Keeping a balance between both helps you to choose products that clarify your features and give you the perfect makeup finish,” advises Dr. Gupta. The secret to the right foundation that blends seamlessly is a colour that matches your skin tone and undertone. “If you get it right, your skin looks naturally flawless. If not, it can look a bit off — too orange or ashy,” warns Dr. Anand. Makeup brands often have an ‘N’, ‘C’ or ‘W’ next to their shade names, corresponding to the undertone, making the selection process a tad bit easier. Worth keeping in mind the next time you’re indulging in a beauty haul.