Tan skin tone is amongst the most beautiful skin tones in the world. But what exactly is a tan skin tone? In simple terms, the skin type that tans easily without burning is known to have a tan skin tone.
If you too have a tan skin tone, read this article to find out about the right makeup and beauty tips that can help you look radiant and youthful.
Key Takeaways
The Fitzpatrick scale is a skin tone chart that divides skin color into 6 different categories ranging from very fair to dark skin tones. From these categories, tan skin tone is one of the most sought-after skin colors in the world. Here are some interesting facts about this skin color:
- A tan skin tone is also known as a medium skin tone.
- People with tan skin tone usually have olive undertones.
- Melanin in your skin decides the brown color of your tan skin tone.
- People with the tan skin shades do not age easily nor get fine wrinkle lines.
- It is very easy to get a wide range of skincare products for tan skin tones.
What Exactly Is Tan Skin Tone?

The word tan is derived from the ancient Latin word Tannum, which translates to oak bark. Previously, oak bark was among the things used to tan leather items. The word tan was not used to define a type of color until 1950.
The trend of getting tan is increasing significantly in the western and northern countries. This is due to the reason that their main population is of light skin tones. In the earlier days, when a vacation to tropical islands was a luxury, tan skin was a sign of richness.
On the other hand, Asian countries or Latin America, where people have naturally tan skin tone, prefer light skin. This is because rich people did not have to do any labor in the sun and thus had light skin.
The modern world is seeing the problem with this concept, and hence tan skin tone is getting more positive recognition worldwide.
According to the Fitzpatrick scale, tan skin tone lies between scale 3 to scale 5. This range of skin tones is also known as light tan skin tone to dark tan skin tone.
If you are unsure about your skin tone, look at the skin on the inner side of your arm or your jawline. These places do not get high sun exposure and hence can give an accurate color of your natural skin.
If your skin looks pale with a hint of blue or cool undertones, you have fair skin. Such a person’s skin burns easily in the sun and thus is advised to apply a heavy dose of sunscreen even when it is not sunny outside.
You have a tan skin tone if your jawline has yellow undertones and your skin tans instead of burning in the light of the sun.
If your skin will rarely burn or get tan, you have darker skin tones. The most common undertone of dark skin is yellow or olive undertones.
Celebrities With Tan Skin Tone
If you are unsure about the tan color, look at a few examples of celebrities that can help determine your skin tone:
1. Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer is a famous singer and actress with a beautiful tan skin tone. This is one of the reasons she looks younger than the people her age.
2. Kim Kardashian
Kim has a flawless tan skin tone which she perfectly pairs with the right shades of clothing to look fabulous at all times.
How to Lighten Tanned Skin?
If you like fair skin color or want to even out tan lines caused by wearing flip-flops to the beach, follow these easy home remedies.
Take the juice of half a lemon and honey. Natural bleach in the lemon can lighten your tan skin tone, and honey will keep the skin moisturized.
You can also use aloe vera gel. Aloe has soothing and brightening properties. Along with some lemon juice, aloe can bring down your tan skin tone a few shades.
Top Colors That Best Suit Tan Skin Tone

Another reason to get a tan either naturally or in a tanning salon is that tan skin tone can wear almost any color that will suit their tan skin tone. If you are a natural tan, then here are some color suggestions that can help you give a beautiful glow.
Say yes to these colors
Starting with your clothing options, wear the shades of yellow, orange, or red. These bright contrasting colors will make your tan skin look vibrant.
Another great option is to go with earthy colors like olive green or muddy brown. This will complement your olive undertone and blend seamlessly with your tan skin tone.
Your wardrobe can also benefit from different hues of tan, gray, red, or maroon.
If you want to add a little shine to your clothing, go with metallic colors with a hint of yellow in them, like copper, bronze, or gold. Similarly, wear gold-tinted jewelry to make your tan skin stand out.
If we talk about hair colors, the perfect color can bring out a radiant glow on your tan skin. Try the colors in the shade of brown. Chocolate or caramel brown can be your top picks. If you want to try something brighter, dye your dark hair in the shades of burgundy, honey, or silver.
To break it down in simple words: choose bright colors that will create a contrast with your warm tan skin.
Avoid these colors
The only color categories that a person with tan skin tone should avoid are shades of purple or blue. These are darker colors that can make your tan skin look paler and dull. Silver jewelry only looks good on people with a cool undertone. It will make people with warm shades of skin look darker, and blonde hair color will look unnatural.
Makeup Tips for Tan Skin Tone
Always start your makeup with a good base product that can blend seamlessly with various other makeup products. Here are some easy beauty tips:
1. Primer
The primer is the first thing you apply after you apply your face serum. Primer does not have any color in itself, but it decides the overall look of your face makeup. If you want a glistening fresh out of the shower look, go for a primer with sheen. If you are a person with oily skin, go for a matte finish primer. If you skip this step, your end result can look cakey and rough.
2. Foundation
It is necessary to choose the right foundation as per your tan skin tone. If you have a warm undertone, then go for a foundation with a tint of yellow to blend evenly with your surface color.
To effortlessly blend your makeup evenly, take a few drops of foundation and mix it with a wet beauty blender in a dabbing motion.
3. Concealer
Gone are the days when beauty gurus advised applying concealer in the shape of an inverted triangle under the eye. Nowadays, less is more. Apply only thin lines of concealer to hide the dark circles.
If you want to hide any red rashes or acne, apply a concealer with a green base to cancel out the redness. Likewise, neutralize that with a purple base concealer if you have yellow uneven acne spots.
4. Blush
Strictly avoid light pink blush colors on tan skin tone, making you look unnatural. Always apply blush with warm tones like rosy red or orange shades.
To look more youthful, apply blush on the apple of your cheekbones and across the bridge of your nose. To get a lifted look, apply blush in an upward and backward direction towards your eye.
5. Eye Shadow
No look is complete without eye makeup. Buy an eye shadow with a color palette that has only warm shades like sunny yellow, bright orange, pink, brown, or gold. These eye shadow colors will mix with your tan skin tone beautifully.
You can also buy colorful eyeliners to spice up your eye makeup.
6. Highlighter
People with golden undertones should always select gold highlighters. Cautiously apply it to your cheekbones, eyebrow bone, and your face’s high points like the tip of the nose or the chin.
Be careful while applying a highlighter. They give you a radiant glow but do not go overboard.
7. Face powder
To perfectly mix all the elements of your makeup, you need to use face powder. It will act as a protective layer on your skin while setting everything under it.
These come in the shade of light, medium, and dark tan. First, dip the brush in the powder and then gently apply it to your face.
8. Lipstick
Lipstick is the last thing you apply during a makeup routine. Never forget to apply gentle lip scrub on your lips to avoid flakiness. Prep your hair beforehand with a lip primer or foundation and use warm colors like red, brown, coral pink, wine, or orange-red.
Skin Care Tips for Tan Skin Tone
Even though there are many benefits of having a tan skin tone, this does not mean you can skip skincare. Here we present a very basic beauty routine that can help you get dark spots free skin.
1. Cleanser
Use a gentle foaming cleanser twice a day to clean all the dust and oil accumulated on your skin throughout the day. First, clean it using a micellar water makeup remover if you have makeup on.
Recommended cleanser: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser
This is a great face wash for normal to dry sensitive skin on a daily basis. While washing, a cream cleanser helps the skin maintain crucial moisture. It helps remove makeup, grime, and pollutants from the face and eyes gently while keeping the skin’s natural protective barrier and pH. Skin is left feeling moisturized and fresh. Prebiotic Thermal Water, Ceramide-3, Niacinamide, and Glycerin help fight acne or other irritants like insect bites. It’s safe to apply around the eyes.
2. Moisturizer
People with tan color can have dry or oily skin. Nonetheless, moisturizing is essential for every skin type. Dry skin cracks without moisturizer, and oily skin will produce more oil if you do not apply moisturizer.
Recommended moisturizer: CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
This sunscreen is packed with micro-fine zinc oxide for UVA/UVB protection. This CeraVe SPF moisturizer distributes efficiently, absorbs rapidly, and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. Apply Cerave AM facial lotion after other products have been thoroughly absorbed if layering with an eye cream, moisturizer, or facial serum. The Hyaluronic Acid in this product helps retain moisture in the skin, while Niacinamide helps relax it. MVE Technology keeps you hydrated all day. Ceramides (1, 3, 6-II) are used in the formulation to create a protective hydrating layer.
3. Exfoliator
Exfoliation twice a week is necessary to maintain a healthy glow. Do not over-exfoliate as it will make your skin crusty resulting in breakouts.
Recommended exfoliator: Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Exfoliating Daily Facial Scrub
This gentle scrub cleanses while also helping to improve your skin tone and texture, resulting in softer, brighter skin. This product is soap-free and hypoallergenic, and it comes from a dermatologist-recommended skincare line. It’s gentle enough for everyday use and non-comedogenic so that it won’t clog your pores. It’s made with jojoba and castor oils suitable for sensitive skin. It provides you with smoother, more even-toned skin.
4. Dark spots correction products
Any irritants like cuts, bruises, insect bites, or acne can cause a melanin deposit on your skin. You can use spot corrector creams for your face to reverse this process.
Recommended dark spots corrector: No products found.
This serum is formulated with intensive tan skin tone correcting technology, including a powerful anti-irritant boosting compound and advanced anti-spot ingredients. 4-Butylresorcinol, Kojic Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, and Morinda Citrifolia extract help spot reduction. This serum is vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free and works beautifully for men and women with all skin types. This dark spot remover boosts the skin’s natural radiance right away.
No products found.
5. Sunscreen
Applying sunscreen is very necessary every day, no matter if you stay inside or go outside your home. It protects you from harmful sun damage that further causes early aging and uneven skin tone.
Recommended sunscreen: Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen
It gives invisible, broad-spectrum coverage and maximum UVA protection. This clear sunscreen lotion is lightweight and moisturizing, and it blends in seamlessly with tan skin tone. It soothes and cools sun-damaged skin while also leaving a delicate, dewy finish. Ingredients that are both safe and effective. Zinc oxide helps to protect the skin’s outer layer by reflecting harmful UVA/UVB rays. Squalane, derived from sugarcane, moisturizes deeply and quickly, while water lily soothes and cools the skin.
Conclusion
To recap, tan skin shade usually looks excellent in colors with warm undertones like brown, yellow, or red. Makeup with golden tones best suits this skin shade. Never forget a primer base to blend your makeup flawlessly.
Do not forget that it is always better to embrace your natural skin tone by taking good care of it. Never forget to wear sunblock, and our recommendation will be Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen.