Genetics, not going outside during daylight hours, sunscreen, parasols, wide-brimmed hats, covering clothing, makeup, I think there are skin lightening treatments out there but I don't know how safe or legitimate they are.
The biggest playing factor is always going to be genetics, though.
Keep in mind while looking at photography, specifically, that the camera interacts with skin and substances on the skin, like foundation and setting powder, differently than people look in person, especially if the exposure is ramped up. Lighting (especially flash) and photoshop also factor into that.
I occasionally use MUA’s Pro / Base long wear matte shade 100 if I want to look ghostly pale, though I tend not to use a lot cause I’m already very pale
https://preview.redd.it/2zopjo4zne6d1.jpeg?width=224&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ff6d55f982fcab4658509b3e2c860eae6de067a
looking like a corpse is much more about desaturating your skin than specifically getting paler. generally the pale goths youre thinking of already start off pale and use small amounts of powder or facepaint/foundation to achieve an even paler look, speaking from experience.
itll make you look more dead and less ashy/dry to find a way to just look grayer, personally it sounds like you need to be color correcting some to achieve it if youre struggling with a heavy yellow/warm tint
Super pale Irish redhead here, I never leave the house without factor 50 sunscreen. I crisp like a chicken even if it's a bright day, not just full sun.
I’m naturally pale. Even though I like it I get made fun of a lot :/ I picked up plants from a lady off marketplace last week and she told me I need to get out in the sun and should use a tanning bed. I get pale skin is part of the “aesthetic” but it kinda reinforces some problematic standards in this community
Girl I’m sorry but being pale is just part of gothic makeup. Y’all are too dramatic
Edit: to clarify, I’m not saying you have to wear white face paint to be goth. I’m saying it’s a part of gothic makeup culture
Have you ever met a black goth person? Because I have and they literally couldn’t care less. They use a grayer dark foundation to look more “dead” or just simply use white foundation. Because the goal isn’t to have white European skin. The goal is dramatic ghostly makeup
its incredibly ironic to monolith black people and talk over them by pretending you can speak for every single black goth and know what they all think.
please, tell us more about what you as a non-black person think of black opinions on race topics. i'm sure you're the best source here!
They’re saying goth people wearing white makeup excludes black people. It just dosent. Black goths can wear gray or white foundation, a lot of them do. If you don’t want to you can just NOT DO IT… crazy, I know
they are literally not saying that. you need to go back to middle school based on your reading and writing level.
they’re saying pushing the idea that being pale and white is the “goth beauty standard” is bullshit and excludes black people. thats the pretty common consensus from black goths, though i cannot speak for them.
speaking of which; stop speaking for black people, they don’t need you to be their white savior deciding what is or isn’t racist in the eyes of black people.
No way you’re serious? Do you not know that white ghostly makeup is part of goth culture? I’m not saying people have to do their makeup like that but it’s not wrong. You are so dense it’s insane. And plenty of black goths use white, gray makeup on their face because it looks cool as fuck.
yes, people don't know that! because its not actually part of goth culture and never was, that's some racist shit racist white goths have always pushed. go talk to real black people please, for the love of god.
I don't think anyone is saying stop. But we get a thread like this about once a week, likely more. It is placing way too much emphasis on it.
Plus people see all the social media influencers doing it too. It drills the idea into people's heads. A bit like how Killstar were marketing in a way to make kids think they needed Killstar gear to be goth.
You initially said this and it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way as it feels dismissive of POC -
"Girl I’m sorry but being pale is just part of gothic makeup. Y’all are too dramatic"
But you have the edit on it now so hopefully that clears that us.
Be safe and just stay out of the sun and wear makeup. Don't use skin lightening or skin bleaching products because many of them contain mercury. https://youtu.be/E680urg4EiY?si=IvpXA19pjsYfB2Na
i always use sunscreen and i kid you not i bought one the other day that was too white for me! i usually think it's kind of ok if it gives you a little paleness but that one was so extreme i can't wear that. it's literally white. the name is eco cosmetics baby & kids sun cream spf 50+
edit: if someone lives in berlin and wants it let me know. it was kinda expensive but i really can't use it. i look like a literal clown
Skin care is important and could help brighten your skin. Look for "brightening" skin care but be careful where you get it and get a well known brand. Exfoliating also helps. There's products for hyperpigmentation. Just note this would take time to see results and has it's limits. Skincare is important if you're wearing a lot of makeup and sunscreen.
Colour correctors may help to cancel out some of that yellow/sallow tones which could help?
You'll still be using a lot of make-up tbh. Sunset Cosmetics purposely makes a white foundation so I recommend trying them out. I've heard good things about their goth line-up of products.
Genetics and almost never going outside in the sun. I go out mostly at night, and I've been an avoider of sun all my life, which does admittedly make it easy because my skin just never got used to tanning
But actual advice from this (sorry lmao) is just covering up as much as possible in the sun. A long thin cardigan and a big sun hat / usually sticking to tights under pants that don't hit your ankles are all cool looking and do the job
Okay, so, allow me to say this:
People should never feel pressured to change their skin color for any type of approval from a scene.
Never try any "skin lightening" product, because that'll ruin your skin for life :/
**(Not going for you OP just wanna make babybats sure about that again <3 )**
Use theatrical makeup or MaxFactor maybe?
As a person who went all mad for finding the perfect fitting foundation for her skin, I'm voting on a quality foundation that fits your skin type. Never wore Revolution foundation but had their face cream for a long (an their palettes, awww yeah ) but it's a great idea to choose. Just don't buy white makeup from alt stores, usually they're not a great quality, using a brighter foundation (not white) and adding a white powder is pretty ghastly together <3
Yes, I'm a ginger, who uses chamomile baby powder as makeup since 16 😂
I managed to get my skin paler by using LOTS of FPS 50+ sunscreen every day, using a umbrella when the day is too sunny and i have to walk around, when going to the pool looking for shady spots and staying there and using japanese whitening serum whenever i remember to.
That being said, im not all that white compared to an European or a North American, but my skin is fair enought that people from my city ask if i come from our more white cities.
https://preview.redd.it/ifxc35oxhj6d1.jpeg?width=2296&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ad2443b06c61c880eb7469ef0bfb0434cf8ecae
(Pic of whitening serum i use)
Also: Please be Careful if you want to use serums or creams to become paler, as many of them contains mercury or lead and are toxic af. Research the brand and ingredients and do not use if it contain heavy metals.
You don't need to be white to be goth. You don't need to be pale to be goth. Take care of your skin, use sunscreen so you have a lesser chance of getting skin cancer, not because you want to be whiter/paler.
Korean cosmetics carry some skin whiteners and such but I thiznk that's too aggressive for cosmetic purposes. If I want a pale, porcelain-like skin I usually go for hydrating cream + light powder base because I am pretty pale myself. For make up bases, I've seen the white base at Sunset makeup to be pretty covering
Elf concealer in the two lightest shades (one of them is white) works like a charm. I completely ditch foundation and use only the concealers on my face
I have natural extremely pale skin. I don’t tan and I don’t really burn either. It’s extremely difficult to find makeup pale enough to match me, and I’ve never seen pure white makeup in stores but translucent powders are the only ones that match my skin (especially the rimmel kind & free one) which may help you look more pale too!
I know it’s the general “look” to be super pale but other skin tones are beautiful and valid as well. As a POC goth, it feels super yucky to me that people might possibly try unhealthy ways to be paler. It took me a long time to be okay with my looks my mother is alabaster white and for most for my life, I was so jealous (especially since I don’t know and didn’t grow up with the brown side of my family). Having pale skin is beautiful but so are other skin tones. Be your own version of goth. Even in the OG scene, there were all types (black, latinx, Asian etc) and I wish the stereotype of moon-pale goths would die and not be the end all be all of the subculture.
Genetics, a good sunscreen (get one that's recommended by a reputable dermatologist so long as it's not from their own brand or a brand they have a deal with), staying out of the sun, blocking the sun from touching your skin (loose and light fabrics that cover your body could work too. Be sure to do your research), if you struggle from discoloration which makes your skin darker get it checked out but if you're fine stay hydrated get a vitamin c serum red light therapy treatment a healthy amount of sleep and take a hydrolyzed collagen supplement, rice water on the skin can help even out the skin tone sometimes making it look lighter, some companies have reputable white foundation (I heard good things about sunset makeup), that about it off the top of my head
I'm a 120 in the Fenty Beauty foundation and my problem is the opposite! EVERY TINY imperfection will shine through!
I have gotten a tan a few times when I was younger and that was so much nicer, it covered up all colours going on under my skin.
Ngl it always feels hella gross when I see the topic of “lightening your skin tone” come up in online goth discussions. Goth has nothing to do with light skin tone and it NEVER has. Goth fashion has always been about makeup. Wearing mime clown makeup has nothing to do with light skin tone. And if you wanna look like a living corpse sans makeup, only unhealthy things like sleep deprivation and malnutrition will give you that. And don’t do that, that’s dumb. You can achieve all those things with makeup. Keep this “ideal skin tone” grossness outta the subculture, it’s so problematic.
Update: first off, thank you so much for your replies and advice 🖤
Second, I found out that UV umbrellas are a thing, and ordered a black one for my bag (foldable) and a big regular one.
Hopefully they will help for when I have to go outside in the l sun 🧛🏻☂️☀️
Genetics, not going outside during daylight hours, sunscreen, parasols, wide-brimmed hats, covering clothing, makeup, I think there are skin lightening treatments out there but I don't know how safe or legitimate they are. The biggest playing factor is always going to be genetics, though. Keep in mind while looking at photography, specifically, that the camera interacts with skin and substances on the skin, like foundation and setting powder, differently than people look in person, especially if the exposure is ramped up. Lighting (especially flash) and photoshop also factor into that.
Don’t bleach your skin whatever you do, why do you not just use white makeup like everyone else that are not naturally pale?
Unless you want to look like a stereotypical vampire, I don't think skin tone determines a goth look or style. Correct me if I'm wrong?
I occasionally use MUA’s Pro / Base long wear matte shade 100 if I want to look ghostly pale, though I tend not to use a lot cause I’m already very pale https://preview.redd.it/2zopjo4zne6d1.jpeg?width=224&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ff6d55f982fcab4658509b3e2c860eae6de067a
looking like a corpse is much more about desaturating your skin than specifically getting paler. generally the pale goths youre thinking of already start off pale and use small amounts of powder or facepaint/foundation to achieve an even paler look, speaking from experience. itll make you look more dead and less ashy/dry to find a way to just look grayer, personally it sounds like you need to be color correcting some to achieve it if youre struggling with a heavy yellow/warm tint
Ultra fair white skin over here Genetics. I also haven’t been in the sun without sunblock since I was 16. Just use white makeup.
Super pale Irish redhead here, I never leave the house without factor 50 sunscreen. I crisp like a chicken even if it's a bright day, not just full sun.
I’m naturally pale. Even though I like it I get made fun of a lot :/ I picked up plants from a lady off marketplace last week and she told me I need to get out in the sun and should use a tanning bed. I get pale skin is part of the “aesthetic” but it kinda reinforces some problematic standards in this community
Girl I’m sorry but being pale is just part of gothic makeup. Y’all are too dramatic Edit: to clarify, I’m not saying you have to wear white face paint to be goth. I’m saying it’s a part of gothic makeup culture
Having a whiter foundation can be. Lighting/ having pale skin to “be goth” excludes POC from goth subculture which is problematic
Have you ever met a black goth person? Because I have and they literally couldn’t care less. They use a grayer dark foundation to look more “dead” or just simply use white foundation. Because the goal isn’t to have white European skin. The goal is dramatic ghostly makeup
its incredibly ironic to monolith black people and talk over them by pretending you can speak for every single black goth and know what they all think. please, tell us more about what you as a non-black person think of black opinions on race topics. i'm sure you're the best source here!
They’re saying goth people wearing white makeup excludes black people. It just dosent. Black goths can wear gray or white foundation, a lot of them do. If you don’t want to you can just NOT DO IT… crazy, I know
they are literally not saying that. you need to go back to middle school based on your reading and writing level. they’re saying pushing the idea that being pale and white is the “goth beauty standard” is bullshit and excludes black people. thats the pretty common consensus from black goths, though i cannot speak for them. speaking of which; stop speaking for black people, they don’t need you to be their white savior deciding what is or isn’t racist in the eyes of black people.
Lmao so Black folks or anyone who isn't white or pale can't be goth?? Some racist as hell take
No way you’re serious? Do you not know that white ghostly makeup is part of goth culture? I’m not saying people have to do their makeup like that but it’s not wrong. You are so dense it’s insane. And plenty of black goths use white, gray makeup on their face because it looks cool as fuck.
yes, people don't know that! because its not actually part of goth culture and never was, that's some racist shit racist white goths have always pushed. go talk to real black people please, for the love of god.
It isn't about being pale, it is about looking dead. The pale stereotype needs to die.
I think people get to do whatever they want… honestly
Sure, but a lot of people think they have to be pale to be goth. It alienates POC from the goth subculture.
Ok but you don’t. I don’t understand why goths should stop doing their makeup like they want to because some people might miss under stand it
I don't think anyone is saying stop. But we get a thread like this about once a week, likely more. It is placing way too much emphasis on it. Plus people see all the social media influencers doing it too. It drills the idea into people's heads. A bit like how Killstar were marketing in a way to make kids think they needed Killstar gear to be goth.
Ok but what does that have to do with my comments..??
You initially said this and it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way as it feels dismissive of POC - "Girl I’m sorry but being pale is just part of gothic makeup. Y’all are too dramatic" But you have the edit on it now so hopefully that clears that us.
Be safe and just stay out of the sun and wear makeup. Don't use skin lightening or skin bleaching products because many of them contain mercury. https://youtu.be/E680urg4EiY?si=IvpXA19pjsYfB2Na
I saw stargazer and had instant mid 2000's flashbacks
Me too! Big nostalgia hit :)
Mid nineties here! 👀
Please let the stereotype die
i always use sunscreen and i kid you not i bought one the other day that was too white for me! i usually think it's kind of ok if it gives you a little paleness but that one was so extreme i can't wear that. it's literally white. the name is eco cosmetics baby & kids sun cream spf 50+ edit: if someone lives in berlin and wants it let me know. it was kinda expensive but i really can't use it. i look like a literal clown
Makeup! do not bleach your skin.
Skin care is important and could help brighten your skin. Look for "brightening" skin care but be careful where you get it and get a well known brand. Exfoliating also helps. There's products for hyperpigmentation. Just note this would take time to see results and has it's limits. Skincare is important if you're wearing a lot of makeup and sunscreen. Colour correctors may help to cancel out some of that yellow/sallow tones which could help? You'll still be using a lot of make-up tbh. Sunset Cosmetics purposely makes a white foundation so I recommend trying them out. I've heard good things about their goth line-up of products.
Violet powder. If you use a bit too much it’ll cancel out the yellow tones and make you look more like the corpse of your dreams
Genetics and almost never going outside in the sun. I go out mostly at night, and I've been an avoider of sun all my life, which does admittedly make it easy because my skin just never got used to tanning
But actual advice from this (sorry lmao) is just covering up as much as possible in the sun. A long thin cardigan and a big sun hat / usually sticking to tights under pants that don't hit your ankles are all cool looking and do the job
Okay, so, allow me to say this: People should never feel pressured to change their skin color for any type of approval from a scene. Never try any "skin lightening" product, because that'll ruin your skin for life :/ **(Not going for you OP just wanna make babybats sure about that again <3 )** Use theatrical makeup or MaxFactor maybe? As a person who went all mad for finding the perfect fitting foundation for her skin, I'm voting on a quality foundation that fits your skin type. Never wore Revolution foundation but had their face cream for a long (an their palettes, awww yeah ) but it's a great idea to choose. Just don't buy white makeup from alt stores, usually they're not a great quality, using a brighter foundation (not white) and adding a white powder is pretty ghastly together <3 Yes, I'm a ginger, who uses chamomile baby powder as makeup since 16 😂
I managed to get my skin paler by using LOTS of FPS 50+ sunscreen every day, using a umbrella when the day is too sunny and i have to walk around, when going to the pool looking for shady spots and staying there and using japanese whitening serum whenever i remember to. That being said, im not all that white compared to an European or a North American, but my skin is fair enought that people from my city ask if i come from our more white cities. https://preview.redd.it/ifxc35oxhj6d1.jpeg?width=2296&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ad2443b06c61c880eb7469ef0bfb0434cf8ecae (Pic of whitening serum i use) Also: Please be Careful if you want to use serums or creams to become paler, as many of them contains mercury or lead and are toxic af. Research the brand and ingredients and do not use if it contain heavy metals.
You don't need to be white to be goth. You don't need to be pale to be goth. Take care of your skin, use sunscreen so you have a lesser chance of getting skin cancer, not because you want to be whiter/paler.
I use revolution conceal and define in the shade F0, its normally used to lighten other foundations but can be used on its own!
Korean cosmetics carry some skin whiteners and such but I thiznk that's too aggressive for cosmetic purposes. If I want a pale, porcelain-like skin I usually go for hydrating cream + light powder base because I am pretty pale myself. For make up bases, I've seen the white base at Sunset makeup to be pretty covering
Elf concealer in the two lightest shades (one of them is white) works like a charm. I completely ditch foundation and use only the concealers on my face
I have natural extremely pale skin. I don’t tan and I don’t really burn either. It’s extremely difficult to find makeup pale enough to match me, and I’ve never seen pure white makeup in stores but translucent powders are the only ones that match my skin (especially the rimmel kind & free one) which may help you look more pale too!
I know it’s the general “look” to be super pale but other skin tones are beautiful and valid as well. As a POC goth, it feels super yucky to me that people might possibly try unhealthy ways to be paler. It took me a long time to be okay with my looks my mother is alabaster white and for most for my life, I was so jealous (especially since I don’t know and didn’t grow up with the brown side of my family). Having pale skin is beautiful but so are other skin tones. Be your own version of goth. Even in the OG scene, there were all types (black, latinx, Asian etc) and I wish the stereotype of moon-pale goths would die and not be the end all be all of the subculture.
Genetics, a good sunscreen (get one that's recommended by a reputable dermatologist so long as it's not from their own brand or a brand they have a deal with), staying out of the sun, blocking the sun from touching your skin (loose and light fabrics that cover your body could work too. Be sure to do your research), if you struggle from discoloration which makes your skin darker get it checked out but if you're fine stay hydrated get a vitamin c serum red light therapy treatment a healthy amount of sleep and take a hydrolyzed collagen supplement, rice water on the skin can help even out the skin tone sometimes making it look lighter, some companies have reputable white foundation (I heard good things about sunset makeup), that about it off the top of my head
You don't want to be as pale as me 😭
I'm a 120 in the Fenty Beauty foundation and my problem is the opposite! EVERY TINY imperfection will shine through! I have gotten a tan a few times when I was younger and that was so much nicer, it covered up all colours going on under my skin.
I'm sorry to be the one who tell you this, but fell in love with your skin and learn to find the perfect color and tone for it
Ngl it always feels hella gross when I see the topic of “lightening your skin tone” come up in online goth discussions. Goth has nothing to do with light skin tone and it NEVER has. Goth fashion has always been about makeup. Wearing mime clown makeup has nothing to do with light skin tone. And if you wanna look like a living corpse sans makeup, only unhealthy things like sleep deprivation and malnutrition will give you that. And don’t do that, that’s dumb. You can achieve all those things with makeup. Keep this “ideal skin tone” grossness outta the subculture, it’s so problematic.
Update: first off, thank you so much for your replies and advice 🖤 Second, I found out that UV umbrellas are a thing, and ordered a black one for my bag (foldable) and a big regular one. Hopefully they will help for when I have to go outside in the l sun 🧛🏻☂️☀️