How to Edit Skin Tones In Lightroom in 2025
Written by: Alexa StarrLast updated: 12/2/24
Our presets are created for all skin tones, including dark skin.
In the rare event that the presets slightly alter your skin tone, you'll want to adjust the orange bar.
The orange bar is where skin tones fall.
You may find that the presets work perfectly, or you may find that the skin is slightly too dark, too light, or too orange.
If adjustments need to be made to the skin tone, I highly recommend adjusting the orange luminance and the orange saturation sliders ever so slightly!
To get to the orange bar on the free Lightroom mobile app, you'll click the Color tab, which is located in the bottom menu where you see the crop, light, presets, etc. tabs.
Once you click color, you will click the Color Wheel Icon next to Mix.
From there, you'll click the Orange Circle.
Orange Luminance:
The lower (-) the orange luminance, the darker and more tan skin will look, resulting in a natural look.
The higher (+) the orange luminance, the lighter and brighter skin will look, resulting in a perfect skin tone.
Orange Saturation:
If the area of skin tone is too orange, you may want to make minor adjustments to lower (-) the orange saturation in the saturation section of the HSL panel.
Be careful with the orange saturation slider!
If you slide too low, you’ll lose all skin tones; if you slide too high, the skin will look too orange!
A Tutorial on How to Use Presets for Editing Magic!
A tutorial on using presets for editing magic would involve selecting a preset that suits your style and applying it to your photo.
You can then adjust the settings to fine-tune the effect.
Experiment with different presets until you find one that works best for your photo.
Remember, presets are a great starting point, but always adjust as needed to achieve your desired results.
How to Edit Skin Tones in Lightroom?
Lightroom is an excellent tool for editing skin tones, and there are several ways to achieve the desired result.
One of the best ways is to use the HSL panel to adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of specific colors in your image.
Another method is to use the Color Grading panel, which allows you to adjust the overall color balance of your image.
Additionally, you can use the Tone Curve panel to fine-tune specific areas of your photo or use presets designed specifically for skin tones.
Experimenting with these different techniques can help you find the best way to edit skin tones in Lightroom that suits your style and preferences.
MORE ON USING THE LIGHTROOM (LR) APP
Using the Lightroom app is a great way to edit the look of your photos in one place and gives you options to make smart adjustments to your photo.
There are some tricks you need to know to use the app and enjoy the result of presets smoothly, and that is what I will show you today!
In this tutorial, you will learn how to use Lightroom to its fullest potential with editing lr.
One of the features of Lightroom is the ability to adjust the RGB values of your photos, giving you even more control over the final look of your images.
With Lightroom's workflow, you can easily make adjustments to your photos and create stunning images.
STEP 1. CHECK THE LIGHT TOOL
Inside your Light tool, you will find multiple adjustments that will drastically correct the aspect of your skin, including the adjustment brush.
- EXPOSURE: You need to set a proper exposure for your photo to have correct lighting, not too light, not too dark adjust it so that it is natural
- CONTRAST: Too much contrast will not look nice on your skin, especially if you have imperfections; not enough contrast will give you a flat affect
- HIGHLIGHTS: Correct the highlights to control the brightness of the photo; you want it to look natural. This is also a way to add glow to your skin. softly
- SHADOWS: If you set the shadows to low, you will not have enough details on your skin; not enough shadows are not nice on your skin. You need to have the structure on your face with some delimitation. The shadows will give you this effect. If they are too strong, just slightly lift them to get information back
- WHITES / BLACKS: Play a role in the general aspect of the photo and, therefore, your skin tone as well. If the photo still looks too light or too dark correct these functions.
STEP 2. CHECK THE COLOR TOOL SLIDER
Your color tool will focus on general and specific adjustments of the tones in your photo, including hue saturation luminance and tone curve, the HSL panel, and the color channel.
One specific adjustment that can be made is the red curve, which can enhance or reduce the number of red tones in your photo.
Another specific adjustment that can be made is the blue curve, which can enhance or reduce the number of blue tones in your photo.
- TEMPERATURE: Regulate your general white balance here, is your photo too blue/cold? Too yellow/warm? Adjust it to a natural ambiance.
- TINT: Pay attention to the photo and look if it has a pinkish undertone or a greenish aspect. Adjust slightly if needed.
- VIBRANCE: Vibrance is a smart color adjustment tool. A preset car removes Vibrance in its settings or boosts it, which will affect your skin tone. Make sure the amount of color on your skin is natural, not grey, and not flashy.
- SATURATION: This tool boosts all the photos' colors equally; if your photo still looks dull or too colorful, adjust the saturation. You can also balance out the vibrance by lowering the saturation.
STEP 3. USE THE MIX TOOL (SATURATION/LUMINANCE/HSL/RGB/TINT/VIBRANCE)
Inside your color tool, you have an easy way to MIX colors; open it, and you will be able to regulate how each color individually appears on your photo.
Your skin tone issues, light skin color, are handled by the app under the Orange color and slightly with red and sometimes a bit of yellow.
Additionally, you can adjust the tint sliders and white balance sliders to further fine-tune the colors in your photo.
- Open the Orange color and discover the HSL (Hue - Saturation - Luminance) of the orange color.
- HUE shifts the selected color to its next color in the color spectrum. You will be able to turn the orange to Yellow or Red on the opposite side. This will affect your skin tone a lot. If you look pinkish or green, the Hue will help you correct this.
- SATURATION: If the orange tones are highly saturated in your preset, this will make you look color-block orange, soften the effect for a natural saturation of the skin, and make sure not to remove too much; otherwise, you will look grey.
- LUMINANCE will add white or black to your color. Turn it up to have fair skin. Turn it down to look tan. It's the best tool to adjust skin tone and what will make a huge difference in your photo.
- Open the red tones
- Make sure the Red luminance is not too high. This causes your lips to disappear usually.
- Control the flush on your cheeks with saturation and luminance.
- Fade the pigmentation with the luminance of the red and saturation, don't overdo it, or you will have grey spots on your face.
- If you still need correction, check the yellow tones and adjust the HSL of the yellow
Is there an app that changes skin color?
Popular apps for changing skin color in photos:
- FaceTune
- PicsArt
- Photoshop Express
- YouCam Perfect
- BeautyPlus
- Snow
- B612
- Perfect365
Most photo editing apps with beauty filters include skin tone adjustment features.
How to change skin tone in photo?
Steps to change skin tone in a photo:
Using Photoshop:
- Open the image
- Create a new Selective Color adjustment layer
- Select "Neutrals" from the dropdown menu
- Adjust the Yellow and Magenta sliders
- Fine-tune using the Cyan and Black sliders
- If needed, mask areas you don't want affected
Using Lightroom:
- Open the image
- Go to HSL panel
- Adjust Orange and Red hues
- Fine-tune using Saturation and Luminance
- Use local adjustments if needed
Using Mobile Apps:
- Facetune:
- Use the "Tone" tool
- Adjust warmth and tone sliders
- Apply selectively using brush tool
- Snapseed:
- Select "Tools"
- Choose "Selective"
- Pick skin area
- Adjust warmth and saturation
Quick Tips:
- Make subtle adjustments
- Maintain natural look
- Keep skin texture intact
- Consider lighting conditions
- Work with non-destructive adjustments
- Save original photo
Is there an app to determine skin tone?
Multiple apps exist for skin tone matching:
- MIME (Beauty Color Matching)
- Pantone SkinTone Guide
- Skin Tone Matching App by Vaseline
- Plum Goodness Skin Analyzer
- FindSkinTone
- Perfect365
- YouCam Makeup
Most of these apps use your device's camera to analyze your skin and provide:
- Skin tone classification
- Foundation matching
- Makeup recommendations
- Skincare suggestions
Alternative method: Use the Fitzpatrick scale chart, comparing your skin directly to standardized color swatches.
Is there an online tool to change skin color?
Several online tools can change skin color in photos:
- PicsArt
- Photoshop Express (web version)
- FaceTune
- Fotor
- PIXLR
- Adobe Lightroom (web version)
- BeFunky
- PhotoDiva
- Colorcinch
- Snapseed (mobile app)
Most of these tools use features like:
- Skin tone adjustment
- Color balance
- Saturation controls
- Selective color editing
- Hue adjustment
FAQs
What is the best way to adjust skin tones in Lightroom?
Use the Color Calibration panel, HSL sliders, and selective masking. Focus on red, orange, and yellow hues to fine-tune skin colors while maintaining natural-looking results.
Which Lightroom HSL sliders affect skin tones the most?
Orange and red sliders have the strongest impact on skin tones. Adjust both the Hue and Saturation values within these color ranges for optimal results.
How can I fix orange skin tones in photo editing apps?
Decrease orange saturation, adjust temperature towards blue, and use selective masking to target affected areas. Fine-tune with HSL sliders focusing on orange and red channels.
What causes unnatural skin tones in edited photos?
Over-saturation, extreme temperature adjustments, heavy filters, incorrect white balance, and aggressive color grading can cause unnatural skin appearances.
How do I maintain consistent skin tones across multiple photos?
Create and save custom presets, use reference photos, synchronize editing settings, and maintain consistent white balance across all images.
Which mobile apps are best for editing skin tones?
Lightroom Mobile, Snapseed, VSCO, Facetune, and Adobe Photoshop Express offer good skin tone adjustment capabilities and tools.
How can I warm up skin tones without making them orange?
Slightly increase temperature, boost red and orange luminance, and make subtle adjustments to vibrance rather than saturation.
What's the difference between global and selective skin tone adjustments?
Global adjustments affect the entire image, while selective adjustments use masks or brushes to target specific areas of skin for more precise editing.
How do I fix dark or shadowed skin tones?
Use shadows slider, increase exposure selectively, adjust curves in mid-tones, and fine-tune with HSL adjustments focusing on darker skin color ranges.
Can presets be adjusted for different skin tones?
Yes, presets can be modified using HSL sliders, calibration tools, and selective adjustments to accommodate different skin tones and lighting conditions.
How do I prevent skin tones from looking too pink?
Reduce magenta in tint settings, adjust red hue slightly toward orange, and decrease pink/magenta saturation in the HSL panel.
What's the best way to match skin tones between face and body?
Use selective masking to separately adjust face and body areas, match color temperature, and synchronize HSL values for consistency.
How can I create natural-looking skin tones in low-light photos?
Properly adjust exposure first, then fine-tune white balance, reduce noise, and make subtle color adjustments to maintain natural skin appearance.
Which color spaces are best for skin tone editing?
ProPhoto RGB and Adobe RGB provide wider color gamuts for more accurate skin tone editing compared to sRGB.
How do I fix green or grey cast in skin tones?
Adjust tint toward magenta, increase warmth in temperature, and fine-tune using the green and grey channels in HSL adjustments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, editing skin tones in Lightroom can greatly enhance the overall look of your photo.
By adjusting the orange, red, and yellow colors individually through the HSL tool, you can correct any issues with your skin tone and achieve a natural look.
Remember to use the luminance slider for fine-tuning, and don't overdo saturation or luminance, as it could lead to an unnatural appearance.
With these tips, you can master the art of skin tone editing in Lightroom and take your photos to the next level.
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