Living with Vitiligo – face vitiligo camouflage process to hide white patches

This won’t work for everyone but it’s how I manage my face for vitiligo camouflage and I hope maybe it will help others.

Before we get into it, the most important part is to love the skin you’re in, vitiligo really is beautiful, and if you have the confidence to not hide it, that’s even better! For me I am bold and free with my body but like to camouflage my face.

My Vitiligo story

Having had vitiligo since the age of 13 it has taken me some time to learn how to really manage it. My first patch was a halo mole on my chest, which remained the only patch for a few years. However, in my late teens it began to spread and has continued since. I now have patches all over my body, hands and face; chest, arms, wrists, belly, back, hips, crutch, knees, ankles and feet.

The day it spread to my face was by far the most challenging and something I’m still yet to gain enough confidence to let go bare. I genuinely love the body patches now, they’re unique and make me me.

What is Vitiligo

Vitiligo it an autoimmune skin condition whereby melanocytes are destroyed, leading to depigmented of the skin. Leaving you with white patches that will not tan and have no natural sun protection. It’s purely cosmetic but does leave your skin with zero natural sun protection. Vitiligo camouflage can be tough. 

My face

I want to share how I keep my face protected and camouflaged. It is important to note that this is what works for me with a light white complexion, it might not work for everyone. It is also not something that will work over night, but if you start this tomorrow then it will start working in a few months’ time!

So here it is, how I protect and keep my facial vitiligo protected. This make up is also relevant for sports where you want your make up to stay perfect, even if you’re covered in sweat and mud.

Here’s how I do vitiligo camouflage on my face:

I also recommend taking U Perform Active Collagen to support a smoother, healthier skin complexion. More information here and get 10% off.

Step one  – sunscreen

Always wear full block / high factor sunscreen to ensure there is never any tan on your face.  With vitiligo the normal skin will tan and colour but the vitiligo will not. The result is an increased contrast between the patches and your skin. No tan reduces the contrast between the two skin areas. Sunscreen will over time enable your skin to pale in tone and give a reduced contrast to the patches.

Step two – fake tan!

Apply a form of fake tan to your face every night before bed. This will give your face a natural glow of colour in the absence of any sun. The darkness I use varies across the year based on my body’s tan. So in summer when I get a natural tan on my body I use a darker tan. I use Zanderm and it’s incredible. Have a play about with their test shades for the best colour as it will be specific to you which ones best suit your skin tones. Use this every night to give some colour to your face. I often give a small top up in the morning pre make up too if needed. Note you should also exfoliate at least once a week to keep the tan even.

Use VR10 for 10% off Zanderm

Step three – make up

Start with a primer, I use Maybelline Baby Skin Primer to give a nice smooth base. Then Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation. I use two colours, a lighter and darker, and mix them to match my body’s tone. This is due to my body changing colour through the year and so enabling me to adapt my face colour to match. Make sure you blend down your neck, so you don’t get a line. Estée Lauder is a more expensive option, but it really is worth it. The foundation stays on considerably longer than any of the high street brands I’ve tried – you really do get what you pay for.

Next is an important step! You then need to set the foundation with a fixing powder. I use Essence All About Matt Powder to keep the foundation in place. This is around £5 so nothing fancy.

For my eyes I use a waterproof eye shadow and Estée Lauder Sumptuous Waterproof mascara with a waterproof liquid glitter eye shadow. These do not shift, move, smudgy or vanish with intense sports, mud and sweat.

Vitiligo makeup cover up product list – are all available here:

See products on Amazon

• Soltan Once 50 sunscreen
• Maybelline Baby Skin Primer
• Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation [2x colours]
• Estée Lauder Sumptuous Waterproof mascara
• Gaddrt Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow
• Essence All About Matt Powder
• Avon True Glow Bronzing Pearls

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I also recommend taking U Perform Active Collagen to support a smoother, healthier skin complexion. More information here and get 10% off.

Please see my vitiligo camouflage make up tutorial here:

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.