What to Know About Freckles, From Why They Form to How to Fake Them

It’s Love Your Freckles Day (November 22) and here at Makeup.com, we love seeing the traits that make us uniquely beautiful and celebrated, and freckles are one of them. In honor of the occasion, we’re diving into the science behind freckles, including how they form and why some people have them and others don’t. Plus, we’re sharing how to get the look with makeup if you don’t have them. 

The Science Behind Freckles

“Freckles are genetically inherited benign tan or brown spots that can be thought of as clusters of melanin-rich cells,” says Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose, board-certified cosmetic and medical dermatologist at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York. “Melanin is the pigment that gives skin its color. In freckles, there is more melanin production than in surrounding skin. Freckles have an increased number of melanin granules (aka melanosomes) that are transported from the melanocytes (where they are produced) to keratinocytes, darkening their color.”

While freckles can occur on all skin types, “they are more common among those with fairer skin,” says Dr. Murphy-Rose. She also notes that freckles tend to be genetic and are not present at birth, but start appearing by age three.

Caring for Freckles

Sometimes freckles can appear out of nowhere and disappear just the same. Dr. Murphy-Rose says there’s a reason for that. “UV exposure usually makes freckles more noticeable,” she says. “Freckles do fade when they are not exposed to UV light for some time.” If you have freckles, SPF will be your best friend since freckles are a marker of damage from UV light. “Sun protection is important for reducing harmful effects of the sun among all skin types, freckles or not,” Dr. Murphy-Rose reminds us.