Smooth skin in portrait photos

Last updated on Oct 4, 2026

Use the AI-powered Skin Smoothing neural filter to quickly reduce blemishes and texture irregularities in portraits.

The Skin Smoothing neural filter uses Adobe Sensei machine learning to minimize blemishes, skin spots, and texture variations while preserving key facial details, such as eyes and facial structure.

Use this filter when you need fast portrait retouching without manual healing or cloning techniques. The filter works best on forward-facing portraits with clearly visible facial features. For more comprehensive portrait editing, including adjustments to expression, age, gaze direction, or lighting, explore the Smart Portrait filter in the same Neural Filters workspace.

The Skin Smoothing filter requires an internet connection only for the initial download.

Access and enable the Skin Smoothing filter

Select Filter > Neural Filters from the menu bar.

In the Neural Filters workspace, locate Skin Smoothing in the filters list.

If a cloud icon appears next to the filter name, select the icon to download the filter.

Enable the Skin Smoothing filter by toggling the switch.

Adjust the effect and apply

Adjust the Blur and Smoothing sliders to control the intensity of skin softening.

Select your preferred output option from the dropdown menu: Current Layer, Duplicate Layer, Duplicate Layer Masked, New Layer, or Smart Filter.

Select OK to apply the filter to your image.

Select the preview mode icon in the lower-left corner of the Neural Filters workspace to toggle between before and after views of your adjustments.

The filter may produce unexpected results on body skin beyond the face, skin behind glasses, or faces at extreme angles. For portraits with these characteristics, consider using manual retouching tools, such as the Healing Brush or Spot Healing Brush, for greater precision.

For advanced portrait retouching, including changes in facial expressions, age adjustment, or gaze direction, explore the Smart Portrait neural filter. Learn more about Neural Filters capabilities and workflow.