Enable Subsurface Scattering in Blender

Subsurface scattering (SSS) simulates light penetrating translucent objects like skin, wax, marble, or milk, scattering beneath the surface and exiting at different points. This guide provides a direct walkthrough on how to enable and configure subsurface scattering in Blender using the default Principled BSDF shader for both the Cycles and Eevee render engines.

Step 1: Enable Subsurface Scattering on the Material

  1. Select your object in the 3D Viewport.
  2. Go to the Material Properties panel on the right side (red sphere icon).
  3. Ensure the surface shader is set to Principled BSDF.
  4. Scroll down to the Subsurface section in the shader settings:
    • Blender 4.0 and newer: Locate Subsurface Weight and increase the value above 0.0 (set to 1.0 for full effect).
    • Blender 3.6 and older: Locate Subsurface and set the slider above 0.0.

Step 2: Configure the Subsurface Parameters

  • Subsurface Radius: Controls the distance light travels beneath the surface for the Red, Green, and Blue channels. For human skin, red light scatters deeper than green and blue, so the default values (1.0, 0.2, 0.1) work well.
  • Subsurface Color: (Blender 3.6 and older) Sets the color of the scattered light beneath the surface. In Blender 4.0+, the Subsurface effect automatically uses the main Base Color tint, but you can adjust the Subsurface Scale and Radius to shift the internal hue.
  • Subsurface Scale / Size: Acts as a master multiplier for the Radius values. Increase this if your object is larger or requires a deeper scattering effect.

Step 3: Enable Subsurface Scattering for Eevee (If Applicable)

Cycles handles subsurface scattering automatically once enabled in the material. However, if you are using the Eevee render engine, you must enable global screen-space subsurface scattering:

  1. Switch your render engine to Eevee in the Render Properties tab (camera icon).
  2. Check the box next to Subsurface Scattering.
  3. (Optional) Expand the Subsurface Scattering tab to adjust Samples for higher visual quality or lower noise.