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Which Skin Lightening Ingredients Are Best for Dark Spots?

Pigmented skin types often struggle with hyperpigmentation, or darkening of the skin caused by excess melanin pigment. Some of the most common types and causes of hyperpigmentation include melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and solar lentigos, or dark spots caused by exposure to the sun. 

Treating dark spots and other issues associated with pigmented skin types requires a combination of the right skin lightening products and lifestyle changes such as wearing sunscreen and avoiding deliberate tanning. This article explains some of the most effective skin lightening ingredients and how they work. 

How Skin Lightening Works

The goal of skin lightening is not to make your entire complexion lighter, but to achieve an even skin tone by lightening dark spots or patches of skin caused by hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation occurs when your skin produces too much melanin — the pigment that gives our skin its color. An enzyme called tyrosinase is responsible for triggering the process of melanin production. Thus, most skin lightening ingredients are aimed at inhibiting this enzyme in order to reduce the overproduction of melanin. This is the pathway that uses tyrosinase to make 2 kinds of melanin (Eumelanin and Pheomelanin):

How to Correctly Use Skin Lightening Ingredients

I recommend that my patients take a one-month break from skin lightening ingredients every 3 to 4 months to avoid unwanted side effects like redness, dryness, or rare pigmentation complications. This break is especially important for people with skin of color, since darker complexions are more prone to these complications. 

Hydroquinone

Hydroquinone is one of the most effective skin lightening ingredients and is a tyrosinase inhibitor, working to reduce the amount of melanin that the skin produces. If hydroquinone begins to discolor your skin or nails, or if your skin becomes red, itchy, or dry, discontinue using this ingredient. Work with a Skin Type Solutions Physician Partner to create the proper skincare regimen for your Baumann Skin Type.

Vitamin C

A powerful antioxidant, vitamin C is one of the most beneficial skincare ingredients if used and formulated properly. Studies have shown that vitamin C can effectively block the tyrosinase enzyme that produces melanin pigment, and thus is an effective treatment for hyperpigmentation. However, vitamin C may work best when combined with other ingredients such as hydroquinone and retinoids.

Kojic Acid

Another tyrosinase inhibitor, kojic acid has long been one of the most popular skin lightening ingredients. It is derived from the rice fermentation process and offers a gentler alternative to hydroquinone for sensitive skin types. Although rare, kojic acid may cause contact dermatitis in some people. if you notice that your skin becomes itchy or red when using kojic acid products, discontinue use and talk with your dermatologist about alternatives. 

Niacinamide

Also known as vitamin B3, niacinamide has been shown to help reduce hyperpigmentation by reducing the number of melanosomes that are transferred to keratinocytes from melanocytes. You can read more about how this process works in my blog about pigmented skin types. A 2002 study found that a 2% niacinamide sunscreen formula was effective at reducing melanosome transfer by 35% to 68% and significantly reduced dark spots with four weeks of treatment, compared to a control group applying only sunscreen.

Retinoids

Retinoids like retinol, tretinoin, and tazarotene stimulate collagen production within the skin and accelerate its natural desquamation process. Desquamation is the process in which old skin cells on the surface are removed and replaced with new cells from deeper layers of the epidermis. These new cells do not contain excessive melanin, so when they migrate to the surface of your skin, you should notice that dark spots begin to fade away. 

In Summary

These skin lightening ingredients can help you achieve a more even, healthier-looking complexion. To get started with a customized skincare regimen that’s right for your pigmented skin type, consult an STS Physician Partner or give our Miami office a call at 305-532-5552. 

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Wishing you great skin!

©2019 Metabeauty, Inc.

July 15, 2019 Melasma
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