Many of us at some points have experienced a small acne breakout that has left dark spots behind, and we think to ourselves how could we possibly reduce their appearance?
While it is true that the dark spots caused by acne can gradually become lighter over time and will eventually go away completely. But this waiting process can take quite some time, roughly between 3 months to 2 years, which is a very long ask for a lot of us. And this is where skin lightening procedures like creams and soaps can come in great handy.
Skin lightening products in this case are not only used for changing the colour of our skin as popularly advertised, but they actually work to control and inhibit the excessive production of melanin on certain parts of the skin like dark spots, to give us clear even skin.
In more detail...
As a protective barrier, our skin has an extraordinary array of functions that it plays like protecting us from ultraviolet (UV) damage and wound healing. These two common occurrences make us especially susceptible to hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
For example, UV rays from the sun can cause skin damage like premature aging, melanoma and other types of skin cancer. To prevent the sun from damaging your skin further; your skin produces melanin - a brown pigment that gives your skin colour - which acts as your natural sun protection. This increased production of melanin will lead to hyperpigmentation and therefore a darker skin tone.
Going back to our earlier instance of acne and dark spots introduced above. To start with, acne is a form of inflammation. So, when your skin begins to heal itself, new skin cells form, and these new cells sent up to restore your skin’s smooth surface can contain too much melanin which can result in a darker patch on your skin (also known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation). As a side note, picking or squeezing your pimple actually increases your chances of dark spots because you prolong your skins healing process.
Clearing Hyperpigmentation
Skin lightening products in these cases will contain ingredients that help you reduce skin darkening, uneven skin tone and dark spots by targeting excessive melanin production in particular areas of your skin. Skin lightening is thus all about controlling melanin production.
There are a lot of products that contain a mix of melanin inhibiting ingredients, and usually you would want to go for naturally derived ones as these will be safer to use without much irritation and will evenly control the production of melanin in the skin. These ingredients also won't be very strong in a way that will start changing and lightening your overall complexion. Here are some ingredients that you can look out for;
Kojic Acid is a chemical produced from different types of fungi. It is also a by-product of fermented soy sauce and rice wine. Kojic acid works by blocking tyrosine from forming, which then prevents melanin production.
Licorice Extract Licorice or Glycyrrhiza glabra is actually the herbal root of the Glycyrrhiza plant and is used extensively used in skin-lightening products and helps to brighten up skin. It also has anti-microbial properties.
Mulberry Extract This natural ingredient is extracted from mulberry leaves have strong tyrosinase inhibiting activity. It is probably the safest skin lightening agents.
Alpha Arbutin Extracted through plant sources such as cranberries, bearberries, it’s considered to be a good anti-hyperpigmentation agent that helps to clear dark spots without irritating the skin.
Retinoid is chemically related to vitamin A that regulates the cell growth. It helps in unclogging pores and preventing acne breakouts. When used consistently, retinoids can keep your skin clear and acne free, even out skin tone, reverse sun damage and pigmentation, improve wrinkles and mild scars and prevent premature aging.
Azelaic Acid is one of the naturally occurring ingredients that is produced by skin’s microbiome and can be obtained from barley, wheat and other grains. This acid is known to target the pigment-producing cells-hyperactive melanocytes. This makes it perfect for treating dark spots and hyperpigmentation, making the skin even-toned. Moreover, it exfoliates the skin and sloughs off the dead skin cells, revealing a smoother skin.
L-ascorbic Acid Vitamin C is the topmost skin brightening and lightening agent that inhibits tyrosinase enzyme and reduces melanin production at the cellular level. It is widely used in serums to reduce and treat hyperpigmentation.
Lightening Your Skin Tone
If your goal however is to lighten your complexion, you'd have to use a similar procedure of lightening creams but with higher concentrations of melanin blockers. For example, where a small percentage of Kojic Acid will be enough to clear off your dark patches and even your skin. But to lighten your skin tone, you'd need to use Kojic Acid in much higher quantities, say 4 to 5 percent. In this higher concentration, Kojic will begin to block off your natural melanin that your skin gradually produces on a day to day basis, thereby lightening your overall complexion.
Please note that it is highly advisable that you use these stronger lightening products under the supervision of skincare specialists as these ingredients and products can have adverse effects on the skin. Here are a few stronger melanin inhibitors;
4-n-butylresorcinol is a strong tyrosinase inhibitor and is a skincare ingredient to inhibit melanin production.
Hydroquinone Probably the most famous and the highly controversial ingredient, hydroquinone, is a fast-acting anti-hyperpigmentation agent but one that comes with quite a few side effects, especially if used for longer period of time. One side effect is exogenous ochronosis.
Mercury is used as a skin lightening agent because it blocks production of melanin. It is hazardous to health, and has therefore been banned in many regions. Although some products have been found to contain small traces of it.
The aim of this post has been to show that skin lightening ingredients can be used quite effectively to reduce hyperpigmentation and to even out the skin, giving you clear looking skin by controlling the amount of melanin that is produced.
The same mechanism that is used to control the amount of melanin production can also be used to lighten your skin complexion, but this will often involve the use of stronger melanin inhibitors and in higher concentrations.
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