Acne Product Reviews & Reports

Posts Tagged ‘uneven skin tone’

With so many skin care products to pick from it’s impossible to know which treatments will work best on your skin and which ones are the safest. When it comes to hyperpigmentation like brown spots, uneven skin tone, and dark scars, there are a handful of products on the market to consider:

1) Hydroquinone

2) Kojic acid

3) Vitamin C

4) Natural scar treatments like Licorice extract

Hydroquinone is probably the most frequently recommended lightening agent because it is generally very effective. It comes in different strengths, typically 2% and 4%. One uncommon but significant potential complication from using hydroquinone is a condition known as Ochronosis. This consists of delayed wound healing, loss of skin elasticity, and ironically, permanent hyperpigmentation. Hydroquinone can also cause allergic dermatitis and nail discoloration.

Like hydroquinone, kojic acid is effective in fading dark scars, brown spots and even melasma. Unfotunately, some studies suggest that skin exposed to kojic acid on a regular basis becomes more sensitive. Skin sensitization is bad because it can lead to allergic contact dermatitis. Like hydroquinone, kojic acid does not improve any other aspect of scarring other than the dark pigment.

Various forms of vitamin C have been shown to fade hyperpigmentation effectively without the side effects associated with hydroquinone or kojic acid. L-ascorbic acid and other vitamin C esters also normalize collagen production after skin injury, leading to more organized collagen formation closer to that seen in normal, uninjured skin. This makes vitamin C a very good scar treatment in general. Brown or dark yellow vitamin C skin care products should be avoided though. The coloring is used to disguise the fact that the vitamin C becomes unstable over time, oxidizes and becomes completely ineffective (vitamin C turns brown as it oxidizes). Products using STABLE vitamin C are typically white as there is no fear of the vitamin C becoming oxidized and ineffective.

Some natural ingredients like licorice extract have potent anti-inflammatory and skin-renewal properties. Like ascorbic acid, licorice also helps fade hyperpigmentation by decreasing activity of the enzyme tyrosinase which is responsible for melanin production. Licorice has also been shown to boost the lightening actions of vitamin C so the two should be combined for best results.

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