There are so many skincare products, it is impossible to know which ones are effective. So one of the smartest ways to go about skin lightening products is probably to check what ingredients skin doctors love. Here are the top 3 skincare ingredients you should be adding to your skincare regime if you want to lighten pesky pigmentation or brighten skin in general.
TRANEXAMIC ACID
If you thought tranexamic acid sounded like a gynaecologist’s treatment, you are right! This is a treatment more commonly used to reduce blood loss in women experiencing menorrhagia. Recently recommended for use in melasma (in a lowered dose), this can be given as an oral medication, a topical preparation or a superficial injection into the lesion. This anti-pigment ingredient works by decreasing the activity of tyrosinase and melanogenesis. This ingredient works well with vitamin C and retinol. Talk to your doctor before using.
ARBUTIN
Alpha arbutin, extracted from plants, is a safe skin brightening ingredient. Those of you who love natural products, this botanical cousin to hydroquinone (less toxic to the skin) is the preferred alternative. This ingredient breaks down to form hydroquinone and decreases the production of melanin. It has also been shown in a clinical trial for melasma that a 3% concentrate produced good results in more than 70% of patients within 3 months.
ASCORBIC ACID
Vitamin C is legendary for a reason. My kids take it everyday to boost their immunity, I take it when I have flu-like symptoms. For the skin, vitamic C is no different. Vitamin C is great because it is an anti-oxidant that keeps our skin cells healthy, its other skin-saving benefits include improved self-healing and also helps inhibit the skin’s production of melanin, fading brown spots without altering normal pigmentation. Start off with a few drops or a low concentration and work your way up as your skin grows more used to this ingredient.
