I’ve struggled more than ever this summer with hyperpigmentation. Those pesky little dark spots on our faces that get worse and worse as the summer goes on. To make matters worse, I also struggled with melasma and a darkening upper lip.

I went straight to the source and decided to have a chat with my dermatologist about what the heck was going on and how to fix it. His solutions were multi-tiered and start with GET LESS SUN. Ok, yeah easier said than done for someone that loves to run outside, go to the beach and lives in a VERY well lit apartment that is constantly drenched in sunlight. I am religious about wearing sunscreen everyday, so no change there. But his next suggestion was to wear a hat when going out as much as possible. My next step was to buy a running hat large enough that it looks like a shade sail haha! But it does the job and protects my face.

My favorite sunscreen’s I wear everyday are from Love Sun Body and Skinceuticals:

My derm next suggested I ingest a vitamin C supplement in the AM, I’ve been taking this one from Goop, and also wear a vitamin C serum in the morning. I decided to test out a number of vitamin C serums and found three that I thought were highly effective and delivered on their promises. There are so many vitamin C serum’s on the market and honestly they are all vastly different in effectiveness, stability and how long they are effective/degrade.

The three I fell in love with and ACTUALLY helped reduce my melasma and hyperpigmentation were Goop, Hyper and Admire my skin. Hyper was effective yet not as aggressive. This one you would need to use for longer to start seeing the effects. The price point is pretty great ringing in at $36. Goop‘s vitamin c serum was defiantly active and tingly when applied. I would say I started seeing results in about 3 weeks after using. It does have a heftier price tag though ringing in at $125 (but worth it!).

Lastly Admire My Skin was the MOST effective (due to the inclusion of 2% hydroquinone) and I saw effects quickly within 2 weeks. It definitely packs a punch, so much so that one of my best friends uses it as a spot treatment only. I liked using it on my entire face and loved the results. Even better than the results though was the price tag ringing in at $24!!

I found adding the serums to be the most effective and fastest tool in reducing the hyperpigmentation on my face. They don’t totally remove it by any means but most definitely lightened it. I also used a vitamin C cleanser and brightening pads from Rodial in conjunction with the serums. The combination really brightened up my skin and brought back some of my glow that I felt had been dulled by summer sun.

While all of these over the counter treatments I found highly effective and reduced many of my dark spots, they didn’t totally remove the hyperpigmentation and melasma. From what my derm said and most of my in depth reading, it isn’t possible with topical at home treatments.

If you are looking for stronger effects you will want to look into in-office treatments from a dermatologist or medical spa. Now that the season has changed, it’s the perfect time to try out one of those treatments. IPL and chemical peels can be highly effective for hyperpigmentation and melasma.

Next in my quest for brighter skin with less hyperpigmentation will be testing out some of these in-office treatments!

xoxo,

Emily – Accessories Gal