I’m sure I’m not alone in experiencing a time when my skin hasn’t looked my best and I kind of just want to hide from the world. Personally I’ve always found that when my skin, hair, and nails look good, I FEEL good. Because feeling good impacts our relationships with our family, friends, and most importantly it impacts the space between our ears, I place a high emphasis on skincare. Melasma is a skin condition that affects many women and it’s particularly frustrating because once you have a flare up it rarely completely goes away. So it requires constant management and diligence to adhering to a good skin care routine that will keep flare-ups at bay. So whether you are a newbie to skincare and want to learn more about battling your Melasma or if you are experienced in this area and want to learn about some new products that won’t break the bank, this post is for you.
Skin Discoloration From Melasma
Many of us experience melasma during the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy but it can be caused by contraceptives like the pill or mirena and reappear especially around the hormonal shifts associated with perimenopause and menopause. For women with deeper skin color like mine due to heritage, melasma is a very common problem regardless of hormonal shifts. Whenever I get a zit, bug bite or a minor scrape I can expect to see scarring and darkening of the skin regardless of whether I pick at it or let it be (which I try really hard to do). Melasma was also triggered for me unexpectedly by a laser treatment that I was told was safe for my Fitzpatrick Type IV skin color. The aftermath is that being in the sun and even simply being in warm temperatures can trigger my melasma.
Sun Protection Is Crucial
Because skin discoloration is an issue so common among us I’ve researched routines and products prominent dermatologists recommend, read hundreds of product reviews, and I’ve done my own market research on products to find a routine that is working for me and products I really believe in. What works for me may not work for you we’re all so different. But having an understanding of the elements of a good routine and the role of these products is important to building a routine that will work for you.
Melasma is a chronic condition. Results are only temporary and only as good as your sun protection which is so frustrating. So a basic rule underlying any skincare routine to treat melasma is that sunscreen and proper sun protection with a wide brim head covering is the most important thing you can do. Having a fantastic skincare routine will do nothing for you if you are not protecting yourself with sunscreen and wearing headwear that protects you from all angles. Baseball caps do not count! Melasma flare ups are easily triggered by even minimal exposure to the sun (UV light) but blue light exposure for anyone with a deeper skin tone, in addition to UV light, can also be a trigger.
The Elements of A Skincare Routine To Battle Discoloration
| IN THE MORNING | IN THE EVENING |
| Cleanse | Cleanse |
| Vitamin C Serum | |
| Skin Lightening/Brightening Supplements | Skin Lightening/Brightening Supplements |
Add in:
|
Add in:
|
| Vitamin A/Retinoid/Retinol/Tretinoin (Prescription) alternate nights on and off as skin tolerates. If skin feels overly dry, mix with hydrating night cream and then apply to skin | |
| Moisturizer | Hydrating Night Cream |
| Tinted Sunscreen Iron Oxide Base SPF 50 or higher | Eye Cream |
| Exfoliation once per week with Glycolic or Lactic acid |
There are two important vitamins for nourishing the skin that everyone should have in their skincare routine: Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Vitamin C serums should be used in the morning only and Vitamin A retinols are only applied at night.
- Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a brightening agent. It addresses the red or brown spots on your face (often called hyper pigmentation). A topically stabilized plant-based Vitamin C serum smoothes and firms skin and fades the spots which are basically just damaged skin cells. It works well when used in conjunction with Vitamin A. A Vitamin C serum should be the first thing that touches your face after cleaning and rinsing your skin in the morning]
- Vitamin A. Dermatologists are united in the idea that a topical Vitamin A is an element that should be in everyone’s skin care routine. You probably already know them by their commonly used names: retinol, retinoid. In addition to fading dark spots it eliminates wrinkles and smoothes out the skin. It strengthens the skin from the inside out and speeds up the turnover of skin cells. While prescription retinols (you may know them as Tretinoin or Adapalene) work the fastest, plant-based Vitamin A topical serums have fewer side effects and slowly build skin tissue which helps avoid the irritation, redness, and flaking normally associated with prescription-grade retinols. Vitamin A makes your skin vulnerable to sun exposure so you have to be careful when you are in the sun if you are using them.
What To Add To Your Morning and Night Routine To Battle Skin Discoloration
When you are battling melasma as I am, adding extra topical products/serums with the following elements to address discoloration can be added in to your routine at any of the steps.
- Iron Oxides. Protects against blue light. Iron oxides are found in tinted sunscreen, some foundations, and concealers.
- Hydroquinone. Prevents the creation of excess melanin in the skin. By prescription only and can be used only for 3-4 months.
- Arbutin. An alternative to hydroquinone that serves the same purpose that is available over the counter as a topical serum in lower grade formulations
- Azaleaic Acid. Helps brighten and reduce hyperpigmentation. Available by prescription and also available over the counter n a lower grade formula.
- Glycolic Acid or Lactic Acid. Gentle chemical exfoliation is important to remove pigmented and damaged skin cells once per week at most. Over exfoliation can make melasma worse and trigger inflammation
Generally, I look for products that contain Kojic Acid, Tranexemic Acid, Niacinamide, L-Ascorbic Acid. or Licorice Root Extract. You can experiment with products that have many of the aforementioned ingredients. As a rule of thumb, add in the additional topicals from lightest to heaviest in formulation. So, a water based serum goes under a topical that is heavier or cream based.
If you are a visual learner, the graphics below will be helpful in understanding the steps in my morning and nighttime melasma care routines.
| Shop My Morning Melasma Routine | Shop My Nighttime Melasma Routine |
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