Dark spots are most common in older adults and can be a constant reminder of the full life you have lived. Even though your skin tells a story, it can get in the way of your skin goals.
Dark spots can be an area of frustration when it comes to signs of aging or reminders of past blemishes, luckily, there are some powerful anti-aging ingredients you can include in your skin routine to help even out your complexion and boost your glow!
What Are Dark Spots?
Dark spots are also called liver spots, sun spots, and solar lentigo. They are areas of the skin that have hyperpigmentation from a combination of sun exposure and aging. The sun’s UV rays enter the cells in the skin and speed up the rate that melanin, or skin pigment, is produced, resulting in darker areas. These dark spots are usually in areas of high sun exposure like the tops of hands and the face and do not fade away on their own.
You can also get dark spots from scars, which are part of the healing process for acne, burns, and other wounds. It’s a normal part of your skin’s renewal process but can leave a dark memory of what caused it. It will fade over time but can take weeks to months to do so. What can you do about it?
Helpful Treatments
While these dark spots will take a while, or do not go away on their own, there are ways to make their appearance less noticeable.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant-rich ingredient that increases skin cell turnover, meaning your skin renews faster to speed up the brightening process. The antioxidant properties protect your skin from free radicals and UV damage that darken dark spots. With less melanin in the dark spots, the skin becomes more even-toned, youthful, and rejuvenated. Vitamin C comes in many forms, including serums and face washes. You can include these in your routine to brighten dark spots, just be sure to use SPF 30+ during the day as vitamin c can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
For proven dark spot treatment, use WOW Skin Science’s Vitamin C Serum! It is packed with 20% potent vitamin C, witch hazel, and hyaluronic acid to brighten skin, refine pores, and nourish your skin to reveal your glow! This is a great way to boost your current skin care routine!
Incorporating Vitamin C in your face wash is a great way to boost exfoliation in your skincare routine. Our vitamin C face wash boasts the same active ingredients as the serum but goes further to also remove any dirt, sebum, and skin cells left on the skin surface through its cleansing abilities. Our face wash is available as foaming with a built-in brush or non-foaming depending on your preference!
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is more than just a sunburn soother! It’s incredible for hydrating and calming irritation, as well as refining pores to keep your skin clean. The active ingredient aloin, a natural depigmenting compound in aloe suppresses the hyperpigmentation that is activated by the sun’s UV rays. Because of aloe’s natural brightening effects, WOW’s Aloe Vera Face Wash will brighten dark spots while also working to hydrate, clean, and tone the skin for an even and glowing appearance.
For full-body brightening (because body acne and subsequent dark spots are a thing!) our Melon, Cucumber, & Aloe Foaming Body Wash also uses aloe’s brightening effects to help reduce the appearance of dark spots for the rest of the body. If your dark spots are on your shoulders, back, or arms, this body wash is powerful enough to help brighten without being too harsh for everyday use.
Retinol
Retinoids are another popular choice for lightening dark spots. Retinoids or retinol reduce dark spot visibility by encouraging skin cell turnover for faster healing. Its anti aging benefits including promoting collagen production to fight skin sagging, tighten, and boost elasticity. Including retinol in your skin care routine is a great way to take your anti-aging game to the next level!
Azelaic Acid
Azelaic acid works similarly to vitamin C in that it decreases the production of melanin in the skin. Azelaic acid is often found in serums, prescriptions, and other skincare products to address hyperpigmentation and acne. It is also a natural soother and cleanser, which can boost your skincare routine in more ways than one!
Glycolic Acid
Glycolic acid is a fabulous option for sensitive skin to get the same skin brightening effects. It has actually been proven to make azelaic acid work even better than it does alone. Glycolic acid is also a natural gentle exfoliant to remove the top layer of dead skin that clogs pores and leaves a dull, sallow appearance. With gentle exfoliation, your skin can renew faster to reveal your glow!
Kojic Acid
Kojic acid is naturally found in the world of fungi, and also made during the fermentation process of making sake. Besides its interesting background, kojic acid or koji is helpful in reducing the visibility of dark spots by gently but effectively targeting hyperpigmentation. Kojic acid can be used alone or in conjunction with other ingredients to be even more effective.
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From vitamin C to kojic acid, there are tons of natural ingredients that can even out and brighten your skin tone. Not to mention these ingredients boast other beauty benefits like hydration and collagen protection boosting. For more natural skincare products for the face or body, check out WOW Skin Science today!
Sources
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/routine/fade-dark-spots
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5843359/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/topical_drug_treatments_for_age_spots
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/azelaic-acid
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