How to treat hyperpigmentation
What is it? Hyperpigmentation. Also known as melasma, dark spots, discolouration, age spots, uneven skin tone or sun damage. It occurs when an excess of melanin (the brown pigment which causes skin colour) forms dark deposits in the skin, which you see as brown spots.
When you’re trying to combat hyperpigmentation, understanding the triggers and exacerbators are the key to preventing and repairing it.
- Hormonal triggers: Hormonal changes caused by medication, birth control, or pregnancy, can stimulate the overproduction of melanin. This is why up to 80% of pregnant women have hyperpigmentation, which is sometimes called the ‘mask of pregnancy’ (4)
- Inflammatory triggers: When you have a skin injury (such as acne, an insect bite, or a wound), melanin is produced as part of the healing process, which can sometimes result in too much melanin being produced
- And the number 1 cause… sunlight: The ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight trigger an overproduction of melanin in your skin. Even sun damage which occurred in your teens and twenties can start to surface in your skin later in life
In fact, all the above forms of hyperpigmentation are aggravated by sun exposure. There’s an enzyme in your cells called tyrosinase, which is activated to produce pigment any time the cell comes into contact with UV light.
You can start to understand why we think wearing the sunscreen is absolutely essential in your skincare regime. Many women try painful laser treatments and heavy hitting chemical creams from doctors and dermatologists, without realising the humble sunscreen is actually their greatest weapon in preventing dark spots!
Skin experts, including the American Academy of Dermatology, recommend wearing a minimum of SPF 30 – like our Emma Lewisham Skin Shield sunscreens are.
And you should ideally be wearing sunscreen every. single. day. That’s 365 days a year, even on cloudy days and inside where UV rays will still penetrate.
Sunscreen will also boost our Emma Lewisham Skin Reset serum, and it’s scientifically proven when used with sunscreen, to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and enhance skin tone.
We’ve developed Skin Reset to specifically target hyperpigmentation along two different biological pathways. Remember that enzyme called tyrosinase which produces pigment in your skin and causes dark spots? Our Skin Reset has powerful patented plant actives that act as a tyrosinase inhibitor. This means they actually stop the metabolic process that creates pigment, and stops the transfer of any pigment to the upper layer of your skin.
Secondly, if any pigment still manages to form, we have a complementary active (vitamin B3) that works further downstream to deter the pigment from transferring to your skin’s surface. This is why our formulation is different from standard brightening products on the market.
Most importantly, our green chemists have also created this luxurious serum to be fully safe and clean – there are no fillers or preservatives with question marks around them (like phenoxyethanol).
The problem with existing hyperpigmentation treatments
One of the main treatments used to address hyperpigmentation is highly toxic. Hydroquinone scores a 9 (out of 10, with 10 being the highest) on EWG’s ingredient toxicity scale, and is listed as a known human respiratory toxicant and a possible carcinogen. That’s why it’s been banned in countries like Japan, and Australia.
The good news is that treating and preventing hyperpigmentation can be done effectively without compromising your health with Emma Lewisham Skin Reset.
Skin Reset
This powerhouse serum fades any type of hyperpigmentation - from sun spots to acne scars.
Skin reset combines 24 of the most nutrient dense and targeted botanicals in the world, which takes a triple-action approach to fighting each stage of the hyperpigmentation process, by helping to inhibit the passage of melanin to the surface, while boosting the skin’s natural ability to minimize discoloration and brighten the overall complexion. It’s proven to be as effective as anything on the market, but without a drop of anything unclear or unsafe.
Key natural ingredients include:
- Kakadu Plum has the highest amount of vitamin c in the world (100x the amount in an orange). It brightens overall complexion, as well as contains high levels of Lycopene which works to lighten dark spots
- Malva Sylvestris (Mallow plant) to increase cell renewal by shedding hyper-pigmented cells and decreasing the pigment in dark spots.
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Niacinamide to decrease the skin’s pigment, as well as pigment production, to provide overall brightening and tone-correction.
