Everything you need to know about fixing YOUR HYPERPIGMENTATION

HYPERPIGMENTATION:
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Most seen on forehead + upper lip. This is triggered by too much sun exposure and/or pregnancy. Mine popped up right after my trip to Greece 3 years ago.
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HEALING PROCESS:
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All products I use and recommend are @paulaschoice … to be honest it’s a line I really trust, it has scientific research to back it up, + they do not use fragrances, essential oils, or skin irritants. This is NOT SPONSORED just truly a line I believe in + trust. All the products I refer to below are from Paula’s Choice.
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- SPF IS A NON-NEGOTIABLE EVERY DAY 365 days a year (with SPF at least 30+) You won’t get the results you’re looking for without sun protection. Unfortunately it took me 8 month to almost get rid of my hyper-pigmentation entirely + then 1 day in the sun + BAM it was FULL BLOWN BACK. Don’t learn the hard way like I did. I use the Youth Extending Daily Fluid SPF
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- Wear a hat for extra protection (this is why you see me wearing hats often plus their super cute)
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- Get 4 peels a year from your esthetician
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- Exfoliate 1x a week. I’m not a fan of daily exfoliation. I don’t believe we need to exfoliate that much at all, however 1x a week with a gentle exfoliator (DO NOT USE A SCRUB) will help will improve dull and uneven skin. I use the BHA 2% gentle exfoliant.
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Ingredients to use:
- Niacinamide Booster: There is a lot of positive research to show this ingredient helps even skin tone. I use this almost every morning
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- Vitamin C: This is proven to brighten skin tone. Too much vitamin c can potentially irritate your skin so for ME (this may be different for you, it’s really about trial + error to learn to understand your skin) I personally use the vitamin C 15% booster 3x a week in the morning mixed into my niacinamide booster before my moisturizer. 1 day a week in the AM, I will use the Vitamin C 25% booster ONLY as a spot treatment on my dark spots
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- Azelaic Acid: 10% or greater can even out blotchy and uneven skin tone. I use this 3x a week at night before my moisturizer
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Other products I use to help brighten and even out my skin tone:
- Radiance Renewal Mask: I sleep with this on 1-2x a week (with at least 4 days apart) I rinse it off w water in the AM. This mask has niacinamide, bearberry extract, and other skin brighteners to work in your skin while you sleep
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- RESIST Triple-Action Dark Spot Eraser: This is formulated w hydroquinone (which is controversial when used in high amounts but V effective in fading dark spots) this treatment can really refine + brighten skin. I don’t recommend using more than 1x a week or long term use either. Spot treat only in the PM, use as your last step. You'll see results after 3 months of using this + if you don’t, then stop usage
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- Retinol. Retinol is derived from vitamin A + is proven to lift brown spots. Start slow with retinol. Start 2x a week w at least 5 days in between and not on days your using an exfoliant
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Other tips on managing your brown spots:
- Avoid heat. In the gym, don’t wear a hat, use a cool towel or a piece of ice to apply to your face, + rinse your face afterwards w cool water. When going in the steam room/sauna, wet a washcloth w freezing cold water + keep it face while body heats up
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- Avoid clarisonic + scrubs
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- Keep toner + masks in your refrigerator
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- Eat a diet heavy in kale, spinach, + antioxidants x