Four Common Obstacles to Even Tone, Overcome

 

You likely know the basic rules for protecting your skin from damage that can lead to dark spots, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Limit sun exposure. Wear sun screen. Don't pick at blemishes. Avoid irritating or damaging your skin. But despite your best efforts, you can’t control everything. Don’t worry. Even-toned skin is achievable.

 

Yes, You Can Have Even Tone Even Though…

You spent too many hours in the sun. 

UV exposure is the main cause for discoloration because the sun’s radiation stimulates melanin production. (Your tan is your skin protecting itself.) If you haven’t been as diligent about avoiding the as you should have been, don’t lose hope. Start to pay attention to sun exposure now. Invest in a wide-brimmed hat and wear sunscreen every day. Make Vivant’s Day Treatment Lotion SPF 15 part of your morning routine.

Prevent further damage by using Spin Trap Antioxidant Serum every morning to put the photoprotective synergy of powerhouse antioxidants Vitamin C & E to work in your skin. The pair provides a shield against UV damage while brightening, and boosting cell renewal.

For the damage that’s already done, cell-regenerating vitamin A will help pull excess pigment up from the deeper level of the epidermis to the surface where it is sloughed off. Add an acid like glycolic to the mix to speed desquamation by clearing dead skin cells out of the way. Vivant’s Exfol-A™ corrector serum combines both for transformative results.

  

You picked at pimples.

Picking spreads acne bacteria and creates inflammation that triggers a protective melanin response. You will see a reddish, purplish, or dark spot left behind after the pimple disappears. These types of marks can take time to fade and are exacerbated by exposure to the sun.

If the spots are more red/purple in tone, look to anti-inflammatory ingredients and avoid irritating skin further with scrubs or harsh cleansers. Green Tea Antioxidant Cleanser will reduce inflammation and erythema, while supporting a healthy skin barrier. Daily Repair Pads with mandelic acid, niacinamide, zinc peptides, and salicylic acid speed cell renewal, kill bacteria, and counter inflammation.

For darker spots left behind in the wake of blemishes, the aestheticians’ choice is Mandelic Acid Exfoliating Cleanser. Anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, with a little more exfoliating muscle to lift excess pigment without irritation.

 

You’re over forty.

What we call age spots are just the evidence of an accumulation of UV damage over the years. The older you get, the more accumulation, so the name fits though these are more accurately called solar lentigines. Products that combine brighteners and exfoliating agents deliver a one-two punch. Acids work to remove the upper layers of dead skin cells leaving skin renewed, brightened, and free of cellular debris. By removing the obstructive layer of cellular debris, the acids prep skin for better absorption of ingredients like niacinamide and vitamin A. Vivant’s formulations harness the synergy of brightening ingredients by pairing multiples for maximum results.

 

Your dark skin tone is more prone to hyperpigmentation.

The more melanin that is present in skin, the more melanocytes there are to react skin injury or UV stimulation. This makes dark skin tones more prone to discoloration issues. More aggressive treatments that can cause irritation are, therefore, unsuitable for dark skin tones.

Fortunately, there’s a perfect acid for your skin, one that is less irritating, while providing anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, melanin-inhibiting properties. Mandelic Acid has proven to be highly effective in fading excess pigmentation in all skin types, but especially darker skin tones. Vivant has a whole suite of mandelic acid products including cleansers, toners, and corrective serums. See them here.