Dark spots, pigmentation disorder, sunburnt skin? These skin issues can leave dark patches on our skin which affect our confidence at some point. The unevenness on our skin tone can be troublesome, but the good news is that there are several ways in which you can help bring it back to its natural tone.

Ingredients in Cosmetics to Look For

For sure, you’ve looked into whitening products to help banish dark spots on your skin. But with all the options available, it can be tough to find one that really works. Well, the secret lies in the ingredients that are used on these products, so if you want to get your hands on a whitening cosmetic product, make sure that these ingredients are used.

Vitamin C

Also known as ascorbic acid, this antioxidant has been proven to be quite effective in lightening one’s skin. Among the names that vitamin C usually appears in whitening products are ascorbyl palmitate, retinyl ascorbate, and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.

Hydroquinone

This ingredient is a bit controversial and has been banned in some countries because of causing skin sensitization, but in the US, this can be applied directly on the skin, but the formula should be less than 2%. Anything higher will require a prescription from a physician.

Niacinamide

Another ingredient that you should look for in whitening products is niacinamide which has been found to help with pigmentation issues. It can also reduce the appearance of acne as well as fine wrinkles on the skin.

Kojic acid

Typically found in soy and rice, kojic acid has been found to reduce melanin production. If you are going to buy a product that contains this ingredient, make sure that it is stored in airtight containers as it is quite sensitive to light.

Natural Ingredients to Whiten Skin

Of course, there are some who are wary of using whitening cosmetic products for fear of the ingredients used. The good news is that there are other ways to help bring back the natural whiteness of your skin using natural solutions. Here are a few that you can try out.

Licorice

There are two components in licorice root that helps with skin pigmentation and these are liquiritin and glabridin. Liquirtin works by breaking the melanin and pigmentation to be removed from the skin while glabridin retrains the tyrosinase which is the one responsible for melanin production. Aside from improving the dark spots on your skin, this natural ingredient can also help even out the tone of your skin.

Willow bark extract

Another natural ingredient that can help whiten your skin is the willow bark extract which is a type of beta hydroxy acid that can support cell turnover and assist in exfoliating the skin as well. This is due to the fact that willow bark extract is somewhat related to salicylic acid which is known to remove the accumulation of dead skin cells to promote the production of new and healthy cells.

Lactic acid

In case of sensitive skin, you will need to use something mild on your skin to avoid causing irritation. This is where lactic acid can work with you as it is usually derived from sour milk. What’s great about this product is that it is quite gentle on sensitive skin, and since it can penetrate the skin easily, it has mild exfoliating effects too. When using lactic acid, make sure that you apply sunscreen or wear protective clothing to avoid burning your skin when you step outside of your house. This way, you will be able to promote healthy looking skin too.