Do your have dark spots or uneven color on your skin? Fortunately, there are a lot of skin care products that can help.
Dark spots and uneven color on the skin are very common. Causes include sun exposure, acne, genetics, and more. A variety of things cause damage on the skin, which often leads to inflammation. As a result, you may see dark spots left on the skin. Although many treatments are available for dark spots and uneven color, using a good skin care regimen can often give you significant improvement without the need for treatments. And when a good skin care regimen is combined with appropriate treatments, the results are even better.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is a component that should be included in every skin care regimen. The UV rays from the sun are the most common cause of damage to the skin. Therefore, it’s important to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Dr. Alex recommends a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 that has broad spectrum coverage. This means it protects your skin against both UVA (aging) rays and UVB (burning) rays. Look for ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone is the strongest brightening agent that is available. Hydroquinone is naturally found in many products that you eat and is safe on your skin when applied correctly. Hydroquinone blocks the production of melanin, the pigment in the skin seen in dark spots. Hydroquinone is found over-the-counter in 2% strength and prescription-strength at 4% or higher. The A E Skin Brightening Cream contains 6% hydroquinone.
Kojic Acid
Kojic acid is another product that brightens the skin and corrects uneven color. Kojic acid is gentler on the skin that hydroquinone. So many people who are sensitive to hydroquinone use products that contain kojic acid instead. Although not as strong as hydroquinone, using kojic acid will give you an improvement in your dark spots and uneven color. The A E Skin Brightening Cream also contains kojic acid for improved results.
Vitamins C and E
Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that protect your skin. Sun damage and pollution damage the skin by forming free radicals. Free radicals can damage your skin by causing wrinkles and uneven color. Antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E neutralize the harmful free radicals before they can damage your skin. Vitamin C and vitamin E work in different parts of the skin cells so they work well together for good protection. The A E Skin Triple Antioxidant Serum contains vitamins C and E and works for all skin types.
Antioxidants
In addition to vitamins C and E, there are many other antioxidants that will protect your skin from damage. One of the most popular is green tea extract. Green tea extract is a powerful antioxidant that works in a slightly different way from vitamins C and E. Using products containing green tea extract will boost your skin’s protection from sun damage, dark spots, and uneven color. The A E Skin Green Tea Essentials is a line of products containing green tea extract in cleansers, moisturizers, and other products.
Hydroxy Acids
Hydroxy acids work by exfoliating the skin. As you age, the skin cell growth cycle slows down. When you’re young it takes about a month for the cells from the basal layer of the skin to reach the surface. Over time this process slows down and this leads to the buildup of clumps of dead skin cells on the surface. Some of these cells contain pigment. Exfoliating the dead skin cells from the surface remove this excess pigment. Exfoliation with hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and lactic acid will also make your skin surface smooth. This leads to a brighter glow on your skin. The A E Skin Exfoliating Serum contains salicylic acid to help exfoliate your skin.
Retinoids
Retinoids such as retin-A and reinol will stimulate skin turnover. As mentioned above, your skin turns over slower over time. Retinoids will increase this rate and provide healthy skin. They will also help the pigment in the skin come to the surface faster. Retinoids will also help the healing process when you have any type of treatment. The A E Skin Brightening Cream contains prescription strength 0.05% retin-A (tretinoin) to provide improvement in color and overall anti-aging benefits.
Dr. Alex has performed over 10,000 cosmetic treatments with many satisfied patients. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Alex in our Encino, CA office.