With millions of you seeking treatment for skin discolorations and dark spot removal, no wonder the market is overflowing with products that want to help you lighten and brighten your skin.

Why are so many of you looking for products to lighten and brighten your skin and what’s causing you to search so hard?  For most of you hyperpigmentation is the main culprit.

Hyperpigmentation is the result of your melanin over producing itself.    This happens due to sun exposure, hormones kicking in or trauma to your skin.

Some of you are so gifted that your skin looks like a black velvet night sky.  Not one blemish or sign of discoloration in sight.

Now fortunately there are many ingredients that have been proven safe and quite effective in suppressing the production of melanin.  Now why would you want to suppress your melanin?

One reason is that when you have a dark spot, this means that your skin has been traumatized in that area and your brain has sent signals to heal the skin in that area.

When the blood arrives to aid in the healing process, it creates a darkening of your skin.

What Stops or Prevents the Production of Melanin?

To correct or prevent Hyperpigmentation effectively, there are topical ingredients that can be used to address the issue.

Vitamin C – You might also know it as L-ascorbic acid.  Believe it or not Vitamin C is actually a highly beneficial ingredient in treating Hyperpigmentation.  When used, preferably in the mornings because of its protective benefits against UV rays, it acts as a UV-induced oxidative to prevent stress on your skin.

Not only does Vitamin C function as a powerful antioxidant but it also stimulates collagen deposition and has been shown to increase thickening of thin skin.

Lactic Acid – This ingredient is found naturally in milk and sugars.  It’s an alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) that has been used in topical formulations for decades.

AHAs and light chemical peels are crucial to lifting Hyperpigmentation.  When you increase exfoliation it will lead to faster, more dramatic results in your skin.

I mentioned a light chemical peel … because of your melanin, you should never use harsh products or procedures on your skin, and you might end up causing more damage to your skin than anticipated.

Lactic acid is particularly important to skin lightening formulations because of its ability to stop the enzyme tyrosinase, making it effective in stopping the production of melanin.

Kojic Acid – This ingredient functions as a skin brightener because of its metal chelating properties.  Kojic acid is able to chelate copper, a natural metal in your body, away from tyrosinase and freezes the production of melanin.

Azelaic Acid – This ingredient is found naturally in castor beans and other grain products. It’s an antibacterial ingredient that’s also available in higher prescription strengths for rosacea and acne treatments.

It also suppresses the production of the enzyme tyrosinase and it’s a mild exfoliant.

Hydroquinone – This is by far the most popular skin lightening ingredient and the most controversial.  It’s the only one that has actually been approved for skin lightening usage by the FDA.

Some reports will say that this product has been banned and not allowed in Europe, Canada and other countries.  Others will say that it is not banned just more tightly regulated and typically only available by prescription.

It’s not my favorite skin lightening ingredient because I along with countless others have experienced it and it turned my skin darker after I stopped using it.

Remember that a lot of the studies that are done are not geared towards African American Skin and therefore the results and outcome are bound to be totally different from someone of another ethnic group.

Whether you like it or not, your melanin can be both a gift and a curse.  It will all depend on how kind and caring you are to your beautiful black skin.

Dedicated To Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel

Esthetician/Author/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care