Even Out Your Skin Tone with the Melanin-Reducing Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most popular and effective health supplement ingredients, for good reason. When ingested in the form of a fruit or a pill, it can boost your immune system, decrease cholesterol, and even protect against heart disease and certain forms of cancer. When applied topically, its powerful list of benefits is extended to your skin’s appearance, as it helps to correct skin conditions such as hyperpigmentation, age spots, and melasma. This powerhouse vitamin inhibits your skin’s production of melanin, helping to even out your skin’s coloration and brighten its overall appearance.

Today we’ll take a look at how to use the powerful natural benefits of this common vitamin to your advantage and highlight some Vitamin-C-packed skin products to fight those pesky dark patches.

How does Vitamin C work to lessen dark spots?

Darker patches on the skin show up as moles, freckles, birthmarks, age spots, sun spots, acne scars, melisma, or hyperpigmentation. If you suffer from any of these dark areas, you know they can be difficult to fight. But with Vitamin C on your side, your skin’s future looks a lot brighter.

Vitamin C’s antioxidant qualities help to reduce the appearance of irregularly dark sin patches. This all has to do with its powerful influence on melanocytes. Melanin cells are responsible for creating dark areas on your skin, when your skin’s deep layer of melanocytes turn the enzyme tyrosinase into melanin. When Vitamin C steps in, it inhibits the growth of tyrosinase, causing less melanin pigment to be produced.

Other causes of excess skin pigmentation include UV radiation and pollutants in the air. These environmental hazards produce harmful free radicals in the skin which cause it to darken and age prematurely. The antioxidant power of Vitamin C fights these damaging free radicals. At the same time, it also helps your skin to produce the antioxidant Vitamin E, the skin-lightening antioxidant glutathione, and the skin-tightening agent collagen. It’s clear to see why Vitamin C gets so much attention and is known as a powerhouse ingredient. To really harness its effects, look for a skincare product that’s right for your skin’s unique concerns.

Some Great Vitamin C Products to get Your Melanin Levels Under Control:

Vitamin C30x Retinol Serum

Vitamin C andVitamin A (Retinol) work together in this powerful serum to stop free radicals from damaging your skin’s cells. Retinol also increases your skin’s collagen production, for smoother, younger looking skin. Vitamin C reduces the appearance of age spots and discoloration.

Vitamin C 30x Anti-Aging Serum

The concentration of Vitamin C in this anti-aging serum stimulates your skin’s collagen production while it helps to fight free radicals caused by sun damage, and blocks the effects of hyperpigmentation. These effects are seen almost immediately after application, leaving your skin tone visibly balanced and evening out any dark patches. Perfect for women with hyperpigmentation around their lip and eye areas.

3-Day Vitamin C Facelift Kit

If your skin is looking a bit dull or tired, the Vitamin C Facelift Kit can provide a quick pick-me-up, leaving it visibly refreshed after three days of use. The exfoliating power of alpha hydroxyl acids combined with the brightening effects of Vitamin C make this kit a revitalizing routine that’s also perfect for use in-between peels.

AHA & Vitamin C Brightening 70% Peel Kit – Deep Strength

If you suffer from prominent hyperpigmentation and are looking for a more serious treatment, consider the AHA Vitamin C Deep Peel Kit. It leaves your skin tone visibly smoother and lightens serious age spots, especially after repeated use. Make sure to prepare your skin for this treatment by exfoliating daily for a week before you try this deep peel.

Tips for the Ultimate Summer Skincare Routine

Summer is in full swing, along with all of the social events, selfies, and sunburns that come with it. Do you have a solid plan for blocking out the harmful effects of UV rays while keeping your skin looking healthy, fresh, and summer-ready?

The following tips will help you design a custom summer skincare routine that’s best for your skin and all of the concerns that come with the sizzling sunny months. It’s all about promoting and maintaining glowing, healthy skin to keep you looking and feeling your best this beach season.

Combat Oily Skin and Blemishes

The summer heat can bring out the oils in your skin, worsening any pre-existing acne conditions. Keep blemishes at bay with the oil-soluble power of salicylic acid. Incorporate the Salicylic 2% Daily Exfoliator into your summer skincare routine and keep your face looking fresh and clear all summer while maintaining a healthy balance of acids and pH levels in your skin.

Keep it Light

You don’t want to weigh your skin down with heavy moisturizers during the day, so the challenge is finding a daily cream that’s light and effective at the same time. Hyaluronic Moisturizer Cream is safe and lightweight enough for daily use. It cools the skin and helps to replenish it after a peel or excess sun exposure.

Shed Your Old Skin

It’s time to step out and reinvent yourself, revealing a vital new layer of skin. Don’t wait for harmful sunburns to peel your outer layer of skin away, do it yourself with a safe and effective peel.

If this is your first peel of the summer season, start with a light strength kit such as the AHA & Vitamin C Brightening 30% Peel Kit in light strength. Prep your skin with a mild exfoliator beforehand, and make sure to protect it with an SPF moisturizer of at least 30 as part of your daily aftercare.

Follow an Exfoliating Routine

If you’re preparing for a summer peel, the Glycolic Micro Peel Scrub is a great choice to prep your skin and increase your next peel’s effectiveness, allowing it to penetrate deeper into your skin. This scrub’s real microdermabrasion crystals are an in invaluable tool to resurface the outer layer of your skin and keep it looking beach-ready.

Load Up On Sunscreen Before You Hit the Beach

It’s common sense to apply sunscreen at the beach, but you can start building up your skin’s protection by applying it well before any sun damage occurs. Apply sunscreen every night for a few weeks leading up to that sun-drenched vacation you’ve been planning. Your skin will build up a store of of UV protection in its outer layer, known by the technical term “stratum corneum”.

Firm Your Physique

After you hit the gym to get your body in shape for summer, why not give an extra boost of firmness to your whole body’s skin? The Body Tight Firming Kit penetrates deep into your skin where cellulite first forms, while increasing collagen and elastin to give you smoother, sexier looking skin in just two weeks. Its active ingredients are glycolic and lactic acid, as well as caffeine and coccoloba polyphenols. Think of it as your secret weapon for a firmer-looking beach body. 

Hyperpigmentation vs. Hypopigmentation

Hyperpigmentation or Hypopigmentation?

What gives freckles their color? An overabundance of melanin; the same pigment that’s responsible for skin conditions which show up as irregularly dark or light skin. Across all races and natural skin colors, too much or too little melanin will result in skin that appears unusually dark or light, known respectively as hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation.

In most cases, there are treatments available for skin with irregularly dark or light patches. The following overview of these two opposite yet related issues will help you determine which one you might have, and how to treat it.

Hyperpigmentation

Irregularly dark patches on the skin are known as hyperpigmentation; an overabundance of melanin. This is an extremely common skin condition for men and women of all races and ages. It’s causes when the cells responsible for producing melanin are either overactive or overabundant.

UV Exposure

Commonly occurring agespots, also known as liver spots, are dark spots often occurring on the face of light-skinned individuals. They are a result of exposure to UV rays, and worsen over time with more UV exposure rather than as a direct result of aging.

Skin Injury

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or “PIH” often results from acne, burns, or psoriasis, and is generally easily treated.

Hormones

Birth control pills, hormone replacements, thyroid imbalance, and pregnancy can all trigger hyperpigmentation in the form of a condition known as melasma.

While there is no medical threat to hyperpigmentation, the appearance of these darker patches can be a nagging aesthetic concern for some. Luckily, there are many treatments available that can help to improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation. Here are a few we suggest:

Arbutin Brightening Duo Kit

No matter the cause of your hyperpigmentation, the daily serum and moisturizer in this kit can help to correct it. They are each safe and effective treatments including Lemon Balm, Peppermint, and other ingredients with the natural power to fighthyperpigmentation. Their skin lightening ingredients work by inhibiting the enzyme that produces melanin in your skin. Perfect for those seeking a more natural approach to the harsh alternative of skin bleaching.

Jessner 14% Peel Kit – Medium Strength

Treat hyperpigmentation with this remarkable medium strength peel, including Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid and Resorcinol to reveal a new, revitalized layer of your skin. Prepare with a daily exfoliator, and expect a downtime of two to three weeks.

TCA 30% Peel Kit – Deep Strength

If you’re looking for a more intensive treatment for advanced hyperpigmentation, this kit can help to correct stubborn dark patches, as well as deep wrinkles, sagging skin, and crow’s feet. TCA is a great option for resurfacing and renewing your skin.

If you are new to peels, start with a lower percentage TCA peel. Expect two weeks of downtime and up to two months of full recovery after this treatment. Protect your skin afterward with an SPF of 30 or higher.

Hypopigmentation

Hypopigmentation, also knows as skin depigmentation, is the medical term for abnormally light skin. This means your skin has less than the normal amount of melanin, which is the pigment that gives your skin its color. Causes of this condition include:

Skin Disorders

Albinism is a rare disorder resulting in a complete lack of pigmentation in the skin, and also in the eyes and hair. This occurs when the enzyme needed to produce melanin is missing. If you carry this trait, you have a higher risk of sun damage and skin cancer, so be sure to take extra precautions to limit your sun exposure and wear sunscreen daily.

Another such disorder is Vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder involving damage to the cells which produce pigment, results in smooth white patches, sometimes over the whole body. Ultraviolet light treatments, corticosteroid creams, and makeup are the common methods used to treat Vitiligo.

Skin Damage

Sometimes trauma experienced by the skin results in a loss of pigmentation. This can include burns, blisters, or skin infection. In many cases, your body will naturally re-pigment the affected areas over time. Cosmetics can ease the transition period of your pigment’s regeneration.

The Best Skincare for Dads

For the lifetime of care that fathers give us, it feels good to be able to give something back and take care of them in return. Even the greatest dad amongst them tends to neglect his own self care while he’s busy helping others. But no matter how tough he may be, every man deserves a little extra boost to his confidence and overall sense of well-being. The gift of healthier, younger looking skin is a great way to show him you care and that his skin deserves a little extra attention.

With Father’s Day approaching, we’ve hand-picked some of the best products to create a Father’s Day Gift with his health specifically in mind! 

These are essential products to boost his skin’s health and appearance, and will quickly become his secret skincare weapons. Whether he has an important meeting coming up, or just wants a more youthful edge on a daily basis, he’s sure to thank you for the difference this kit makes in his life!

Hyaluronic Replenish Serum 

What makes this ingredient such a wonder is its ability to hold moisture. It’s naturally present in the connective tissue throughout your body. While it moisturizes, it strengthens the exterior layer of your skin, leaving it softer and more youthful looking.

The Hyaluronic Replenish Serum is great for daily use, or after a peel. It’s especially great for men who have dealt with sun damage, acne, or rosacea. It counteracts wrinkles as it smoothens and softens his skin.

Glycolic Micro Peel Scrub

This scrub contains real microdermabrasion crystals to resurface and rejuvenate his skin. It can be used 1-2 times a week for a visibly refreshed face, or to prep the skin before a peel and increase its effectiveness. Men naturally have thicker, tougher skin than women do, so a regular exfoliating routine is a valuable tool for men to have in their skincare arsenal.

Pre-Peel Cleanser

As an added bonus, you will receive a free Pre-Peel Cleanser in this kit! This is a fantastic, lightweight daily cleanser with glycolic acid . It has the added benefit of prepping your skin for a more effective peel by lowering its pH level.

Serum vs. Moisturizer and Why You Need Both

At first glance, the nourishing properties of moisturizers and serums can seem interchangeable. They both provide moisture, they both help to soften and smooth the skin, and they both soothe irritations. All of these are true and excellent reasons to use either of these products, but that’s not all they do! By limiting yourself to only using a moisturizer or a serum, you’re missing out on vital hydration and protection for your skin’s health.

Based on the essential ingredients in your serum, they can offer incredible benefits to your skin. There are anti-aging serums, brightening serums, and even serums specifically formulated with retinol or collagen. By leaving out many of the heavier ingredients that are found in traditional moisturizers, serums contain a much higher proportional concentration of active ingredients which in turn will allow for deeper penetration. Due to their ability to work further down, they can help eliminate the appearance of wrinkles and enable skin to better hold on to hydration. This ability helps prevent dryness and increases the supple feel of your skin, contributing to an all-over more youthful complexion.

All the benefits of serums doesn’t mean that moisturizers are now obsolete. There are several important properties to moisturizers that serums just can’t provide. Because serums settle deep down into pores, they don’t provide as much protection to the surface of your skin. That’s where moisturizers come in. Moisturizers don’t just boost the plumpness and hydration of your skin--they also provide a shield to prevent damage to those top layers where deterioration is most visible. The best sunscreens settle on the top of the skin, keeping it from the sun’s harsh rays, and moisturizers should contain at least SPF 30. These properties not only protect from UVA and UVB rays, but the harsh effects of the environment and free radicals that break down sensitive skin.

Without the protection and nourishment of moisturizers on the top layers of skin, serums have to work double to repair and strengthen skin from underneath. And moisturizers can only do so much to rebuild while sitting on top. With a specific serum and moisturizer set for all of your individual skincare needs, you can focus on enjoying your beautiful skin and not worry about missing anything essential. This duo works in harmony to rejuvenate while keeping you from further damage--all while keeping your skin looking and feeling its very best.

Dynamic Anti-Aging: The Super Fruits Prevention Duo Kit

In a time when UV radiation is a growing concern for your skin’s daily health, there’s a super pair of skincare products who are ready to fight back. The Super Fruits Prevention Serum and Moisturizer Cream are a powerful team! Together they can stop free radicals in their tracks and combat the visible signs of aging, protecting the youthful vitality of your skin.

Who is at Risk of UV-Related Skin Damage?

Unfortunately, anyone who is regularly exposed to sunlight encounters UV rays. The more often you’re exposed to the damaging effects of UV rays, the more your chances of developing skin cancer rise. If you live in a sunny climate, your risk of long-term exposure to UV rays leaves you more likely to sustain damage to the genetic DNA that keep your skin cells healthy and growing.

Skin damage is a short-term effect of excess UV ray exposure. You may know it as the common sunburn or tan. Over time, these seemingly harmless effects can create long-term exposure hazards such as wrinkles, prematurely aged skin, pre-cancerous signs of rough ketosis patches, and dark “liver spots” or “age spots”.

How Does It Work?

The Super Fruits Prevention Duo works together to capture the free radicals which result from UV exposure before they have a chance to harm your skin. These fruits are so full of antioxidants that six of them working together have a dramatic effect on your skin’s health.

What’s in the Kit?

This powerful pair get their strength from the natural antioxidants found in fruits such as pomegranate, acai, gogi, coffee berry, and mangosteen.

Super Fruits Prevention Serum

This mighty serum primes your skin for moisture with many powerful antioxidant ingredients.

One of its key ingredients is coffee berry extract, which has been shown to lessen the effects of long-term or frequent exposure to UV rays. Coffee berry extract increases your skin’s collagen and elastin production, infusing your skin with vital elasticity. It contains caffeine, which is an effective treatment to lessen the appearance of crow’s feet.

Acai berry is full of polyphenols which halt the production of cancerous skin cells, and fights free radicals with its powerful antioxidants.

Noni fruit is a tropical super fruit. South Pacific cultures have known about its amazing healing powers for thousands of years. It contains a high concentration of selenium, which promotes firmer and more elastic skin.

Super Fruits Prevention Moisturizer Cream

This intensive moisturizer seals in the effects of the serum and boosts your skin’s protection against the aging effects of UV rays even more.

The jojoba oil in this moisturizer actually has natural sunscreen properties. When used alone, it actually has an SPF of 4. It is not recommended for use by itself as a sunscreen, but it is incredibly moisturizing for dry skin which makes it a popular ingredient in skincare and haircare products.

Coenzyme Q10 is another powerhouse ingredient. It repairs and protects your skin with its antioxidant properties, protecting you from damaging UV light.

How to Identify Your Skin Type and Tone

When the sun comes out to play at the beginning of spring, you will notice the way your skin reacts. Do you tend to get sunburns easily, or just tan? It’s helpful to find out your skin’s exact tone to find out just how much sun you can soak up before you put yourself at risk for sun damage.

It’s also important to identify your skin type- whether it’s oily, dry, combination, or somewhere in-between- in order to understand which skincare products and procedures are safe for you. It also provides a great reference for picking out the best products to ensure your skin looks and feels its healthiest.

What is Your Skin Tone?

Dermatologists use the Fitzpatrick scale to identify skin tones. The scale was created in 1975 by Harvard dermatologist Thomas Fitzpatrick, who found a direct correlation between a person’s skin color and how the skin responds to UV light. Which of the following best describes the way your skin typically reacts to the sun?

Type I  Always burns, never tans

Type II  Usually burns, then tans

Type III  Sometimes burn, tans well

Type IV  Rarely burns, tans well

Type V  Rarely burns, tans well, brown skin

Type VI  Very rarely burns, tans very well, very dark

What Determines Your Skin Tone?

It all comes down to pigments. Pigments are responsible for all of the different skin colors in the world. One of those pigments; melanin, is like a natural sunblock, protecting you from damaging UV rays. The more melanin your skin contains, the darker your natural skin color will be. This means that those with naturally darker skin are less prone to burns, whereas fair-skinned people tend to burn easily.

Choosing the Right Products for Your Skin Tone

If you fall on the lighter end of the scale, from Type I – Type III, you can safely use Jessner peels, and the entire range of other peels, including TCA peels up to 30% concentration.

If you have very dark skin, some products may permanently change your skin’s pigment. If your skin tone is darker, Type IV, V, or VI, and are considering a TCA peel, make sure to pick one that has a concentration of 10% or lower. Avoid Jessner peels if you fall into these darker skin tone categories. Glycolic peels are a great, safe option for darker skin tones as are AHA Vitamin C peels. 

Learn more about peels here.

What is Your Skin Type?

Once you have identified your skin tone, you should also consider your skin type. Choose products specifically designed for your skin type in order to meet your skin’s unique set of needs from the following:

Normal Smooth and supple, doesn’t produce excess oil or become dry and flaky. You’re lucky if you fall into this category, and can safely choose from a variety of products.

Oily You tend to have larger pores and can be prone to acne. Acne-prone skin can occur well into adulthood and should be treated with products that remove the dead skin from clogged pores to clear blackheads and acne marks.

Dry Your pores tend to be smaller, with visible dry flakes. Moisturizer is important, so pick one tailored to the amount of moisture your skin needs based on its level of dehydration.

Combination The most common skin type. If you have combination skin, your face will typically be normal or dry with an oily area in your T-zone. You may need to treat these separate areas of your face with different products.

Sensitive Sensitive skin which is easily irritated by products designed for normal skin, and becomes red or itchy. Stick to milder treatments specifically designed for you.

Aging Advanced signs of aging include wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, and sun damage. These visible issues can be minimized through a variety of treatments.

Want a personalized skincare routine for you? Take our quiz!