Well, it's not really impossible, but it does take some time. So, you've struggled with acne for years and FINALLY your acne is in remission. Great! But now when you look in the mirror, all you see is blotchy, uneven skin marred with dark spots. Relax and take a deep breath because I'm going to tell you exactly how I improved my skin.
My Regimen To Clear Dark Spots:
A.M.
1. Cleanse with MD Forte II cleanser. Apply on dry skin and allow to remain on skin for 5-10 min. I use my Clarisonic brush.
2. Tone (optional). I love using a toner to remove residue. Toners I use are Thayer's Rose, Dickison Witch Hazel, or Citrix antioxidant toner. Allow your skin to dry completely.
3. Treat dark spots. I LOVE DHC's Acerola extract. This stuff really works and it's hydroquinone free! Caution: Do not apply this all over your skin like a serum. It works just as well as hydroquinone and it WILL make your skin blotchy. Ask me how I know. Allow 15-20 for it to penetrate.
4. Apply glycolic acid serum. I use MD Forte lotion and it's very "watery", so I apply it before the lotion-like Avalon Organics serum. If I use a water-like Vitamin C serum, I'd apply the glycolic acid afterwards. Allow to penetrate.
5. Apply a Vitamin C serum. There are so many to choose from, but I like Avalon Organics Vitality facial serum, Ole Henkrisen Truth Serum, and Cosmetic Skin Solutions C + E. Wait 20 minutes before moving to the next step.
6. Moisturize with a Ceramide rich lotion. I use CeraVe.
7. Apply a physical sunscreen. Devita makes a really good one.
P.M.
1. Remove makeup with a cleansing oil. I use Shu Uemura. I also use a seperate makeup remover for my eyes. It's made by Equate.
2. Use a gentle cleanser formulated for your skin type. I use CeraVe foaming wash with my Clarisonic.
3. Tone. At night, I'll typically use something gentle and moisturizing, such as Thayer's Rose. Wait 20 minutes.
4. Use a retinol product. Right now I'm using Afirm 3x retinol, but I've used prescription and one by Jan Marini in the past. If you still breakout occasionally, you might want to rotate your retinol with a good benzoyl peroxide gel or some other acne treatment that works for your skin. I do this when it's that time of the month. I like acne.org's BP gel. Wait 10-15 before moisturizing.
5. Apply a ceramide lotion/cream.
Once or twice a week, do a deep exfoliation treatment. If your skin isn't sensitive to scrubbing, use a good microdermabrasion cream. I like Olay's microdermabrasion treatment and Makeup Artist's choice micro scrub.
*Some people will actually hyperpigment with scrubbing, so test it out to see if it works for you*. If you are sensitive to scrubbing or prefer not to use a scrub, try an enzyme peel. I tested and really like 100% Pure Pineapple Enzyme mask. It exfoliates your skin, but it's gentle. If your skin can tolerate it, maybe try a low percentage glycolic acid peel, around 20%-35%. I've had good luck with Makeup Artist's Choice. Just make sure you wash your face with a cleanser afterwards. Enzymes will continue to work if not washed off and glycolic acid is not self neutralizing. I always apply a honey mask after a deep exfoliation.
It's a lot of steps and takes forever, but it worked for me!
What to avoid: When you're on a mission to clear your skin, there are certain ingredients you should avoid- especially if you have pigmented skin. The ingredients/products listed below can cause irritation which leads to hyperpigmentation (excessive pigment production) and hypopigmentaton (loss of pigment). I've found the following ingredients/products made my skin blotchy:
1.
Chemical Sunscreens. Many people are sensitive to the chemicals used in sunscreens. Irritation can be presented with stinging, burning, acne and/or rashes. Ingredients to be watchful for are Avobenzone and PABA. I notice when I use chemical sunscreens, not only does it burn, but I also develop hyperpigmentation around my mouth and nose areas. Try a high quality physical sunscreen instead, such as Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30.
2.
Menthol/Peppermint. This is one ingredient that's widely used in acne products and I cannot believe it. When will people realize that acne is a sensitive skin condition? For goodness sake, it's right in line with psoriasis and eczema. Acne doesn't need to be "burned" off with peppermint. Geez. In fact, irritating ingredients only make acne
worse. Anyway, not only does menthol make acne worse, it also irritates melanocytes (pigment producing cells). You don't want to make melanocytes angry. Two things can happen when you use menthol/peppermint on your skin: 1. hypopigmentation and 2. hyperpigmentation. I know from personal experience. Everytime I use a mentholated product on my skin, it
always hypopigments. I'll develop lighter blotches on my cheekbones, forehead and nose. That's my skin's way of saying "you're irritating me!".
If you see your skin hypopigmenting, stop using that product immediately! Hypopigmentation can be permanent.
3.
Alcohol. This ingredient in high concentrations is very drying and irritating. This is one area where you'll have to do some testing to see what your skin can tolerate. For instance, I can use Dickinson's Witch Hazel and not have any problems. Then there are other toners that contain too much alcohol and cause my skin to hyperpigment.
4.
Poorly formulated glycolic acid products. Glycolic acid is great if it's formulated properly. You want to avoid any product with a pH that's too low and or percentage too high. A pH below 2.5 might be too irritating to the skin and cause a cascade of problems like rashes, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmention, etc. I've found the only exception to this rule is MD Forte products. These products contain a high percentage of glycolic acid, but they are buffered and do not irritate the skin.
Hopefully this regimen will work for someone. I know it helped me a lot. When you're working on your skin, please be patient. You may not see results you want in 2 or 3 months, but instead 6 or 8. It took a year for my skin to finally clear up and I'm still working on it. Please feel free to augment where you see fit to make it suitable for your skin :)
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