Dark spots, especially stubborn ones, can take months or years to fade.
And this much is true: theyre a tricky concern to deal with.
Photosensitive skin is more likely to experience inflammation and develop sun spots.
Not really ideal if youre trying to even out the complexion, huh.
Arbutin (or alpha arbutin)
This brightening compound is found naturally in fruit extracts like cranberry.
“This results in less pigment, dark spots, and skin lightening.”
Always worth noting: It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, too.
The compound works to block the overproduction of pigment, which is the root cause of dark spots.
Another report showed that when applied topically, it candirectly inhibit hyperpigmented skin from producing more melanin.
Not to mention aloe vera is chock full of other brightening properties.
For example, the plant has anti-inflammatory and calming propertieswhich makes future formation of dark spots less likely.
It also naturally contains a small amount of salicylic acid, which can help speed up skin cell turnover.
The ingredient comes from fermenting several types of fungiin fact, its a byproduct of this fermentation process.
However, scientists have discovered that it has the ability tobrighten skin and fade dark spots2.
The acid is also a pigment-inhibitor.
The takeaway
As with treating any skin concern, patience is a paramount.
But just after that is finding effective ingredients!
For dark spots specifically, many turn to the classics such as hydroquinone, retinol, and AHAs.
And while theyre superstar ingredients, they arent for everyone on every occasionand some come with notable cautions.
But there are other ingredients that work by stopping the overproduction of pigmentation, thereby reversing the marks appearance.
