In a sea of whitening, brightening, illuminating and radiation boosting products, crystal clear complexions shouldn’t be few and far between. Learn how to banish the dark spots and dull skin tone for good. The future is bright!
by Anna McDougall
Skin Brightening 101:
Whilst you may have been hiding from your mirror, mirror on the wall, you don’t have to be Kate Bosworth to have flawless skin tone and be the fairest of them all. Addressing dark spots and hyperpigmentation is a cinch thanks to an endless array of brightening serums, creams and face masks, whilst a glowing complexion is all about looking after your skin’s needs and a little faking it ‘til you make it.
The most common reasons you may experience dark spots, discolouration and uneven skin tone, are:
- UV exposure can develop the growth of excess skin cells, which we know as sunspots, liver spots and age spots. The cells become pigmented with melanin and they cluster to form that all too familiar, circular dark mark.
- Estrogen fluctuations stimulate melanocyte cells to work overtime and create melisma
- Injuries and blemishes such as a straightener burn or a stubborn blind pimple can kick-start melanin clusters leaving you with marks caused by post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Aside from getting a good night’s beauty sleep, you boost your skin’s radiance by:
- Eating more foods high in essential fatty acids to boost collagen and cell formation. Try eating more fish, walnuts and flax seed.
- Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. Why moisturise dead skin? Exfoliation is key to a brighter complexion and you can exfoliate your whole body in a myriad of ways.
- Vitamin C in your diet and skin care products – the power-packed antioxidant fights off the signs of aging.
- Makeup layering techniques. For example, apply translucent foundation and layer it with an illuminating powder on the apex of the cheekbones and on the inner corners of the eyes. See Michael Brown’s tips on how to illuminate your skin like a seasoned pro.
Rescu. Recommends:
Avon’s Anew Luminosity Pro Brightening Serum ($79.99) is powered by anti-dark spot helix enriched with dermatologist-grade l-aspartic acid to help fade the appearance of discolorations and dark spots.
La Prairie White Caviar Hand Cream SPF 15 ($195) is formulated with skin-refining peptides to gently exfoliate dead cells from the skin’s surface and activate the renewal of new cells while turning back the clock on the ageing effects of exposure to sunlight.
Guinot Newhite Instant Brightening Mask ($120) is a quick action mask provides an instant response to pigmentation problems. This intensive treatment has the ability to brighten the complexion for daytime or before a night out, instantly even out skin tone and restore radiance to skin.
Ultraceuticals Ultra Brightening Serum ($100) has been formulated with a unique blend of skin lighteners, pigment blockers, and exfoliants to add luminosity and clarity to skin.
Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub ($13.99) combines natural soy extract and round microbeads to provide a gentle exfoliating experience daily revealing brighter, more radiant skin.
Estee Lauder’s CyberWhite HD Advanced Spot-Correcting Essence ($140) is a concentrated formula that features the highest level of HD-90 technology to dramatically reduce the look of dark spots so that skin looks flawless, fairer and translucent with high definition clarity and brightness.
Benefit FakeUp Concealer ($35 on counter April), the best thing to happen to dark circles since over-sized sunnies. The hydrating ring around and concealing core hides dark circles, smoothes skin and diffuses light, to create a flawless complexion as well as hydrate the skin for six hours.
Once you’ve tried it you won’t leave home without the Yves Saint Laurent Touch Éclat ($55) your magic wand formulated to enhance radiance and awaken the complexion casting away signs of fatigue and imperfections.
