Dark spots are your skin’s worst enemy! They cause your skin to look dull and leave you with an uneven tone. And do you know how dark spots develop? It can either be due to sun damage, old breakouts or skin trauma. All of this can happen to just anyone—even if you are following a skincare routine religiously. YES!
But wait… before you learn to live with the darkened patches on your face, we’ll share some good news with you! Treating dark spots may take time but it is definitely possible. You’re not stuck with them forever! If you want to prevent and fade dark spots on your face, then here are certain skincare rules you need to follow.
- Rule #1: Do not squeeze or pick that zit
- Rule #2: Make sunscreen your best friend for life
- Rule #3: Say yes to chemical exfoliants
- Rule #4: Get your hands on a dark spot correcting serum
Rule #1: Do not squeeze or pick that zit
The moment you spot a zit or pimple, the most tempting thing to do is pop or squeeze it. Don’t ever do that, because the result will be an inflamed brown or red mark that may stick around for months. Picking that zit can actually force the bacteria and debris deeper into your skin, causing the pimple to become redder, inflamed, swollen and infected, and in some cases, it may also lead to permanent scarring.
Rule #2: Make sunscreen your best friend for life
Do you know that the biggest culprit of dark spots is UV rays? Over-exposure to the sun can cause concerns such as tan, burn, dark spots, pigmentation and even something as serious as skin cancer. It is, therefore, ideal to slather enough sunscreen each time before stepping out. Doesn’t matter whether it is sunny, gloomy or cold outside, using a broad-spectrum sunscreen such as the Ponds Sun Protect Non-Oily Sunscreen SPF 50 can be your best bet. It is non-oily and suitable for all skin types. Apply every two to three hours for thorough skin protection.
Rule #3: Say yes to chemical exfoliants
If your skin is prone to dark spots and hyperpigmentation, then it is best you toss back your face scrub and swap it with chemical exfoliators because the former can be too aggressive. Alpha hydroxy acids such as glycolic are ideal to treat dark spots and marks on the face. It helps dissolve the "glue" that holds together dead and discoloured cells on the surface of the skin, leaving you with brighter, spot-less skin. And that’s not all! Chemical exfoliators also help slough off dead cells, thus, allowing your skin to absorb any spot treatment products better.
Rule #4: Get your hands on a dark spot correcting serum
Whether you have dark spots due to over-exposure of the sun, old breakouts or by picking at your skin, treating this condition may take days or weeks. It is, therefore, ideal to invest in a skin-brightening serum. We suggest you get your hands on the Dermalogica Active Clearing AGE Bright Spot Fader which is formulated with salicylic acid to clear breakouts and contains Niacinamide & Hexylresorcinol that work to fade post-breakout marks.
Written by Fatema Habib on Dec 17, 2019