Freckles, liver spots, and sun spots, oh my! If you spend a lot of time outdoors, you’re bound to deal with some hyperpigmentation. No matter what you call it, these unsightly splotches are nearly impossible to get rid of without chemical peels, dermabrasion, and laser therapy.
But, not all hope is lost for folks who prefer their treatments a little less intensive. One of the “oldest skin bleaching creams,” hydroquinone, continues to be the most effective at getting rid of hyperpigmentation due to UV exposure, pregnancy-induced melasma, and hormone fluctuations.
Not Your Mother’s Hydroquinone
This prescription solution to all of your pigmentation woes came under fire after products in South Africa were found to contain unsafe levels of mercury and glucocorticoids, a powerful steroid that can reduce white blood cell counts. In an effort to keep unsuspecting consumers safe, hydroquinone products were pulled from the shelves across the eastern hemisphere.
Soon after, it was found that these ingredients were not typically additives in professionally processed hydroquinone products. Today, hydroquinone is one of the safest and most effective ways to treat dark spots when used appropriately and under the guidance of a dermatologist.
Suppress Melanin Production
The way that hydroquinone works is quite simple.
Within your skin are melanin-producing cells called melanocytes. When exposed to UV light or an excess of certain hormones, these pigment cells shift into overdrive, producing more melanin than your skin is used to having. This process causes freckling and sunspots.
When you apply hydroquinone creams, the active ingredient goes to work inhibiting the amount of pigment that is being produced. Over time, the amount of melanin decreases, leaving you with lighter, brighter skin.
Adding Hydroquinone to Your Skin Routine
For those living with mild to moderate hyperpigmentation, you don’t need a prescription to experience the benefits of hydroquinone. At Advanced Skin Therapeutics, you can find some of the best skin brightening products available over the counter.
In Advanced Skin Therapeutic’s ReBrightalyze Enhancement Therapy Kit, you can find our Advanced Brightening Pads. With 2% hydroquinone, you can watch your skin turn back the hands of time as skin spots and hyperpigmentation vanish. The combination of powerful botanicals like Kojic Acid, Arbutin, and Bearberry with skin protective antioxidants sooth your skin and eliminate redness.
For those looking for an alternative to hydroquionone, NeoStrata’s Pigment Controller is an advanced formula that contains highly active benefit ingredients that work together to brighten and prevent dark spots. This blend of NeoGlucosamine®, Retinol (0.1%), and stabilized Vitamin C increase cell turnover, while Alpine Plant Extracts and SabiWhite®, a proven alternative to prescription strength hydroquinone, work to inhibit the production of melanin. Vitamin E helps protect your skin from further damage. NeoStrata’s Illuminating Serum also contain NeoGlucosamine®, as well as 4% Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), and a blend of Vitamin C, B-Resorcinol and Licorice Extract to help promote a brighter and more even skin tone while reducing melanin and prevent dark spots from returning.
For your prescription hydroquinone needs, Advanced Skin Therapeutics carries the Obagi line of 4% hydroquinone.
No matter what route you go to achieving brighter, more even skin tone remember to always protect your skin by wearing a daily sunscreen.
