Facial Skin Discoloration/Hyperpigmentation

[MichAnnL]

I have some discoloration on my skin and a large brownish spot on the lower side of my face.  What is the best night cream to treat this?  Thank you!

[WinglessOne]

Hi @MichAnnL ! It may depend on what type of hyperpigmentation you have (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, sun spots, melasma). But here are a few helpful ingredients to look for in skincare products. You asked for a night cream but please also consider serums and other treatments. 

Sunscreen - if you already use one with minimum SPF of 30 each day your skin’s exposed to sunlight—no matter how overcast the weather is—all year long, and you’re diligent about reapplying it every 2-3 hours you’re outdoors, that’s fantastic! If you don’t: there’s no point using any product to reduce hyperpigmentation if you won’t also stop the sun from creating more hyperpigmentation. WEAR THE HECKING SUNSCREEN. 

Hydroquinone - many dermatologists’ gold standard for dark spots. You can get prescription strength products, or try an over-the-counter product like Paula’s Choice CLINICAL Triple-Action Dark Spot Eraser 7% AHA Lotion (contains AHA for exfoliation, plus kojic dipalmitate and hydroquinone). You can even try an AMBI Fade Cream from the drugstore. 

Kojic acid or kojic dipalmitate - kojic acid is rather unstable; kojic dipalmitate is a more stable yet effective derivative. I mentioned the Paula’s Choice Triple-Action product above, but there may be other good products out there that don’t contain exfoliants. I think I saw one at Target last time I was there… it was a brand created by a dermatologist, and now I don’t remember what it was. 🤦‍♀️ I’ll post an update if I remember or find it. 

Tranexamic acid - often touted as an easier-to-tolerate substitute for hydroquinone. Having recently tried The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Hyperpigmentation Treatment 1 oz/ 30 mL myself, I’ll warn you to ease your skin into this stuff. But this ingredient can work very well on hyperpigmentation. I'm sure there are other good products on the market; I just can't think of one right now. 

Arbutin - consider The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA Hyperpigmentation Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL , The INKEY List Alpha Arbutin Brightening Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL , or maybe Good Molecules Daily Brightening Serum which contains beta arbutin. 

Retinoids - another category of ingredients to ease your skin into, if you don’t already use one. You can get a prescription for tretinoin (or even something stronger, if you and a doctor decide that’s necessary), or try an OTC retinol, retinaldehyde, or granactive retinal (HPR) product. A good starter retinoid is the very gentle First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate . I used The INKEY List Retinol Fine Lines and Wrinkles Serum 1 oz / 30 ml for over a year with good results. I currently use SOBEL SKIN Rx 4.5% Retinol Night Treatment , and once this bottle's done I'll try Avene RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream (recommended by my dermatologist). The Ordinary makes various strengths of granactive retinol; one of them is The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane, Signs of Aging Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL . 

Azelaic acid - particularly good for PIH, plus it attacks acne-causing bacteria. You can get Rx strength from a doctor, or consider OTC options like The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension Brightening Cream 1 oz/ 30 mL or Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. 

Vitamin C - many people’s favorite skin brightener. There are waaaay too many products to list. 😄 But generally speaking, one that contains l-ascorbic acid will likely be your best bet. 

Ask a dermatologist - this is the best way to find out what's causing your hyperpigmentation and get a personalized treatment plan. 🙂 

[MichAnnL]

Thank you so much for such great information. What do you think of the Caudalie Vinoperfect Overnight Cream?  

[WinglessOne]

@MichAnnL I’ve never used Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Glycolic Overnight Cream because it contains stuff that’s bad for my particular skin: too many fragrance components in addition to “fragrance” listed in the ingredients. I will give Caudalie kudos for detailing the scent of their “fragrance,” so I can figure out what bad-for-me essential oils are probably hiding in there, like bergamot and mandarin oils. Some folks can use essential oils on their face with no problems (eh, at least no short-term problems), but not me. 

Looking closer at the ingredients, I don’t see any of the hyperpigmentation helping ingredients I listed in my first post. I do see palmitoyl grapevine shoot extract which Caudalie claims will lighten dark spots. I can’t vouch for that without seeing clinical studies and/or corroboration from dermatologists, chemists, or other scientists. 🤷‍♀️ On a more positive note, I also see some good moisturizing and hydrating ingredients like shea butter (a very good occlusive ingredient that helps skin retain moisture), squalane, hyaluronic acid, and a few others. So, this product should at least be able to effectively moisturize your skin. 

Oh, and this cream contains the AHA glycolic acid which can indeed help brighten your overall skin tone (by removing some dead skin cells). I wish Caudalie would state the % used. If it’s something like, I dunno, 1-2% or lower, I’d worry less about using this cream nightly. But if it’s something like 5% or higher, I wouldn’t wanna use this cream every night. Overusing an AHA leads to over-exfoliation: too much of your skin’s moisture barrier gets stripped away (your skin barrier is made of dead skin cells), leaving your face wide open to acne-causing bacteria, excessive dryness, and other badness. 

Eh, you could try getting a sample to test, if you have a local Sephora (or another store that stocks this product) that's making in-store samples right now.