I went through a phase of my life where I had a lot on my plate. So, I stumbled upon this Adderall-like pill that was supposed to help me juggle it all and decided to give it a go. The medication was supposed to make you superhuman-kinda like the guy in limitless, but that pill was bad news. Not only did it stress out my entire being & mess up my health, but I watched my skin get darker even though I was maintaining the same skincare routine. It all came down to one major habit: not getting enough sleep. So bad habits and not getting enough sleep can affect your appearance and cause your skin to get darker. That’s point number 1
Number 2 – Sun exposure
When I was younger, I thought it was a brilliant idea to study outside. Then, I wasn’t well educated on the harmful effects of the sun, so I would apply creams, including a cream as strong as hydroquinone, and then go and sit outside all afternoon. Not only did my spots take longer to fade, but my skin got darker even though I was diligent with my skincare routine. So frequent sun exposure can cause your skin to get darker.
Number 3 – Sunscreen
On more than one occasion, I’ve had someone tell me that they think that their sunscreen is making them darker. What is that all about? I’ve read that if your sunscreen stresses your skin, it can cause your skin to get darker. The critical ingredient that is at the root of this stress is oxybenzone. Thankfully, In recent times though, many brands have started avoiding this ingredient and not including it in their sunscreen. Another potential cause of your skin getting darker after applying sunscreen is white cast. This effect is prevalent with a lot of mineral sunscreens. Mineral sunscreens usually contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide; these ingredients leave a white cast on the skin. Over time that white cast turns grey, and the result is your skin looking darker because it has this grey cast over it (I learned this from a fellow YouTuber, Chuks )
Number 4 – Another cause is your skincare products.
Sometimes brands change the formulation of their products, and when you restock and continue using the product, as usual, you realize it’s no longer “giving what it was supposed to give” (credit: rolling ray). For some reason, it no longer has that brightening effect it had before.
Number 5 – Not being consistent with your routine or trying a new skincare product.
Life happens, you get overwhelmed, and then suddenly you slack on your skincare routine. This can cause your skin to get darker because whatever was causing your skin to be bright and vibrant, you’re no longer feeding it to your skin. Another one is trying a new skincare product. If you notice that your skin has gotten darker since adding a new skincare product, that could signify that your skin is not happy with that product. It could be irritating your skin, and it could be clashing with another product you’re using.
Number 6 – Skincare Products and factors that cause the skin to get darker
First, no one maintains the same skin tone throughout the years, but some things can accelerate the process, such as environmental conditions, and stress levels. Photosensitive skincare products can cause your skin to get darker when you apply it and expose yourself to the sun without protection—examples: AHA, BHA, Retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, fruit enzymes.
Now let’s address this common question.
Why is my face darker than my body?
All the reasons mentioned above apply here, but there are some additional causative factors. They include medications you’re taking (e.g., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, amiodarone, and cytotoxic drugs), if you have an autoimmune disease, if you are experiencing hormonal changes and your genetics.
Skincare ingredients and habits that can brighten up the skin
Kojic acid: Kojic acid soap, kojivit cream, kojic acid serums
Combining tretinoin with your skin brightening products
Some vitamin c serums, and alpha arbutin, AHAs, sunscreen.
Habits: Avoiding the sun, getting 8 hrs of sound sleep, limiting your sugar intake, and eating fruits and vegetables that brighten the skin, such as strawberries, orange, grapefruit, lemon, eggs, avocado, pineapple, tomatoes, walnuts, spinach, turmeric.
Question
Do you already eat any of the skin brightening foods mentioned? Let me know which ones in the comment section.
Products
Products mentioned
▶ Kojic Acid Soaps https://amzn.to/3fQqwJa
▶ Kojic acid (cream) Skincareex: bit.ly/2WjufFS Okdermo: bit.ly/2KwCEmr
▶Kojic acid serum (GOW)
▶Tretinoin https://thepigmentedlife.com/product-links/
▶Hydroquinone https://bit.ly/3nhCxtA
▶Menotone http://rsskincare.com/2x-menotone-face-cream/
▶Vitamin c https://amzn.to/2VGuXjg
▶Demelan – Arbutin https://bit.ly/3AqHV3D
▶The Ordinary – Arbutin https://bit.ly/2U3aXqy
▶Glycolic acid Cream https://bit.ly/3jJhX4Z
▶Sunscreen https://amzn.to/3jL4byO
Recommended Video: Tretinoin Before and After – Results of Using for 3 Months https://youtu.be/rQKXYg8LPqA
