Now that summer is officially over, you may be noticing a few lingering dark spots on your face, hands and chest, even after your beach glow fades. This is known as pigmentation and is a direct result of sun exposure, specifically UVA, or ageing, rays.
These spots are a cluster of melanin that has risen to the surface of your skin to defend it against the sun and while you may be seeing it for the first time this year, it may have started developing 10 to 20 years ago. Pigmentation can also occur due to changing hormone levels, particularly during pregnancy.
While sunscreen is the key to prevention, your skincare routine can include brightening products to lighten the spots. Vitamin C is a key ingredient to help fade dark patches as well as lactic acid. When discussing options with clients, I have recommended Pepta-Bright and Vitamin C24 for home use.
Recently, Environ Skincare has introduced a three-step system that combats pigmentation with a host of great ingredients. I use Environ in my treatments and at home and what I love about the Mela-Smart System is how comprehensive it is in tackling the problem.
Yes, the programme utilises vitamin C and lactic acid, however it also includes niacinamide to promote skin growth and cell renewal to improve skin tone, sepiwhite to control the release of melanin and alpha-arbutin to help inhibit the production of melanin.
Mela-Smart utilises botanicals such as honeybush, neem leaf, plum, Japanese flowering cherry and artichoke leaf to provide support in lightening and preventing pigmentation while offering antioxidant protection.
When used together, Mela-Prep Lotion, Mela-Fade Serum and Mela-Even Cream work to erase pigmentation and encourage cells to operate as they should without creating dark skin patches. When combined with daily sunscreen application, critical to preventing future skin issues, this system can restore even skin tone.
If you have questions about your skin post summer, please do get in touch and let’s talk about whether this new Radiance Range is right for you.