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Having a beautiful complexion that is worthy of compliments starts with even skin-tone. To help you improve the look of your skin, Inspirations & Celebrations’ Beauty Contributor, Alana Mitchell (a licensed esthetician and skincare expert), shares 7 simple ways to lighten, brighten, and even up your skin. In today’s skincare guide, learn about topical treatments, in-office procedures, and supplements that help to remedy this common skin problem.


7 Simple Ways To Lighten Brighten and Even Up Your Skin

Sun spots, age spots, dark circles and patches – we’ve all got ‘em. While uneven skin tone is something most of us struggle with at some point, there are a variety of ways we can combat darker or redder areas to neutralize our complexion.

Dark, dull, or spotty skin is typically caused by overexposure to the sun (even more reason to use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 of higher daily), fluctuation of hormones like estrogen, or genetics.

Sometimes other environmental factors, like pollution and stress, can also contribute to a less-than-ideal complexion. In addition, medical conditions or dry skin can also cause uneven skin tone.

Hyper-pigmentation is the darkening of the skin due to an excess of melanin, which is a natural skin color pigment. This can present as freckles or large patches, and can be attributed to several different phenomena.

Types of Hyper-Pigmentation

Some classic examples of hyper-pigmentation include:

  • Acne scars
  • Age spots
  • Birthmarks
  • Liver spots
  • Melasma (dark spots on the face)
  • Moles
  • Sun spots
  • Vitiligo
  • …and much, much more!

So, hyper-pigmentation sufferers, know that you are not alone and that it is quite common!

7 Simple Ways To Lighten Brighten and Even Up Your Skin

The first step to brightening and evening out your skin tone is proper diagnosis of the cause. This is crucial for the proper type of treatment.  No matter the cause of your uneven or spotty skin, there’s a solution out there for you.

Brighten Up & Even Out

There are a variety of natural methods and products you can try to lighten and brighten some of the darker, uneven areas of your complexion.

  • Vitamin C

This is a great ingredient for skin for so many reasons, and one of them is to even the look of your skin tone. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant and can protect skin from environmental stressors, and finding a moisturizer with soothing properties can calm even the most inflammatory skin.

  • Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3 is found in many root vegetables, vitamins, and even yeast. It helps firm and tone your skin while brightening.

  • Green Tea

In addition to its abundance of antioxidants, green tea can also help even skin tone. You can apply cooled tea bags to the dark areas and leave them on for 15 minutes to help brighten your skin. Or, you can use a skincare product that contains antioxidant-rich green tea.

  • Aloe Vera

As you may already know, aloe vera can alleviate painful sunburn. It can also help moisturize your skin, stimulate new cell and tissue growth, and restore a radiant complexion while helping to even out skin pigment. Applying it daily can have a significant positive impact on your skin tone.

  • Honey

Honey can be used to even skin tone because it works as a moisturizer and has antibacterial properties that can reduce the size of acne scars and blemishes.

The Power of Retinol

If you’re looking for something a bit stronger or more effective, retinol is one of the most popular products on the market for treating uneven skin tone. Retinol sounds like it would be more pharmaceutical than a simple natural remedy you’d find in your pantry, but it actually comes from natural sources.

Retinol is derived from vitamin A, which unclogs pores, boosts collagen, and speeds up your cell turnover to even out discoloration and smooth the skin. While prescription formulas yield the most impressive results, an over-the-counter retinoid, called retinol, can also improve lines and discoloration.

Laser Treatments

A laser peel (also known as skin resurfacing) is a procedure that uses short, concentrated beams of light to remove unwanted or damaged skin.

While laser whitening can be used to effectively treat melasma and to lighten dark spots, it’s important to note that any aggressive or invasive treatment can cause post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation in the treated areas of your skin. But don’t worry – it’s often temporary and is very common!

For more expert skincare tips and advice, visit the Skincare section on Inspirations & Celebrations.

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BEAUTY CONTRIBUTOR: Alana Mitchell

Contributor Alana MitchellFor over 14 years, Alana Mitchell (a licensed esthetician, beauty & skincare blogger, and mother of two), has sold over 300 lines of the highest of quality skincare lines through her store skincarebyalana.com. As a beauty contributor to Inspirations & Celebrations, Alana shares her insight and knowledge about skincare, personal care, and body treatments.

 


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[Images via Pixabay. Some affiliate links included.]


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