• Pesky spots or blotches on your face may be caused by sun exposure, hormonal changes, or as a result of acne
• Chemical skin lighteners can yield fast results, but pose potential health dangers
• A new slew of naturally-derived ingredients helps target pigmentation without scary side effects
• Ingredients like Arbutin, Galactoarabinan, and mineral sunscreen ingredients can be the triple threat you need against pigmentation

Pigmentation - the number one nemesis and roadblock on our quest for flawless skin. From dark coloured age spots to post-acne scars that last long after the zit has healed, pigmentation is one of the most stubborn problems to prevent and fix. For tropical dwellers or sun lovers, prolonged exposure and the lack of sun protection could also lead to unsightly sun spots that may stay with you for years to come. 

It also does not help that the top sign of ageing in Asians is tough-to-treat melasma - as those blotchy discolourations tend to pop up and even congregate into larger masses over time! And while all spots might look the same to an average person, did you know that there are up to 10 different types of pigmentation? Which is why many frustrated patients find that their pigmentation stubbornly refuse to lighten - or worse, sometimes darken - even after spending time and hard-earned money on a slew of serums, creams, facials. 

But don’t give up all hopes of ever defeating pigmentation just yet, because to effectively rid yourself of these nasty spots, we must first familiarise ourselves with the roots of pigmentation. 

The low down on pigmentation and its many causes 

The colour of our skin is determined by a pigment called melanin. The production of melanin increases with triggers like sun exposure, whereas spikes in hormones during pregnancy or the use of contraceptives may stimulate skin darkening called melasma.

The ones that we are most familiar with - age spots, freckles and hyperpigmentation - are some of the most common types of pigmentation that occurs on the majority of Asian skin. These are dark patches or spots that appear on your face, hands, and usually areas that are most exposed to the sun. Hormonal changes, contraceptives and pregnancy can also cause other types of pigmentation, such as melasma and pregnancy masks, to appear. 

While these types of pigmentation occur in a large majority of people, pigmentation creams claiming to eradicate pesky marks often fail to, well, hit the spot. After all, with pigmentation happening over long-term sun exposure or hormonal changes, how can we expect a cream that rids us of it overnight? 

The don’t-s of pigmentation products

Just like all other types of topical treatments, pigmentation products are aplenty and needless to say, they all claim to do wonders against pigmentation. However, there are many ingredients and products that do more harm than good for your face. 

One of the most common ingredients used in makeup and skincare products is hydroquinone. Essentially a skin bleaching chemical, hydroquinone is used to lighten dark patches of skin by decreasing the formation of melanin in the skin, hence blocking the process in the skin that leads to discoloration. Although effective, hydroquinone has bleaching properties that can cause skin redness, dryness and cracking, especially for people with sensitive skin.

Another solution for pigmentation are chemical peels. A chemical peel employs acid-based solutions to regenerate the skin by causing the skin to exfoliate or peel off, allowing for new skin to regrow. While commonly used to treat acne, black heads, superficial acne scars and pigmentation, harsh chemical peels can leave your skin permanently damaged and pigmentation sports further darkened. The skin injury caused by deeper chemical peels run a risk of scarring, skin burns, blisters and even allergic reactions. 

Time for the do-s 

Great skincare is all about the basics - finding key ingredients that are safe for skin and products that contain these ingredients. Building a strong foundation for your skin is the key to warding off pigmentation and other skin problems in the long run. The Skin Firm (TSF)’s products are not great for sensitive skin, they contain only the simplest, most effective ingredients that packs a punch against stubborn skin problems like pigmentation. 

1. Arbutin 

Found in the Timeless Youth Elixir, arbutin is a natural ingredient derived from the bearberry plant, and can reduce the degree of skin darkening after sun exposure by blocking the production of tyrosinase. It is not only gentle on skin, but great for all skin types and can also help brighten and moisturise irritate skin over time. 

The Timeless Youth Elixir is packed with antioxidant-charged Himalayan red rice, but it also contains arbutin as a key ingredient, making it the ideal warrior to combat those harsh UV rays!

1. Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate (GFF)

What a mouthful this ingredient is to pronounce, and it packs just as much of a punch as the number of syllables it has. There are a number of benefits tied to GFF, mainly reducing enlarged pores as well as blackheads. But one key benefit of GFF in our Youth Therapy Concentrate Essence is its ability to brighten tired and dull looking skin. 

This hero ingredient found in luxury skincare is designed to regenerate cells, intensely hydrate, brighten and ward off wrinkles. This means that not only will you be fighting against dark spots from pigmentation, your face will also get a round of deep hydration, leaving it with a youthful glow. 

1. Galactoarabinan 

Extracted from larch trees, one of galactoarabinan (GA)’s main properties is that it reduces particle size, which helps ingredients disperse. In doing so, it can improve the SPF properties of a product with sunscreen. Other properties tied to this power ingredient is skin cell renewal efficacy, reduction of fine lines and wrinkles and increase dispersion of UV filters. 

The good news - TSF’s Long Wear Daily Sunscreen SPF40 PA+++ is not only clinically and dermatologically tested for non-irritation, it contains GA that curbs transepidermal water loss and helps disperse UV rays. 

1. Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide

As if the Long Wear Daily Sunscreen isn’t an overachiever sunscreen already, it contains both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, and each of this ingredient has a different set of abilities to combat pigmentation. 

Zinc oxide is a non-comedogenic, antimicrobial material that can help heal micro-wounds. This makes it the perfect ingredient in strengthening your skin cells as it penetrates skin effectively without clogging your pores. It’s also used in our Low Wear Daily Sunscreen as it is one of the most effective sun protectors available, blocking out both short and long UVA rays and UVB rays.

Titanium oxide is a natural mineral that whitens, thickens and lubricates materials to offer sun protection. Almost invisible to the naked eye, it is gentle on the skin and typically scaled down much smaller, making it less noticeable on the skin. This thus makes it a good choice for people with all kinds of skin colours as it does not leave an opaque layer over your skin. While it pales in comparison with zinc oxide against long-wave UVA rays, titanium dioxide trumps at blocking short-wave UVA and UVB 

This pair of ingredients therefore makes our Long Wear Daily Sunscreen SPF40 PA+++ a pigmentation warrior, helping protect against the formation of pigmentation in the long run. 

The battle against pigmentation doesn’t have to be expensive or be headache-inducing and it’s all about going back to the basics. Opt for products that have a simple yet effective list of ingredients and your skin will thank you for it! TSF is now providing free shipping for orders over $50 and you can also get the best of all worlds with The 5-piece Squad kit! Time for you to bid adieu to your worst pigmentation nemesis!