If you suffer from pigmentation, you'll be all too familiar with the blotchy skin, dark patches, red spots or unsightly discoloration it causes.

Unfortunately, pigmentation is one of the more difficult skin conditions to deal with. It is stubborn, hard to cover (even with makeup) and can leave you feeling self-conscious. 

 

Today we’re taking a look at the root causes of pigmentation, the ideal ingredients to counteract it, as well as the best K-Beauty products for pigmentation.

 

What Causes Pigmentation?

Pigmentation can be caused by a wide range of factors – acne, exposure to the sun, hereditary conditions, hormones, medications, allergic reactions, and other forms of skin damage. Hyperpigmentation is essentially caused by the excess production of melanin by the melanocyte cells in the body. Melanin is the pigment in skin that gives our skin its normal colour.

Acne

Acne is one of the key causes of pigmentation.

Once the skin is damaged, it may not be able to reproduce its original skin pigments, leading to darker pigments forming over the damaged area of the skin. Immediately post-acne, the skin is characterised by flat, red scars that can take many months to fade. Deeper acne scars usually remain permanently, and are characterised by depressed white scars.

 

 

Sun Exposure

Exposure to the sun causes the skin to tan, which is a reflection of the trauma that has occurred to the skin’s cells.

When our skin is exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, it responds by becoming inflamed. The activation of melanocytes is one of the responses to this. Once the melanocytes are activated, the production of melatonin begins.

Even though the skin darkens in colour and tans with exposure to the sun, this doesn’t mean the tan will be uniform or even. Pigmentation is a reflection of this.

Medications

A wide variety of medications contribute to and cause pigmentation, including the pill, antibiotics, anti-malarials, anti-topical retinoids, anti-seizure medications and more. Sometimes, pigmentation will remain even after the course of medication is complete.

Hormonal Changes

One of the leading causes of pigmentation is changes in hormones, particularly in pregnant women. Hormonal changes often leave the skin with dark, blotchy patches. Pigmentation on the upper lip is another classic symptom of hormonal imbalance, particularly in women.

The Best Ingredients To Treat Pigmentation

In addition to other practical ways of avoiding pigmentation, there are a wide variety of ingredients that can help improve it.

Many ingredients commonly found in Asian beauty products are perfect for treating pigmentation. Some of our favourites include Vitamin C, niacinamide, rice, galactomyces, and more.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C and its derivatives have been shown to be effective against pigmentation. This is because they inhibit the skin from producing melanin, which causes discoloration in the first place. Our Korean beauty picks include:

COSRX Vitamin C Serum – a lightweight Vitamin C booster that fight early signs of aging. In addition, it helps improve skin's brightness. COSRX's potent serum is formulated with a stabilized form of Vitamin C at a pH of 3.36. This assists to minimise reactions when the product comes into contact with air. 

APLB Vitamin C Serum- this pure Vitamin C Ampoule helps create a more vibrant complexion free from uneven skin tone. If you are suffering from red marks left over from acne or sun damage, then this is the serum for you. Perfect for sensitive skin. 

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Snail Mucin

Snail mucin is one of Korean Beauty’s favourite ingredients for repairing skin. It is great for skin afflicted by acne, acne scarring, aging and sun damage. Renowned for its ability to tighten and regenerate skin, snail mucin also reduces the appearance of acne scars and firms the skin. Our favourite snail-repairing Korean beauty products include:

APLB Healing Moisture Snail Cream – this repairing moisturiser addresses a wide range of skin concerns, from pores and dull skin to acne and fine-lines.

COSRX Snail Mucin Essence – this treatment essence repairs sun damage. It is helpful for acne, uneven skin tone and scarring.

Rice

Rice can assist with discolored skin cells by helping to slough away dead skin and brightening dull skin.

Korean beauty’s best-selling rice product is Skinfood Rice Mask Wash Off, a pH 5.5 balanced wash-off face mask. It instantly brightens a dull complexion with rice extracts. It also works to slough off dead skin.

Galactomyces

A byproduct of the sake brewing process, this wonder beauty ingredient is produced when fermentation breaks the yeast down into smaller components. This allows it to effectively deliver antioxidants directly to the skin. It protects skin from environmental and UV damage, which cause premature aging.

Our favourite K-Beauty products featuring galactomyces include:

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence – enhances the skin’s natural renewal process to deliver anti-wrinkle and anti-aging benefits.

Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence – delivers 8 benefits – soothing, smoothing, balancing sebum levels, moisturising, improving skin tone, firming, wrinkle repair and boosting.

 

Licorice Extract

Licorice has skin-soothing properties and may be effective in improving the look of uneven skin tone. It is often indicated for people with a reddened complexion.

Try:

Subi Brightening Powder Cleanser, which offers a 2-in-1 function of gentle cleansing and exfoliating. It contains licorice. 

 

 

Niacinamide

Niacinamide is a type of Vitamin B3 that has several benefits for aging skin. These include:

1 Acne fighter

2 Enhanced barrier function

3 Improved textural appearance

4 Improvement in hyperpigmentation, wrinkles

Niacinamide is widely found in Korean beauty products, but one of our favourites includes:

Jelly Ko Cherry Blossom Sleeping Mask - containing a buffet of skin-loving ingredients, including a functional amount of niacinamide. 

For more tips on treating pigmentation, click here.

What are the best K-Beauty products for pigmentation you’ve found? Let us know in the comments!

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