Spot Treat

Love the beach? Prolonged sun exposure—as well as hormonal changes, especially in women—can lead to hyperpigmentation, in which some patches of skin are darker than others. Many dermatologists will prescribe products that contain the ingredient hydroquinone to address this condition. However, you should know that the EPA considers hydroquinone a “skin irritant”, and scientists have linked it to skin cancer. It also has the unfortunate side effect of making the skin hypersensitive to the sun. Ah, the irony.

A better bet is slow-but-sure natural exfoliation. Look for beauty products that contain botanically derived lightening agents like lemon peel and licorice extract, which reduce hyper-pigmentation by inhibiting the enzyme that makes the skin overproduce the pigment in the first place. Or try this DIY remedy: After cleansing, cut a lemon in half and rub it on the area, being careful to avoid the eye area. Leave the juice on for up to 10 minutes—the slight stinging indicates the fruit acids are doing their exfoliating work—and rinse. Then follow with a soothing and hydrating mask of raw, natural honey.

And the next time you hit the waves, wear zinc-based sunscreen—and a hat!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7th, 2014 at 9:15 am. It is filed under Sustainability and tagged with beauty, burn, hydroquinone, hyperpigmentation, melanoma, skin, sun exposure, sun spots, tan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.