When tackling specific areas of pigmentation or dullness, it’s best to use products that contain ingredients to specifically address discolouration.

Some ingredients to incorporate into your routine include;
- Vitamin C as this can be an effective skin lightening and brightening ingredient;
- Bearberry Extract to help reduce melanin production, and;
- Liquorice as it is a powerful antioxidant and full of anti-inflammatory properties, making it great to treat post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation (i.e.breakout scarring discoloration).

You’ll find all of these ingredients and more in our Pomegranate Brightening Serum.

We also recommend using SPF everyday as heat and sun exposure will only darken pigmentation, undoing all your hard work!

Some of the most well known ingredients for treating pigmentation and dark spots are Vitamin C, Liquorice Root Extract and Bearberry Extract as these are tyrosinase inhibitors. This means they interfere with your skin's manufacture of melanin, brightening skin effectively and preventing any further brown pigment from forming.

Pigmentation is quite a tricky concern to treat, results will always vary depending on type of pigmentation and severity. Skincare may not be able to remove it completely, but with the right skincare routine, you can strengthen the skin and diminish the appearance of pigmentation and scarring for a clearer complexion. Treating pigment does take time, patience and vigilance.

Absolutely, esmi offers a range of options targeted at treating concerns of pigmentation. Please reach out to our dedicated Skin Service Team to help put together a customised routine for you.

Include these powerful natural skin lighteners in your pigmentation treatments:

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is one of the best treatments for pigmentation on your face with its ability to help lighten existing pigmentation and scarring. Vitamin C prevents and lightens patches of pigmentation without leaving your skin barrier compromised – no dryness, peeling or flaking as a result. It also gives the complexion a bright, radiant appearance.

Kakadu Plum: Kakadu Plum is believed to be the world’s most potent source of natural Vitamin C making it an excellent ingredient to help diminish the appearance of dark spots. It also contains other beneficial vitamins such as Zinc and Vitamin E which work together with Vitamin C in helping to lighten the skin.

Bearberry: Bearberry Leaf extract is a natural skin lightener that works by reducing melanin production. An excellent plant-based pigmentation treatment.

Liquorice: Great for brightening and a powerful antioxidant. Liquorice is high in anti-inflammatories – making it great for post-inflammatory pigmentation and redness/scarring after breakouts.

Niacinamide: There have been studies to show that Niacinamide or Vitamin B3 can help to lighten pigmentation by stopping the transfer of melanin at a cellular level.

The signs of pigmentation include:

• Sunspots and age spots caused by sun exposure.
• Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
• Melasma - the formation of dark, discoloured patches. Commonly experienced by women during pregnancy and often called the mask of pregnancy.

Hyperpigmentation is caused by an increase in melanin - the natural pigment that gives our skin its colour. Too much melanin can cause spots or patches of skin to appear darker than surrounding areas.

Several things can trigger an increase in melanin production, but the main causes are sun exposure, hormonal influences, age and skin injuries or inflammation.