How to Get rid of Darks Marks and Lighten Discolorations on Darker Skin Tones (This Works!)

If you struggle with dark marks on your skin and post acne hyperpigmentation, melasma etc. fear not because these problems can actually be treated and even faded completely by using the proper skin lightening creams, gels and serums. Hyperpigmentation such as brown spots, post acne scars, freckles etc. can be faded and reduced overtime through the application of skin lightening creams, lotions, gels or serums that contain the following effective key ingredients:

 Beyonce's image is just used as an example not a claim of the actual results of using any listed products

Key Ingredients to Look Out for in any Fade Cream

Hydroquinone

Licorice extract

Glycolic acid

Uji green tea extract

Alpha hydroxy acids
Azelaic acid
Fennel extract

All the ingredients listed above are highly effective in fading and getting rid of dark spots, patches and any unwanted hyperpigmentation but only if used regularly and consistently for some time. Make sure that you select the appropriate skin lightening product by paying attention to the active ingredients in the product since some ingredients can be very drying to the skin. If you have sensitive skin, it is always best to perform a patch test before using any skin care product in order to make absolutely sure that the ingredients contained inside the product will not cause any allergic reaction, rash or inflammation.

Recommended Effective Products

1. Procelain Skin Whitening Serum

If you don't want to drastically lighten your skin but even your tone out. Apply this serum once every three days because frequent usage= drastic results. This stuff really works!!!

 From experience, I find that whitening serums tend to work much faster on hyperpigmentation especially if you are dealing with a larger area. The Porcelain skin whitening serum is by far the one that has worked best for me in quickly lightening areas where I was having issues with darkening such as my neck, knuckles and forehead. After 2 months usage I was able to see a SIGNIFICANT difference. As a matter of fact the Porcelain Serum works so well that a friend asked me if my skin had gotten lighter so I knew I had to slow down the application to once every three days as oppossed to my daily application. 
The only con to whitening serums is they can tend to be a bit runny for spot treatment so I would recommend skin whitening serums to be applied to areas where you might want to lighten and brighten or areas that have widespread hyperpigmentation such as the neck, forehead etc.


2. Piona Strong Skin Bleaching Cream 4oz

Piona skin bleaching cream is a very strong whitening cream. Works very well if you have a darker skin tone.

If you have sensitive skin, then beware because the Piona Strong Skin Bleaching Cream is a very strong and highly effective skin lightening cream. If you want to get rid of dark marks on your face or skin, then this cream is one of the very best there is for that. With this skin lightening cream you get more control is you intend to only lighten a few spots since creams have a consistency that is more easier to work with. It is also versatile for lightening larger areas such as knees, neckline etc.


3. Kojie San Skin Lightening Soap

This soap works very well on dark knees, dark underarms but if I would not recommend it for the face because it can be very drying.

If you want to lighten dark marks such as any discoloration on areas such as your knees, elbows, back etc. Then I would strongly recommend that you try the Kojie San Skin Lightening Soap. This skin whitening soap is very effective and I usually leave it on for around 30 minutes on my knees. I used to have very dark knees and by using a combination of 2x monthly 50% lactic acid peels, applying this soap and using the Piona bleaching cream, you can barely tell and I am comfortable wearing shorts to the gym since I am no longer self conscious.
I also used the Kojie San Skin Lightening Soap to lighten my dark underarms and this has worked WONDERS to say the least. I will be writing a post soon on how I lightened my underarms so that my readers can get to know the full details on how they can do the same.

Always read the label of any skin lightening product before you purchase it and make sure that any fade cream, serum, gel or lotion you buy has the above mentioned key ingredients listed as part of the top five ingredients. If the key ingredient is listed as the very last one on the label, then chances are that the product will not be as effective as you want it to be in fading the hyperpigmentation on your skin. The fact of the matter is, the further an ingredient is listed on the ingredient list, the less of it there is in the product. So if liquorice extract (an effective skin lightening ingredient) is listed as one of the few last ingredients in any skin lightening product, then it means that the particular skin care product will contain very little liquorice extract and more than likely not enough of it to make any real significant difference in your skin's condition.

Skin lightening creams do tend to have strong active ingredients and as a result, these products can be a bit drying to your skin so it's important to make sure that you use a good moisturizer on top of the fading cream, serum or gel. Keep in mind that skin lightening creams, lotions, gels and serums can also increase your skin's sensitivity to sunlight so it is best to always wear an oil free broad spectrum sunscreen on your skin in order to avoid any sunburn and re-darkening of the skin.

If you have tried and tested many skin lightening products including the ones mentioned here but you have yet to see any difference in your skin's condition or any fading or lightening of any dark marks, freckles, age spots or other hyperpigmentation that you have, fear not, there is still hope. You might be a candidate for other skin treatments such as microdermabrasion, laser and chemical peels in order to get rid of dark marks and a more even and radiant skin tone. For the later mentioned skin care treatments, make sure to consult with a dermatologist or other skincare professional in order to find out what method would be most suitable and effective for your skin tone, texture and type.

How To Lighten The Dark Skin Discoloration on Your Face

If you have a darker skin tone, each and every time your skin breaks out, you'll find yourself left with a dark mark on your skin. Overtime if your skin keeps breaking out you will likely find yourself with very uneven skin tone and an increased self conscious as you wear more foundation in an attempt to even out your skin. As much as I love makeup myself, its always nice to know that makeup and especially foundation can be worn as an option as opposed to having it be a major requirement in your daily life. So to cut to the chase, I'm going to share which products have worked for me in terms of how I have managed to significantly lighten the dark skin discoloration on my face. I hope I can be of help to you if you have oily, acne prone skin and are looking for products to use in order to fade any dark mark you might have on your skin.

Skin Type: Oily, prone to the occasional breakouts

Cleaning My Face

=>To clean my face everyday, I use plain ol Dove Beauty Bar for Sensitive skin (yep my skin's so super sensitive I can't even bare to use any of those foaming cleansers, more on that at a later post). When I'm wearing makeup, I use the Dove Beauty Bar and scrub my face every so gently with a simple face brush. I gently work in the lather, then rinse using luke-warm water.

  Spot Treatment

 In order to get rid of the dark marks on my face, I use Nadinola Extra Strength Discoloration Fade Cream and I must say that I have seen very significant and impressive results and I have tried many creams in the past which never worked. So if you haven't tried the Nadinola Cream, all I have to say is THIS STUFF REALLY WORKS! 

I am not trying to lighten my skin, just fade the dark spots. I would advise that you it only to fade the dark spots because if you use it all over your face, then it might just lighten your skin, however your dark spots will become more noticeable since they won't lighten at the same color  of your skin. 

I use the following products for Spot treatment

1. Nadinola Extra Strength Fade Cream

Moisturize

=> To moisturize my face during the day, I use the Garnier Fructis Gel Cream and finish off with the Avon MagiX Face Perfector SPF 20 as part of my everyday sunscreen and shine control gel. It also works to keep dark marks from re-appearing and also protects my skin from the damaging UV rays.

I NEVER leave the house without putting on some SPF 20 and I absolutely LOVE the Avon Magix Face Perfector because it work on ALL skin tones, from light to dark!

 

At nigh and before bed I simply moisturize my face using Bio Oil which has worked wonders for my face and its the one oil that has never broken me out and it also helps to even out my skin!

Toning

=> I use a toner on my face every other week and especially if I'm wearing foundation I use the toner after cleansing my face. The only toner I use is the Thayer Witch Hazel Toner (Rose Petal) simply because its alcohol free, it works very well and it doesn't dry out my face like some of the toners I've used in the past. Whenever I apply a chemical peel to my face, I also use some toner beforehand and I find that doing so really helps to open up my pores and allows the peel to work on more deeper layers of the skin.  

 Skin Resurfacing & Preventing Breakouts

=> The very first thing I did when I started the process to try and lighten the dark skin discoloration on my face was a chemical peel (I did one all by myself at home). The peel I started using 1 year ago and still use to this day, is the Salicylic Acid 20% Professional Gel Peel from Amazon. I recommend that if you've never used any chemical peel to start with the 20% concentration, and only leave it on for 2 minutes the first time. I leave it on my face now for just 7 minutes maximum. 
- I have never gone higher in concentration because the Salicylic Acid 20% concentration works perfectly for me and my skin has adjusted very well to it from the start and up to now. 
- I always use a neutralizer every time I finish a peel and before I rinse of the peel with luke-warm water as this helps to balance the ph levels on my skin.

•  To make the neutralizer, I just mix regular baking soda with luke-warm water in a spray bottle and use it after 7 minutes with the peel on my face, I rinse my face with plain water and also spray the neutralizer on my face once more. I find this really calms my skin after a peel.

What to expect when using Salicylic acid peel:
-Stinging of the skin, your skin will sting alot especially the first few times you use it
- Again, a stinging burning sensation...
-Flaking  of the skin 1 or 2 days after you apply the peel ( not to worry, this is the peel working to help your body in shedding off the top layer of the skin, revealing new skin underneath) 
- Excessively dry skin like you won't believe!...This is where the Bio Oil comes in handy

*Very Important: Follow the directions on the insert (that comes with this peel) and never leave the peel on your face for more than 8 minutes max. Remember you're dealing with a chemical peel that has the possibility of burning your face if left on for a longer time than what's recommended. 

Lightening The Skin 

I also use the Lactic Acid 50% Professional Gel Peel with Kojic Acid & Bearberry Extract to further lighten the skin underneath what the salicylic acid has helped me shed. Its recommended that whenever you're using 2 chemical peels, you need to space them out about 2-3 weeks apart in order to avoid chemically over-
processing your skin. This is exactly what I do. I use Salicylic Acid in the first week of every month and use it for two days during that first week. Then I have two weeks of no chemical peels and on the 4th week, I use the Lactic acid  two times during that fourth week. I have a calendar to track my chemical peels and I recommend you get a separate calendar to track this process as well as it will be less confusing in the long run.  
When I first started using it 4 months ago, I wasn't seeing results as quickly as I hopped but at the present time, I really do notice a great difference especially in terms of the intensity of the dark marks and the smoothness of my skin. Most of the dark marks I had on my forehead from previous breakouts are all but faded away. 
In terms of really helping to lighten any dark skin discoloration you may have on your face, this Lactic Acid peel really helps to fade any post acne pigmentation marks, melasma or other dark spots you have on your skin. It's also thick so you can build the layers as you see fit.

What to expect when Using Lactic Acid Gel Peel
- A stinging sensation especially if its your first application
- Flaking skin ( this is the acid working to help your skin shed faster and reveal new skin underneath)
- A whiteish cast to your skin your skin may look a bit frosty during and after you use the peel, this should go away with time and as the skin sheds more.

Purging Pores & Getting Rid of Blackheads

=> I am never without my Mint Julep Masque, absolutely can't live without it! I use this mask 2 days every week to purge my pores, dry out any zits or pimples and it also works in get rid of any developing blackheads on my skin. I've heard of some people experiencing some stinging sensation when using this mask, however for me that's not the case.The only downside to this mask is with the packaging, it tends to dry out in the tube if you don't store it with the lid facing down. So to make sure it doesn't dry out and get crusty, don't store it laying sideways, but store it with the lid facing down on a flat counter surface or you can instead get the Mint Julep Masque Jar and save yourself the trouble.

That's pretty much the regular round of products I use to stay spot free and acheive a more even complexion and skin tone. I never use any products that have Hydroquinone as a lightening ingredient and I stay far away from using concentrated vitamin E oil on my face ( no other oil breaks me out like vitamin E oil!).  I also NEVER EVER use a face towel on my face! I noticed that when I used to breakout often is when I used to use a face towel to dry off my face after cleansing. Nowadays, I just wash my face and let it air dry before applying moisturizer and I rarely break out!! 

Your pillow cases can also cause breakouts, make sure that you're changing your pillow case every week, yep i said it, EVERY WEEK! Keep in mind your hair contains oils, which usually transfers onto your pillowcase at night when you're sleeping. Doing a face plant into a dirty pillow each and every night is just a recipe for breakouts on your face! Always remember, even though there are great products you can use to get rid of the dark skin discoloration on your face, prevention is always better than any treatment!