PigmentationAn even, protected tone
Simple steps and the products Dr. Guo suggests for sun spots, melasma and uneven tone.
Dr. Guo recommends
The products Dr. Guo suggests for this routine, step by step.
Sold and shipped by DermShop. Dr. Guo is the Managing Director and a shareholder of DermShop.
1. Cleanse
Morning and night
A gentle cleanser. Scrubs and harsh exfoliants irritate the skin and can darken pigment.
For all skin types
ZO Skin Health
ZO Skin Gentle Cleanser
$64.00
A gentle cleanser that does not irritate skin prone to pigment.
200 mL / 6.7 Fl. Oz. · 60 mL / 2 Fl. Oz.
View at DermShop
For dry skin
SkinCeuticals®
SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser
$65.00
A mild, non-foaming cleanser.
2. Treat
Morning or night
A brightening serum, such as vitamin C, azelaic acid or niacinamide, used every day.
Start here
hmbl
hmbl Pigment Corrector Cream
$42.50
A brightening cream with niacinamide and alpha arbutin for uneven tone.
Step up
SkinMedica
SkinMedica Lytera® 2.0 Pigment Brightening Serum
$144.50
A brightening serum with tranexamic acid and niacinamide.
3. Moisturize
Morning and night
A light moisturizer keeps the skin comfortable while treatment works.
Start here
hmbl
hmbl Light Moisturizing Cream
$35.00
A light, comfortable moisturizer under sunscreen.
Step up
SkinCeuticals®
SkinCeuticals Metacell B3 Anti-Aging Moisturizer
$136.00
A moisturizer with niacinamide that supports an even tone.
4. Protect
Morning, and reapply
Broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day, all year. A tinted mineral sunscreen also blocks visible light.
Start here
Vivier Pharma
Vivier Sheer SPF 30 Mineral Tinted Sunscreen
$72.00
A tinted mineral SPF 30 for daily wear.
Step up
Colorescience
Colorescience Sunforgettable® Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50
$85.00
A tinted mineral SPF 50; the tint also helps against visible light.
Fair / 55 mL / 1.8 Fl. Oz. · Light / 55 mL / 1.8 Fl. Oz. · Medium / 55 mL / 1.8 Fl. Oz. · Tan / 55 mL / 1.8 Fl. Oz. · Deep / 55 mL / 1.8 Fl. Oz. · Rich Deep / 55 mL / 1.8 Fl. Oz.
View at DermShop
What helps
Pigmentation is extra melanin in the skin: sun spots, melasma and the marks left after acne or irritation. Sunlight drives almost all of it, so protection comes before anything else.
Brightening products work slowly and only near the surface. Give them twelve weeks, use them every day, and stop anything that stings or reddens: irritation can darken the skin further.
See a dermatologist for a spot that changes, grows or bleeds, and for melasma that does not settle. Some spots need a closer look, and laser or prescription treatment reaches deeper pigment.