Dark Spot Product
7
- Flexible Payments: Shop now. Pay later.
- Ship To: | EN
-
Contact Us
Our customer service team in the US is ready to assist you.
Monday - Friday
7 AM – 4 PM PTSaturday
7 AM – 4 PM PT
- Login
- Join
- Your Bag 0
Jun 2, 2016
Maria G.
Really need some advice on how to cover / products that help reduce dark spots am only 22yrs. & I've been really self-conscious about my face ever since I started makeup I've been really looking a way to cover it up better
(Any tips help) thank you.
Jun 2, 2016
Viviana F.
Jun 2, 2016
Diana T.
For skincare suggestions try a vitamin c serum with a chemical exfoliant like a BHA or AHA and always wear at least SPF 15 or more ever day to prevent the spots from getting darker - that helped me with my dark acne scars - I have photos on my profile of my personal struggle with it.
Jun 3, 2016
Maria G.
Thank you girls for the tips! I've tried the papaya Corrector from Becca but isn't really helping or am doing it wrong
Jun 3, 2016
Diana T.
It depends on what color the spots are - are they red or brown or purple? The color of the spot will determine the color of the corrector you want to use - like the chart Viviana posted.
Jun 4, 2016
Samina M.
The papaya corrector from Becca is great for colour correcting a large hyperpigmented area but due to its balm like texture, I found it difficult for spot correcting. I only use it over my chin and the peach Becca corrector for discolouration over cheeks.
Try find a very pigmented cream or liquid corrector that you can dab only onto the dark spot areas. I usually allow my corrector to sit for a minute or so to dry a bit on my skin, before blending the edges gently. This avoids shifting the product off the affected dark spot. I then carefully dab over and blend my concealer.
MAC has a range of Prep + Prime Highlighter pens, of which there are 2-3 colours suitable as correctors. I like using the Peach Lustre shade for my dark spots. A new range of "skin tone" colours have been added to the original colour range. I found the new colours have a slight glitter in the formulation, not what I want to correct with! But check out the original prep+prime colours (zero glitter/sparkles).
If your skin is very oily, try using a mattifiying oil-control primer first before correcting/concealing, to prevent the products from shifting and fading on your face.
Aim to wear SPF of 30 or greater. I used to wear SPF 40 then discovered sun protection with SPF 50. Depending on what you do and where you are in the day, the sun is at its strongest between 10am - 2pm, so stay in the shade, wear a hat etc. You should re-apply your sunscreen again over your makeup, which can be awkward and mess up the look. Cover Fx have come out with a sunscreen called Clear Cover Invisible Sunscreen in SPF 30. It's a non-greasy transparent serum, a little bit goes a long way and you just rub a small amount in your palms then press your hands over your face. Your make-up will remain undisturbed.
Are your dark spots from acne? If so, you could either use commercially available beauty products for blemish control or go see a doctor for treatment. If the dark spots are just appearing without any explaination (no acne, you haven't caused yourself hyperpigmentation from wax burns due to at home hair removal) - go see your doctor for a check up.
Avoid skin lightening products that contain hydroquinone - not safe and banned in many countries.
Products from mainstream beauty houses like Clinique, Estée Lauder etc. that "even out the skin tone" are safe and gradually improve the uneven skin tone over a period of about a year or longer. Hyperpigmentation does fade, it just takes time. Clinique has their "Even Better" skin care range targeted at dark spots and uneven skin tone. Estée Lauder has got their "Enlighten" range. You should be able to find an established beauty house that will have a range of products. I do find the mid-to-higher end brand names to be more effective in terms of results.
Exfoliate regularly with an enzyme exfoliater, it's much gentler on the skin and gives better results. Avoid scrub exfoliators, since it just irritates the skin and sometimes can worsen breakouts.
You could go for a beauty salon route for a treatment plan and regular facials involving peels. Regular salon treatments can get expensive though and the results are dependent on how diligent one is to attend all sessions plus on what brand salon products are used.
And, don't fall asleep with make-up! Double cleanse at night. Make-up is such a culprit for breakouts.
I've got my regular routine that now works for me and my hyperpigmentation:
1) Enzyme exfoliate 3 x a week
2) Using Estée Lauder Enlighten range
3) Always wash make-up off at night plus double cleanse
4) Only use clean make-up brushes and sponges on my face
5) Changed primer brands - noticed skin calmed down with new brand
6) Sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen SPF 50
7) Cut back on junk food (I was a chips and chocolate fanatic!)
8) More careful with how I do my home facial waxing - the dark marks around my mouth are from old wax strip burns. Not the hot wax, just those simple little cold wax strips that warm up in the hands first.
9) Learnt how to colour correct for my skin tone and spots.
10) Experimenting with different foundations and concealers to get the coverage I want.
11) Forgot! I also do regular clarifying/clay face masks at home, to keep blemishes at bay.
Good luck :)
Jun 4, 2016
Diana T.
Hey Samina just out of curiosity what is an enzyme exfoliator? I've never heard of that before - can you give an example of one that you use? And how exactly do enzymes exfoliate? I'm really curious to know that sounds so interesting
Jun 5, 2016
Maria G.
Jun 5, 2016
Diana T.
All I see are the shadows from your sunglasses - I don't see any dark spots at all - can you take a photo in front of a window and make sure no shadows are on your face?
Jun 5, 2016
Samina M.
Hi Maria. You could be having melasma, which is an acquired skin condition where the melanocytes (the cells that produces our skin pigment/colour) overproduces melanin (the pigment). It's mainly found in high sun-exposed areas (hence brown patches on face) and there's an association with female hormonal activity. So a lot of women who are on the oral contraceptive pill (or any birth control device that is hormone based) can get melasma. In pregnant women, it's called chloasma. It also runs in the family sometimes, maybe a female relative had it before?
Sometimes melasma is caused by certain medications or cosmetics and there are other underlying medical conditions that could also trigger the melasma.
Excessive and intense sunlight exposure just worsens the pigmentation.
I'd definitely recommend that you visit your family doctor and check whether you need to change your birth control method or is there anything else that could be triggering the brown patches on your face.
In the meanwhile, wear a very high SPF sunscreen, one with SPF 50 and be obsessive with avoiding the sun/wearing a hat etc. Don't forget to re-apply the sunscreen regularly.
I'd mentioned that you should avoid products containing hydroquinone. That's because there are skin-lightening treatments available on the internet or from "dodgy sources" that have not been medically approved or prescribed by a doctor.
Different countries have different medical regulations for skin-lightening products. A doctor should be able to confirm whether you have melasma or not and the best way to treat it.
Hope this helps :)
Jun 5, 2016
Samina M.
Hi Diana - enzyme exfoliators also fall under the chemical exfoliator category.
Most of us are familiar with mechanical exfoliation where we use an abrasive action on the skin (scrubs, cloth, brush) - I'm just not a fan of scrubs, since I find them too abrasive and it would always cause my skin to flare up. Brushes like the Clarissonic are fine, I've got one, but I just somehow still press the brush too vigorously onto my face and it's lying somewhere in the dark depths of my bathroom cupboard. It's not you Clarisssonic, it's me!
Hence, I prefer chemical exfoliating and use a fruit based enzyme exfoliater from a brand called Nimue.
Chemical exfoliation consists of 3 sub-groups:
1) hydroxy acids (AHAs, the alpha hydroxy acids = lactic acid and glycolic acid and BHAs, the beta hydroxy acids = salicylic acid) - this is what already referred to previously.
2) retinol (Vitamin A)
3) enzymes (papain - found in the papaya fruit, bromelain - found in pineapple and protease enzymes derived from certain microorganisms).
All 3 sub-groups act at various sites on the skin to break down cell bonds and allow for easier and quicker sloughing of the dead superficial skin cells. There's more penetration into the skin with a chemical process as opposed to a superficial mechanical abrasive friction process.
Fruit enzyme exfoliators are just gentler than hydroxy acids and retinol and its activated by water, not by a pH level. All 3 are good exfoliators, depending on your skin's needs eg: salicylic acid based exfoliators are best used for acne-prone skin, since it has got stronger anti-blemish properties.
Nimue products are only available through beauty salons and is available in the UK, Europe, Australia and South Africa. I'm not sure about the US. It's an excellent range that treats various skin concerns. I initially started off using the range for my acne (I can't use ro-accutane or any other OC-based drugs for my skin) then switched to the hyperpigmentation range. It's always sorted my skin out, my hyperpigmentation would fade plus I was diligent with monthly Nimue facials and TCA/glycolic peels at the salon. I prefer to not mix serums or creams between different brands and I wanted to use the Advanced Night Repair serum again. Since my skin had settled, I decided to switch to the Estée Lauder Enlighten range to use with the Advanced Night Repair.
But, I'm continuing with the Nimue Exfoliating Enzyme since it's a superficial gel product that you massage onto the skin then wash off after a few minutes. So I'm not technically "mixing serums or creams" between brands :) Another bonus, there's no tingling or stinging of the skin when using the Nimue enzyme exfoliator.
I was trying to look up other brands for you that have got enzyme exfoliators. Found Elemis, a British brand that is available on the Elemis US website or certain US beauty salons. They've got a Papaya Enzyme Peel gentle cream exfoliator. Jurlique is an Australian brand that has a Fruit Enzyme Exfoliator. The brand is available on Sephora but for some reason, there's no exfoliator on the website.
I've just gotten the Omorovicza Copper Peel Tubes to add to my skin care routine. Wanted something that was hydroxy acid based (it's got lactic acid in it) to "amp up" the exfoliation routine every other month, since I've stopped going to salons for facials ... Busy lifestyle so don't have time! :)
And I'm tempted to find a vitamin C serum - Nimue has one but I don't want to mix it with my Estée Lauder products ... Will forgo it for now and avoid my old trap of product overload ;)
Jun 5, 2016
Maria G.
Jun 5, 2016
Maria G.
Samina M. I think I do have melasma It started to appear more last year Over the summer when I was at the beach (no sunscreen ) which I know was dumb but I wasn't even into makeup at all till those patches appeared & I started to feel bad I mean they were darker I've noticed on one side it started to fade a bit more & on the other the patch keeps getting bigger & like I said I've tried L.A girl orange concealer, bh cosmetics orange concealer & now am using the shade papaya from Becca cosmetics
Jun 5, 2016
Maria G.
Diana T. hope that pic is more helpful as you can see it looks brown & I do exfoliate often I even use face mask once a week because I did notice when o exfoliate my skin started to dry in that area & I had really oily skin never really suffered from acne just once in a while
Jun 5, 2016
Samina M.
Hey Maria. Get it checked out by a doctor. And try not to feel bad about yourself. Your skin texture looks lovely. Great that you don't have acne issues. A lot of patience is needed in waiting for hyperpigmentation to fade, whatever methods are used for treating it. The main thing is to remove the cause and prevent any further darkening of the pigmentation (high SPF sunscreen).
How are you applying your color corrector and concealer or foundation?
Jun 5, 2016
Maria G.
Samina m. thanks for the kind words & I usually prime first let it sit in my skin for a fee mins & afterwards add the corrector & I also let it sit for about 2kins before adding my foundation with a beauty blender
Jun 6, 2016
Ann B.
Try the Sunday Riley products Good Genes and Luna Sleeping Oil). They are better than any prescription products I've tried. They are sold at Sephora and when use together WITH SUNSCREEN during the day, they are magic. They are pricey but worth every penny. They faded hyperpigmentation I've had in my face for over 20 years.
Jun 6, 2016
Samina M.
Maria, sounds like you're applying everything perfectly. If the pigmentation is melasma, it can sometimes be stubborn to cover up. I've got mainly post-inflammatory pigmentation (PIP) from previous acne and a bit of upper lip wax burn. I can generally colour correct and conceal the marks plus they are fading (remember, patience!). But I do have this random small 1cm melasma patch on my right cheek just beneath my eye (a combination of causes due to genetics/previous medications/previous illness - and I always wear high SPF sunscreen, just moved up from 40 to 50 now). It's much darker than my PIP areas and none of my correction or concealing covers it adequately. It always remains visible. Most probably because it's a very dark brown and I probably should be using a different deeper (maybe red?) shade for colour correcting. But for me, it's such a tiny area and really doesn't bother me at all. So I haven't got a separate deeper orange-red/brick colour corrector for that little patch. As I mentioned before, the papaya Becca corrector is great for neutralizing a larger area, perfect for my PIP areas. But I found it difficult to use over a smaller area/spots, due to it's balm-like texture and not being a liquid that "dried over and sticks" to the skin.
I've wondered about the correctors used to cover tattoos. Maybe that would work over very dark pigmented areas?
If it's ok with you, can I ask one or 2 of the other experienced Beautylish members for advise on correctors and concealers for stubborn dark marks?
Jun 6, 2016
Maria G.
Ann B I recently started with a travel size Sunday Riley Luna sleeping oil am planing to get a full size it made my skin so much better!
Jun 6, 2016
Maria G.
Samina M. Yes they could be stubborn to cover up sometimes & sure you could ask am new here just getting to know how everything works here
Jun 8, 2016
Jacqueline H.
Makeup wise, part of covering discoloration comes down to 2 things: 1. Are you using the right product (s), and 2. Are you applying the products properly.
Concealers aren't always recognized and/or distinguished as a particular product... They are really a function of any product that provides enough coverage to diminish/cover skin discolorations/imperfections.
Not every discoloration on the skin necessarily needs to be neutralized. If you know how to work with high coverage products, you may not need to neutralize. I drew a happy face with black Inglot Liner on my hand, and covered it up quite simply and easily with MAC's Studio Fix fluid foundation(more of a medium coverage foundation.) See attached picture.
Black can be tough to cover, and I did it with a very mainstream medium buildable foundation. All I did was place a few dots of the Studio Fix foundation on the happy face and took a standard paddle foundation brush and made a few tapping motions to cover the area. I then set the area with a smidgen of powder and then applied another 2 dots of the foundation over the same area. I took my foundation brush, and just lightly tapped over the area again, blended out the edges and set it with a bit more powder. I used a very minimal amount of product and was still able to cover the area with relative ease. Sometimes it just comes down to technique, and the biggest mistake I see is when people lay down one layer of product, they don't set it with a bit of powder and then they apply another product on top of it but
move it in a back and forth motion which lifts up what you just put down.
There are a few really good full coverage foundations that cover discolorations like yours very easily: Estee Lauder's Maximum Coverage Camouflage for Face and Body in the blue tube (I use this stuff to cover tattoos with NO problem whatsoever) and Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer. Kevyn's foundation is almost medical grade, but I cut it with a little primer and this stuff covers everything and anything easily. When you use a foundation, you apply enough just to even out the skin tone and then once you do that, you go back over any areas that need extra attention, and apply the foundation over those areas in the same fashion; tap it over the area, blend out the edges with a standard paddle foundation brush, and then set. If you use a tapping motion when layering products you will be much more successful.
In terms of neutralizers for deeper skin tones, you want to stay within the orange red family. I use Ben Nye's Sienna Orange, Burnt Orange and Sienna Red adjusters. Becca's adjusters don't thrill me, I much prefer the performance and the price of Ben Nye's adjusters. Same principle applies... tap the adjuster over the area, set it with a little powder, and when you go back over it with your foundation, make sure just to tap over the neutralized area... don't rub in a back and forth motion, because you'll lift the product. Once you get your foundation over the area, set it with a bit of powder and you should be good to go. :) Hope this helped a bit.
Jun 8, 2016
Samina M.
Thanks Jacqueline :) The one thing that I don't do is set the corrector with powder before my concealer or foundation. I only use powder at the end after all my various product layers. Great to have learnt the correct way to neutralize then conceal, will amend my current method. Going to try out the Ben Nye for my melasma patch.
Once, at work, a concerned colleague approached my face with a tissue to rub off "mascara transfer" on my cheek. She vigorously and desperately rubbed away while I stood there a bit confused, since I don't have mascara transfer issues. Found a mirror and realized she was trying to rub off the melasma patch!
Jun 8, 2016
Maria G.
Jacqueline H. thanks for the tip I'll have to try that later today hope don't get cakey adding powder since I do have oily skin but I need to try :) & yes I used to use the brown patches for contour but like I mentioned it started to spread upwards & on my other cheek it started to fade :)
Jun 8, 2016
Maria G.
I need to try the Ben nye also Samina M. maybe we could both do an update later on :)
Jun 9, 2016
Samina M.
Hi Maria, will definitely keep you posted :) 🌷