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Are you worried about dark spots on your skin and are looking to treat them with alpha arbutin and niacinamide active ingredients?
Dark spots are those light brown to dark brown colored spots you see on the skin. It is actually hyperpigmentation of the skin when there is a high production of melanin. Dark spots usually appear on the skin of people in middle age.
It is interesting to note that dark spots and pigmentation on the skin are the number two most common skin concern among Malaysians who have taken the myeppo skin quiz! Cumulative exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light can lead to dark spots. This is especially a problem in Malaysia, which receives sunlight and high UV rays all year round.
If you are not diligent with sunscreen application, you might see dark spots appearing later when you get older! Furthermore, acne, excessive scrubs, and waxing can also cause dark spots to appear on the skin.
Thankfully, you can treat and lighten those dark spots with alpha arbutin and niacinamide! Curious? Read on to know more.
Alpha arbutin (Hydroquinone β-D-glucopyranoside) is a natural antioxidant usually found in the bearberry, cranberries, and blueberries plant. This active ingredient helps to brighten skin and improve the appearance of dark spots and pigmentation on the skin.
If you feel hesitant to try alpha arbutin when you learn that is it a derivative of hydroquinone, don’t be! It’s true that hydroquinone is famously banned from several countries due to its side effects. However, alpha arbutin is much gentler compared to hydroquinone and is featured in a lot of skincare products.
Also, keep in mind that not all arbutin are created the same! The sibling of alpha arbutin, the beta arbutin, is less stable and not as effective as alpha arbutin. Therefore, ignore beta arbutin and go for alpha arbutin to treat your dark spots.
Related: Skincare School: How to Apply Face Serums
There are a lot of well-known benefits to using alpha arbutin. It can be used on all types of skin. Besides helping to reduce dark spots and hyperpigmentation on the skin, you can also use alpha arbutin to help fade old acne scars!
Related: Best 4 The Ordinary Products for Acne Scars You Should Try Now!
Alpha arbutin also helps to improve uneven skin complexion and ensure the skin brightening effect is even. Furthermore, alpha arbutin is so gentle on the skin, making it more suitable for those with a more sensitive skin compared to other harsher skin brightening ingredients.
As alpha arbutin is gentle on the skin, you can use it together with other skin brightening ingredients to help boost its benefits. Alpha arbutin has not shown any negative interactions with other ingredients, so you can add it to your current skincare routine easily.
You can use alpha arbutin together with niacinamide, Vitamin C, AHA, chemical peels, retinol, etc. Alpha arbutin can be applied twice a day after morning and nighttime cleansing prior to putting on moisturizer.
Even though alpha arbutin is safe for the skin and can be used with other ingredients, it is generally not a good idea to use too many active ingredients together at the same time to avoid overwhelming the skin. Consider choosing at most 3 ingredients at one time to improve your skin issues.
Related: Skincare Ingredients Checker: 5 Websites will Analyse the Ingredients for You
As mentioned, alpha arbutin is a gentle ingredient and thus you won’t see dark spots disappearing straight away after a few use! To help speed up and boost the benefits of alpha arbutin, consider pairing and mixing it with other active ingredients to help brighten your skin.
Be patient and be diligent in applying alpha arbutin daily to reap the benefits.
Niacinamide, also known as nicotinamide, is the topical version of Vitamin B3. It can be found naturally in our daily food such as meat, fish, eggs, and green vegetables. Niacinamide has become a powerhouse in the skincare world in the past few years due to its many benefits.
One of the major benefits of niacinamide is it helps to improve skin hydration by replenishing and strengthening your skin’s natural skin barrier. A strong natural skin barrier prevents the moisture in the skin from evaporating into the environment. Another major benefit of niacinamide is that it helps to minimize the appearance of large pores on the skin and inhibits excess sebum production – a god-send if you have oily skin!
Furthermore, niacinamide is also anti-inflammatory which means it is a good ingredient to help calm irritated skin. It prevents the signs of skin aging such as wrinkles and discoloration, as niacinamide boosts collagen production in the skin!
Phew, with that many benefits, now you know how great niacinamide is right?
Niacinamide is compatible with a lot of skincare ingredients such as retinol, alpha arbutin, AHA, BHA, Vitamin C, etc. Therefore you don’t have to worry about mixing niacinamide with your existing skincare products.
You may have read that these ingredients should not be mixed, but that notion is based on outdated research. Additionally, many vitamin C and AHA/BHA products these days have been updated to more stable formulations, which make them safe to be used together. However, as with every skincare product, it is still important to introduce new active ingredients gradually to ensure no adverse skin reactions.
When you choose to use niacinamide for the first time, it is important to look at the amount of niacinamide present in the total ingredients list. Usually, niacinamide comes in 2% and 5% concentrations. If you have sensitive skin, start easing niacinamide into your skincare routine with the lower 2% formula first.
Source: Can You Use Niacinamide and Vitamin C Together? Derms Explain (byrdie.com) and Niacinamide and Vitamin C: Can You Combine Them? (healthline.com)
As with a lot of skincare ingredients, you would have to keep applying the ingredients diligently and wait to see the results. Generally, you can expect to see improvement after four weeks of consistent twice-daily use.
Depending on the condition of the skin and skin issues, you will start to reap the full benefits of using niacinamide after 12 weeks of diligent use.
Yes, you can use alpha arbutin and niacinamide together!
As alpha arbutin is a gentle ingredient, pairing it with niacinamide will help to boost its benefits. It helps that both alpha arbutin and niacinamide are water-based, thus they can blend together easily.
You can use both alpha arbutin and niacinamide in your morning and evening skincare routine.
To avoid dark spots from appearing on the skin, make sure you apply sunscreen every day. Reapply your sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours, especially if you are outdoors! Plus, do try to avoid the sun between 10 am to 3 pm as the sun rays are the most intense during this time.
With that said, dark spots are actually not a serious skin condition and they do not require medical treatment. However, if you want to remove them for cosmetic reasons, you should try incorporating alpha arbutin and niacinamide into your skincare routine.
