When some of us were kids we had the freckle thing going on. Many of us hated them, some didn’t care, but our moms used to try and make us feel better by telling us they were “angel kisses” or some other positive story. And now that we are older we have finally lost the freckles only to be besieged by “brown spots”, otherwise known as age spots, liver spots or as our estheticians like to call them “skin tone irregularities”.
So where do these spots come from? Well it is true that our beloved sun is the major reason we have these spots as they are an accumulation of melanin (the pigment that is made when we expose ourselves to the sun). The problem is that we were not wearing our anti-oxidants at the appropriate time to keep the sun’s rays from doing damage, and we now have these “unsightly” age spots. So now how do we get rid of them?
There are many ways to do this: from bleaching agents like hydroquinone (linked to cancer) and synthetic ingredients, to very natural alternatives such as those derived from plants and animals. In researching the natural ingredients there is a vast array of ingredients now designed to fade age spots: alpha-arbutin (derived from bearberry), a combination of licorice, milk thistle, and vitamin c, active plant stem cells (there are dozens in this category) and the list goes on and on. And these I’ve mentioned so far are just the “natural” ingredients. If we start to talk about the synthetic ones that Estee Lauder, Clinique or perhaps that some online marketing companies use, the ingredients available are overwhelming.
If we just consider the “natural” category, many of these ingredients now have great clinical studies showing that after about 28 days (one skin cycle), these spots are diminished in appearance, and with continued use may seem to disappear. Being a cruelty-free company, derma e® cannot use many of the ingredients currently available but we have put together a terrific blend of licorice, milk thistle, vitamin c and alpha-arbutin in a rich moisturizing base that in our consumer studies has worked extremely well to banish brown spots. derma e®’s Skin Lighten is one of the best natural “lightening” products on the market that helps reduce brown spots, even skin tone and give the skin a more youthful glow.
Don’t forget that after the face, our hands are the second place that give away our age, so use Skin Lighten as a hand crème to erase the signs of aging there as well. And next time, remind yourself to be sure to use your antioxidants to prevent further damage from the sun.
Yours in health,
Dr. Linda Miles, L.Ac., D. O. M.