Still have dark spots after 3 months on a skin care routine? What to do now to get rid of spots?
My dark spots won’t go away!
Dark spots on the skin can take a very long time to clear. In some stubborn melasma cases, dark spots won’t go away.
Most dark spots clear in 12 – 16 weeks, but in moderate to severe cases of melasma it can take longer.
chnage your skin care routine to get rid of dark spots
Why Dark Spots Won’t Go Away On Skin
Dark spots won’t go away for a few reasons:
Continued exposure to sun
Heat
Hormones
Skin lighteners with tyrosinase inhibitors stop working
Skin lighteners with tyrosinase inhibitors stop working after 4 months so you need to take a 4 week holiday from them and restart them so they will work better.
This is why when you have melasma or dark spots that will not go away, you need to alternate between a Treatment Skin Care Routine and a Maintenance Skin Care Routine until the darks spots clear.
How long it will take for the dark spots to completely clear will depend upon:
How deep in the skin they are
How much light and heat you are exposed to
If you wear SPF every day even indoors
For stubborn dark spots to go away you need to use the full skin care routine that we recommend every day.
What to do if you have used your recommended skin care routine correctly and your dark spots are still visible?
Make sure you are following these tips on getting rid of melasma.
Alternate your skin care routines as described here.
Replace your tyrosinase inhibitor product for another type of skin lightener for 4 weeks and then restart the tyrosinase inhibitor.
Use an exfoliator
Use a moisturizer with unsaturated fatty acids
Zerafite Skin Brightening Barrier Cream is our favorite moisturizer to use in a skin care routine to lighten dark spots because it has artemisia capillaris and unsaturated fatty acids.
It was designed to make other skin lighteners in the skin care routine work better. You can use this moisturizer in both your treatment and maintenance regimen because it does not contain tyrosinase inhibitors.
Change your skin care routine after 3-4 months
Use A Maintenance Routine That Is Tyrosinase Inhibitor Free
You nee to take a holiday from tyrosinase inhibitors because they stop working and will not make dark spots go away after about 4 months on them. Taking a holiday for 2-4 weeks will make them work better.
So stop tyrosinase inhibitors. These are found in Step 3 of your AM and PM routine.
Use one of these ingredients in your Step 3 instead:
Vitamin C
Niacinamide
Cysteamine
Tranexamic acid (talk to your doctor about taking this by mouth- it is prescription.)
See our suggested routine for your tyrosinase holiday (maintenance regimen) below.
Use Vitamin C in Step 2 Instead of Eye Cream
You can also replace your Step 2 eye cream with a vitamin C serum. You do not need to stop your eye cream, I am just trying to keep the number of steps in your routine under 5. If you do not mind 6 regimen steps and you want to use Vitamin C followed by eye cream that is fine too.
If you do this your routine step order will be:
Cleanser
Vitamin C serum
Eye Cream
Skin Lightening Serum without tyrosinase inhibitors
Moisturizer with unsaturated fatty acids
Sunscreen or retinoid
Vitamin C Serums:
La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Serum
$44.99
Out of Stock
Obagi-C FX System C-Clarifying Serum
$140.00
Add to Cart
Obagi Force Field Kit with Professional-C Serum 20%
$189.00
Out of Stock
Obagi Professional-C Peptide Complex
$125.00
Add to Cart
CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum
$26.99
Out of Stock
ISDIN Flavo-C
$100.00
Add to Cart
ISDIN Flavo-C Ultraglican Ampules
$46.00
Out of Stock
ISDIN Hyaluronic Booster 10 Ampoules
$46.00
Add to Cart
ISDIN Melatonik® Restorative Melatonin Night Serum
$160.00
Add to Cart
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Face Cream
$54.99
Add to Cart
La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Serum
$44.99
Out of Stock
Obagi-C FX System C-Clarifying Serum
$140.00
Add to Cart
Obagi Force Field Kit with Professional-C Serum 20%
$189.00
Out of Stock
Obagi Professional-C Peptide Complex
$125.00
Add to Cart
CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum
$26.99
Out of Stock
ISDIN Flavo-C
$100.00
Add to Cart
ISDIN Flavo-C Ultraglican Ampules
$46.00
Out of Stock
ISDIN Hyaluronic Booster 10 Ampoules
$46.00
Add to Cart
ISDIN Melatonik® Restorative Melatonin Night Serum
$160.00
Add to Cart
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Face Cream
$54.99
Add to Cart
La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Serum
$44.99
Out of Stock
Obagi-C FX System C-Clarifying Serum
$140.00
Add to Cart
Obagi Force Field Kit with Professional-C Serum 20%
$189.00
Out of Stock
Obagi Professional-C Peptide Complex
$125.00
Add to Cart
CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum
$26.99
Out of Stock
ISDIN Flavo-C
$100.00
Add to Cart
ISDIN Flavo-C Ultraglican Ampules
$46.00
Out of Stock
ISDIN Hyaluronic Booster 10 Ampoules
$46.00
Add to Cart
ISDIN Melatonik® Restorative Melatonin Night Serum
$160.00
Add to Cart
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Face Cream
$54.99
Add to Cart
skin care routine to keep dark spots from coming back
Best tyrosinase inhibitor free skin care products
These skin care products are perfect to use in Step 3 of your am and pm routines when you are taking a tyrosinase inhibitor holiday because your dark spots have not gone away. You can also use these when dark spots have gone away to keep the dark spots from coming back.
Alastin A-Luminate Brightening Serum
Defenage 8-in-1 Bioserum
Medature Hydro Brigh Treatment
Scientis Cyspera Cysteamine Intensive Pigment Corrector
PCA Vitamin B3 Brightening Serum- has the PAR-2 blocker niacinamide
PCA Pigment Gel Pro – (This has only a tiny bit of tyrosinase inhibitors so it is ok to use in a tyrosinase inhibitor holiday)
Skinceuticals Resveratrol B E
I interview the cosmetic scientist who developed Alastin A-Luminate Brightening Serum on my YouTube @SkinTypeSolutions Channel if you want to learn the complicated science behind how it works to target dark spots that are stubborn and won’t go away.
Make sure you are always choosing skin care products that are right for your Baumann Skin Type! Using the wrong products can lead to inflammation which worsens dark spots.
Look for your Baumann Skin Type octagon in the product description page. You can find your skin type results here.
alternate between 3 regimens when dark spots won
Restart Your Skin Lightening Regimen after 4 weeks
Your tyrosinase inhibitor holiday only needs t be 2-4 weeks. Then you can go back to your recommended skin care routine which is here.
Dark spots on the skin that won’t go away can be frustrating.
If you need to find a doctor or medical provider near you to help you with your dark spots, you can find one here.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.