pigment be gone!
we all know it's that time of the year. The sun is out, the flowers are blooming…but unfortunately so are our sun spots. In northeast Ohio it is a love/hate relationship with the sun. We don't get to see much of it so when it is out, we have a tendency to just want to bake in it!
While we think there should be a healthy balance between getting the vitamin D you need and protecting your skin, what's great is we have products that can help us control our pigment super well during the sunny season. It's all about protection #1, but also products that help brighten the skin, and help to prevent those sunspots from even sprouting up!
First, we will talk briefly (because we have pounded it into your brains, hopefully) about sunscreen. As we have said before SPF is your best buddy and while a tan looks nice in the moment, sunspots and damage are forever! So, protect your skin with these great SPF’s (Alastin Hydratint, ZO Daily Sheer, & ZO Powder SPF). On top of SPF, when you know you are going to be outside for a longer period of time, a sun hat or some type of cover is also great to help add a little extra layer of protection. These are some of our fave sun hats!
Next let's talk about some products that help brighten the skin and are safe to wear during the sunny months. We love Brightalive from the ZO medical grade skincare line we carry. This product is a non-retinol skin brightening product that blocks new pigment formation, removes dead skin and helps to purge existing pigment, and calms and soothes the skin. This is a fan favorite at our spa and is safe to use in the sun.
Another brightening product we love is a high-quality Vitamin C serum. Our ZO vitamin C corrects existing pigment, prevents future pigment, and also has great antioxidant properties. We usually recommend a 10% concentration, as it prevents up to 80% of new pigment from forming! It is a game changer for sure!
The last item we will briefly talk about is retinol. What’s tricky with retinol is that you have to be very careful in the sun with this product as it potentiates your risk of burning. Alot of our clients will opt to pulse off their retinol during the summer and start it back up in the fall. Retinol is great for pigment and sun spots because it breaks up existing pigment rapidly and inhibits new melanin from forming. Like we said it is potent so you will go through an anticipated reaction when starting this product which is totally normal and expected! We will dive deep into retinol in another post, but just know this is a product we love EVERYONE to be on!
So come on in for your free consultation and let’s see if one or all of these products is right for you!