Skin Brighteners

“When skin is more even-toned, you look younger.” So says Clinique guiding dermatologist Dr. Orentreich. For women in the late 20’s onwards, uneven, blotchy and dull skin start to manifest. The answer? Skin brighteners.

Skin Brighteners are designed to lighten the pigment of the skin, removing discoloration, dark spots, and other dark blemishes. If you have acne scars or other troublesome spots that make your skin look blotchy and uneven,include brighteners in your daily skin or makeup routine.

Brighteners usually come in serum form and because serums are water-based thus, easily absorbed into the skin. They also deliver anti-aging ingredients into the skin in a concentrated way and can be layered under other products without interfering with them.

Evening out your skin tone is easy with a simple overnight application. After cleansing and moisturizing your face, apply a thin layer of the serum; you should start to see a difference in about 2-3 weeks.

A key ingredient in skin brighteners is Vitamin C, along with other ingredient such as  hydroquinone, Alpha hydroxyl acids (AHAs), kojic acid, Vitamin E and licorice.

Here are some of the latest skin brighteners in the market today:

In addition to salicylic acid (to exfoliate skin’s top layers), Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Corrector contains vitamins C and E as well as ferulic acid, all of which fight pigment-encouraging free radicals, plus a mushroom extract to minimize dark spots. Perfect for all skin types.

Clarins MultiActive Skin Renewal Serum restores brightness, softness and a healthy glow to the skin with its cocktail of Nopal flower extract along with Phytosphingosine, a patented technology that promotes cell renewal and the absorption of collagen into the skin. Apply morning or evening, before your usual day or night moisturizer.

Shu Uemura White Recovery Pure Vitamin C Intense Brightening Serum is an intense brightening serum that contains a combination of pure Vitamin C, prune extract, sakura leaf in its signature deepsea water to counter pigmentation and whiten the skin and reduce spots. Works best when used along with the line’s cleansing oil and brightening cream.

Bobbi Brown Brightening Intensive Serum is part of the makeup brand’s latest brightening skincare line. Layer this highly concentrated serum over Brightening Hydrating Lotion morning and night. Its Vitamin C Complex along with a unique botanical blend of grape, Mulberry and Scutellaria helps diminish the appearance of dark spots. Included in the reknowned makeup’s brightening line are the Brightening face base  SPF 50 and the spot corrector SPF 25.

Murad’s Environmental Shield line contains a potent cocktail of Vitamin C and plant extracts along with its patented cellular water that help restore, renew and protect skin against environmental aging due to sun damage and other stressors. The line includes a cleanser and toner, lightening gel, day moisturizer with SPF 30 and night cream.