image via instagram @nazhayabarcelona

for the highly melanated, handling hyperpigmentation – the discoloration and darkening of our skin can be the hardest part of getting the ultimate glo. while having so much melanin makes our skin unmatched, it also makes our skin more prone to hyperpigmentation. don’t stress sis! we’ve listed out some tips for you to even out your skin, so read on. 

1. stock up on sunscreen 

we’re not even gonna front, sis. if you aren’t regularly wearing spf then you can go ahead and kiss any chance at upgrading your glo good-bye. uv rays often create sun damage that speeds up the amount of melanin produced in your skin leading to stubborn dark marks and discoloration. wearing a quarter-size amount of spf 30 or more will keep sun damage from deepening your dark marks, making it easier for you to get rid of them over time. don’t even bother with any other actives if you’re not going to wear an spf either. you’ll only end up sensitizing your skin to the sun more. wearing spf isn’t a one-and-done deal either. you’ll need to keep reapplying throughout the day every two hours until it’s time to turn in.

2. keep breakouts at bay

it’s bad enough that pimples are legally allowed to live rent-free on your face without the added fact that they can never seem to just come and go quickly without leaving some sort of scar behind. unfortunately, our skin can’t help it. hyperpigmentation is just it’s way of healing your breakout. oftentimes when your skin is dealing with some sort of issue or injury including acne, it’ll become inflamed in order to fight any viruses, bacteria, or infections that try to make their way into your skin. but inflammation also triggers your melanin cells to overwork which then creates a discoloration around where your skin becomes inflamed. 

a great way to deal with hyperpigmentation is by helping your skin safely bounce back from breakouts – which we’ve already broken down for you here. not picking or popping any of your pimples will give you a head start. since hyperpigmentation’s biggest beef is with inflammation, finding ways to get your skin to chill out will also help deal with dark spots. look out for products that contain soothing ingredients like licorice extract, green tea extract, and niacinamide. 

3. add in some actives  

we’ve said it before, sis. nothing will bring out your glo like chemical exfoliation will. we’ll say it again here. having a chemical exfoliant in your skin routine is a great way to get your skin together. chemical exfoliants speed up the amount of time it takes your skin to shed old skin cells, making it easier for your skin to let go of any hyperpigmented cells dampening your glo. aha’s like kojic acid are especially good for unkovering your glo as they work to refine your skin’s surface. azelaic acid and tranexamic acid will also help regain your skin’s tone by preventing it from producing too much melanin. just be sure to not go overboard when you exfoliate as that can cause inflammation in your skin which causes hyperpigmentation, taking you back to square one. 

adding a vitamin c serum to your skincare routine will help you handle hyperpigmentation by making it easier for your skin to deal with sun damage during the day. applying it to your skin on its own is enough to give your skin a brightening boost, but adding a couple of drops to your spf will really strengthen your sun protection. meanwhile, alpha-arbutin is an active that will help keep dark marks from being triggered into appearing.  

just give it some time, sis! hyperpigmentation might seem like a hassle, but once you incorporate the right steps into your routine, you’ll be able to upgrade your glo!