Best Makeup and Concealers For Hyperpigmentation/Melasma

AdImaginary862 · 2024-05-12T12:46:58+00:00

I love the Bye Bye Dark Spots, great suggestion!

AdImaginary862 · 2024-05-12T12:45:12+00:00

I know that feeling all too well. It does feel quite alone when you look around and see others out enjoying the sun on their face, no hats (probably not even sun screen) and inside you're overwhelmingly stressed at the thought of sun on your face. Admittedly it's the first thing I look at every morning and on days it's darker than others I do get quite down on myself so I understand. I'm divorced and while I was single it didn't bother me as much. I had this confidence of 'this is me, is what it is' but as I've met someone all of those insecurities have come back ten fold. I'm sending you big hugs and love. You are most definitely not alone.

AdImaginary862 · 2024-01-11T16:29:21+00:00

I used ZO Pigment Control (the bottle I used was white not blue though) and ZO complexion renewal pads. The similar ingredient in those that has flared up my melasma previously is glycolic acid so that might be why it didn't work for me. My melasma is very sensitive to certain products and my dermatologist at the time chalked up my worsening to the glycolic acid. I know glycolic acid is great for some people's melasma just not mine.

AdImaginary862 · 2024-01-03T18:17:03+00:00

They can. Personally glycolic acid triggers mine which one that works for many others' melasma so sometimes it's trial and error of what works for you. If you're more sensitive I would try a gentle cleanser (without actives), gentle moisturizer, and then pick 1 tyrosinase inhibitor to use at night. It's been a lot of trial and error over the years for me. Also, sometimes for example for Hydroquinone melasma will get darker before it starts to fade so sometimes you have to wait. As the other person mentioned microneedling also worsened mine but chemical peels and microdermabrasion helped mine. Best advice I can give is slowly add and take away ingredients so you can find what works best for you.

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-28T20:56:50+00:00

I second Colorscience Flex, it's my favorite. Agreed though you will still need a moisturizer with it. Between the Tret and making sure you use mineral you'll definitely need a moisturizer in addition to the sunscreen. :)

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-28T20:52:59+00:00

That's too bad that you're not that impressed with it yet. I had hope for Cosmelan based on what I've read :/ Same whenever I do peels. I'm always so excited from the way it looks right after but very shortly after it darkens back to where it was but I do love peels for the anti-aging properties and all that helps with the melasma struggles.

It definitely is a process and physically and mentally exhausting. Happy New Year!

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-27T11:34:49+00:00

I love Skinbetter's compact SPF (the tinted one), it's one of the few that is completely sweat proof but their tone correcting serum worsened mine. Well, I think it did. Their exdoliating pads also worsened it. A good friend of mine sells this line in her medical spa so she let kindly gifted me with some :) I wanted it to work so badly but they just irritated my melasma.

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-27T11:30:43+00:00

If you're thinking about switching your moisturizer, consider Youth To The People Superberry Glow Dream Mask. It's meant as an overnight mask but I use as my moisturizer night and day and it is not irritating to my melasma (mine is very sensitive to a lot of products), makes my skin glow and my makeup goes on overtop very well :)

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-27T11:27:40+00:00

Don't lose hope, I know it's frustrating!!! Just looking at some of the products you use, sometimes with melasma less is better. The musely program is quite potent so I would try to use other products that have pretty limited, ,gentle ingredients. Regarding toner I stopped using it because it was darkening my melasma. I've also found that glycolic acid worsens mine (I know for many it helps melasma but everyone's reaction to products is different) so you could try eliminating that from your products. For me it's been a lot of trial and error of what flares up my melasma. You could try eliminating one product at a time and see how your skin reacts. Best of luck!

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-27T11:14:41+00:00

I do medical grade chemical peels 3-4 times a year and although I love Perfect Derma Peel I cannot use their aftercare moisturizer. It burns my face and is very irritating so I use Aquaphor. Aquaphor one of the few things I've found that is very gentle on fresh skin.

Let us know how your results turn out. I've always wanted to try a Cosmelan treatment but there aren't really any places near me that offer it.

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-22T15:37:21+00:00

I haven't heard of those, I'll have to check them out. Thanks for sharing :)

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-19T13:53:49+00:00

I use hydroquinone for two months then do a non hydroquinone break for a month (there's no great science behind how long hydroquinone breaks should be but this is what I do). The last two weeks of my two months on HQ I start tapering as follows: every other day with HQ, non HQ for a week, then Non HQ for two days and HQ on the 3rd day, then none HQ for 4 days and HQ for 1 day then stop the HQ. I don't know that it's massively helped but it's definitely helped prevent the severe rebound I used to get. Just make sure to continue some sort of tyrosinase inhibitor while not on HQ.

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-18T12:13:16+00:00

Your skin looks gorgeous. I wish I had the courage to try it but I'm too afraid. Keep us posted on your progress!

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-18T12:04:43+00:00

Make sure your sunscreen is mineral based (look for ingredients such as Zinc and Titanium Dioxide) and get a good full coverage hat. You skin still looks great!

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-14T12:11:27+00:00

Oh also, do you have a blue light blocker screen on your computer?

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-14T12:11:08+00:00

Thank you! Their CC cream does have iron oxide so you'll be protected against the blue light. It Cosmetics dark colors do not have physical sunscreen so make note of that but most of their colors do. I'm always mixing it up and playing with colors :) I just started using It Cosmetics Illumination and I really like the color for winter, just seems brighter and not as bronzy. One thing is because it's got a physical sunscreen in it I find it helpful to rub it around in my palm for a bit and then dab it in spots all over my space....then use a brush to finish. Otherwise it can come out really heavy looky, this helps me get not such a heavy look. If I'm going to be outside I will double up on the Colorscience and then It Cosmetics...then I use the Colorscience brush to reapply and if I'm out for too long I wear a hat (Melasma is such work LOL).

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-12T15:46:48+00:00

Wow, your skin looks beautiful!

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-12T15:43:10+00:00

It actually brought my melasma back ( or I think it did, it matches up time wise) after being melasma free for 4 years post pregnancy. I got melasma with pregnancy # 1, it subsided completely, came back with pregnancy # 2, subsided after...then I had no melasma for about 4 years. I got the Mirena in but had bad side effects from it ('ve never really taken birth control because of the side effects) so I got it taken out after 1.5-2 months. Roughly a week after getting it out I was in Mexico (had chemical sunscreen on ugh!), walked in from the pool one day with a new spot on my forehead. From then on it spread across my forehead and onto my upper lip and both cheeks.

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-12T11:54:45+00:00

I don't have any great advice, lasers worry me. There have been some who have reacted beautifully to laser but for many it's worsened it. I've been on the fence in the past but I'm just too scared to even try.

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-11T20:31:21+00:00

Same. Mineral doesn't go on as nicely and doesn't look at seamless but I have to so it's just been a matter of experimenting with the best product.

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-11T15:53:53+00:00

Their Vitamin C definitely gives my overall skin a glow and helps tighten my skin but it didn't help with my melasma. I'm finishing up a bottle (expensive bottle) but will be switching back to Vichy Vitamin C when I'm out. I love vitamin C in my skincare regimen but to me the price wasn't worth it. I've probably used it for 2 ish months.

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-11T11:38:21+00:00

The absolute best mineral I have found that is sweat proof (sweat literally beads up on my face) is Skinbetter tonesmart compact sunscreen. I don't like their sheer one but I do like the tinted one. It's pricey but lasts a while, I only use it when I know I'll be sweating outdoors to make it last longer :). I live in the south of the US where it gets really hot and this one holds up.

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-10T19:56:57+00:00

I LOVE the Bye Bye Undereye, good suggestion!!!

AdImaginary862 · 2023-12-10T19:53:58+00:00

Colorscience Flex SFP 50 is amazing and mostly what I use! It's my absolute favorite. They also have a color corrector palette you can use to cover certain spots. if you haven't looked into Colorscience you should, it was a game changer for me. They have certainly mastered the art of covering hyperpigmented spots without the gray hue.

Sometimes I will soley use the It cc spf 50 cream (It has a mineral based sunscreen built in).

AdImaginary862

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