Melasma Treatment : Beauty and Fashion Tech

DDF Protect and Correct UV Moisturizer With SPF 15

DDF always tends toward impressive products. I particularly love their new Protect and Correct UV Moisturizer aimed at treating and preventing hyperpigmentation and melasma. I have always been a fan of double duty products, so this one goes high on my recommended item list.

DDF’s Protect and Correct is a light moisturizer with four chemical sunscreens for SPF 15 coverage. It also contains various extracts, including licorice root extract, to help treat pigmentation. So, the sunscreen prevents discoloration, while the extracts treat it.

The lotion has a decent feel to it, absorbs fairly quickly, and I had no issues with acne with it. I do wish it had a higher SPF though. I really prefer to use SPF 30 and above. A physical blocker in it instead of all chemical ones would be nice too. Regardless, it still is a quality product.

DDF Protect and Correct retails at around $58 and can be found at various online sources.

Buy DDF Protect and Correct UV Moisturizer SPF 15 at Spa Look

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Popularity: 23% [?]

Melasma Treament with Exuvince Skin Brightening Gel

I am constantly switching up my melasma treatment products. I do this for two reasons:

(1) I want to test them all for publication, and (2) It is actually good for you to switch products. Hyperpigmentation tends to respond best when different items are used, so switching treatment actives now and then can trigger your skin to react better to them.

My latest test item has been Exuviance Skin Brightening Gel. Right off the bat I noticed something different about this gel that I really liked: The gel is thicker than most. This makes it easier to apply only to discolored areas. The gel itself is hydroquinone free for those who are concerned about that ingredient. Instead of using hydroquinone as the primary agent it includes the following:

A skin-renewing blend of anti-aging Polyhydroxy and Alpha Hydroxy Acids (PHAs and AHAs), including Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid and Gluconolactone - along with skin brighteners including Kojic Acid, Vitamin C, Mulberry Extract, Bearberry Extract and Licorice.

That is a pretty decent list of ingredients that are known to be effective skin lighteners, making this a good one to try out. I used it for several weeks in conjuction with a hydroquinone product and was perfectly happy. But effectiveness overall is hard for me to judge, simply because I do use hydroquinone in conjuction with other products and am not willing to completely give it up when testing other items.

At $25, the Exuviance Skin Brightening Gel is also one of the most affordable brightening products on the market that includes a good blend of treatment actives. So this one is a good value as well.

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Popularity: 35% [?]

Remergent Skin Care

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the wonderful book The New Science of Perfect Skin: Understanding Skin Care Myths and Miracles For Radiant Skin at Any Age by Daniel Yarosh PH.D (read review). Yarosh also has a skin care line through his company AGI Dermatics. If you are a retinol fan, or have been considering trying retinol products, this is great line to look at. If you are not familiar with retinol, it is one of the most effective, if not the absolute best, anti-aging, anti-wrinkle treatment actives available.

I tried four products from the line, and today will focus on the Complete Cleanser and two retinol products, the Progressive Retinol Complex and Advanced Retinol Therapy. Watch in a few weeks for a look at the Clarifying Concentrate, aimed at treating melasma and similar types of hyperpigmentation.

The Complete Cleanser provides pH-correction to condition and prepare the skin for optimum delivery of treatment actives. This is a generally non-drying lotion type of cleanser that does a sufficient job of cleaning and removing makeup. Mostly, it is aimed at helping the treatment actives absorb the best.

The two retinol products are what really shine. The Remergent Progressive Retinol complex contains .4% retinol and serves as a good beginner product in order to acclimate the skin to retinol. It is also formulated to minimize irritation from the active ingredient. If you have not used retinol before or are sensitive to it—something that is common and is entirely normal—this is a great place to start. From there, the next step is a move up to Advanced Retinol Therapy, which has 1% retinol, the highest concentration available over the counter. Finding a product with a full 1% over the counter can be a bit difficult, and many products never tell you the concentration, so it is nice to know that you are getting the full amount with one.

I found that the Advanced Retinol Therapy was a bit more gentle than some other retinol products I have used, although I still did get a bit of redness from it, likely from a bit of overuse. Remember that a little goes a long way with this stuff! The container actually puts out pre-measured doses for your entire face and one is enough! I had no issues with breakouts using it (retinol can also help treat acne in some people, but it doesn’t seem to work well on acne for me). I also saw nicely bright and good looking skin after 4 weeks of use. I have particularly been using retinol in conjunction with various skin lighteners to treat melasma and pigmented areas.

Overall, the Remergent line is a nice option for anyone wanting to try retinol or who wants to know that they are getting the full over the counter amount. It is available online from various sources and through some dermatologists. See remergentskin.com for locations.

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Popularity: 19% [?]

The New Science of Perfect Skin by Daniel Yarosh, PH.D.

Daniel Yarosh, Ph.D. is a thirty-year veteran of the beauty business who comes from the development end of the industry. Among his accomplishments are the invention of new ingredients for brands such as Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, and Shiseido. Now he has an excellent book out, The New Science of Perfect Skin: Understanding Skin Care Myths and Miracles For Radiant Skin at Any Age, along with an accompanying skin care line, Remergent, from his laboratory, AGI Dermatics.

I will cover the Remergent line in a few weeks. For now, I want to focus on what I think is one of the best beauty books to come along in a great while—at least as far as skin care and anti-aging is concerned. The book provides a thorough and accurate overview of everything a person needs to know about skin, from protecting it, to treating its problems.

From the get go, Yaraosh tells it like it is, with early chapters on “Cutting Through the Hype,” and a glossary of product ingredients. He then painstakingly breaks down cosmetic products into chapters with explanations of what to avoid and why, and what to focus on for the best results. Each chapter includes specific product recommendations by brand across various levels of cost. Yarosh also provides a wealth of information on skin cancer and sun care, along with antioxidants and wrinkle treatments, including descriptions of various lasers and injections. The book also contains skin care regimes for men and children. Throughout the book, Yarosh does a nice job of recommending products that will do double duty by addressing multiple skin conditions at once—something I am quite a fan of.

Overall, The New Science of Perfect Skin is a book with a great deal of information, written for the everyday consumer. Wonderfully informative, to the point, and easy to read, it is a book that you can pick up, understand, and learn from without any specific scientific background. If you do have some background, you will find it to be a well informed and handy reference tool.

I recommend The New Science of Perfect Skin for any person who is concerned about skin care and who seeks to separate the products that have the most chance of success from those that are unlikely to work. Isn’t that most of us?

Popularity: 15% [?]

Olay Definity Foaming Moisturizer and Protective Lotion

When I first started writing Beauty and Fashion Tech, I reviewed Olay Definity. I loved it then and I still love it. Now I have had the opportunity to try both the Olay Definity Foam Moisturizer and the Olay Definity Facial Lotion. Each are excellent companion products for the cream.

Olay Definity works on skin discoloration using a glucosamine complex. This relatively simple mix of glucosamine and niacinamide has been shown to lessen hyperpigmentation and melasma, thus making it worthwhile compound to add to treatment for those conditions. I tend to be sure to use one or more of the Definity products in conjunction with a melasma treatment serum such as or .

I love the Olay Foaming Moisturizer! The light foam is formulated to penetrate the skin deeper than a standard cream or lotion. It absorbs incredibly quickly and can be used with other moisturizers, but I find it particularly nice for days when my skin is extra oily because it provides very light moisture by itself that won’t overwhelm oily skin. Then on drier days, adding something over it is easy.

The correcting protective lotion is also a joy to wear. Formulated with SPF 15, this is a great light day cream that can be worn alone or over the foaming moisturizer. It absorbs quickly and fully and feels quite light, but actually provides a pretty good amount of moisture. One thing to note though is that while Olay products tend to have a light feel to them and tend to absorb fast, that doesn’t mean that the moisturizing properties are all that light. I have seen some people state that they though Olay was not moisturizing enough, but keep in mind that a cream or lotion does not have to feel heavy or leave a film on your face to provide sufficient moisture. I think people tend to underestimate the amount of moisture that Olay products actually provide. The lotion is lighter than the cream, but still quite moisturizing.

You can find Olay products at just about any drugstore or big box retailer.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Makari Skin Lightening Cream

Awhile back, I was sent samples of a Makari skin lightening cream to try. The cream is hydroquinone free and instead contains arbutin, mulberry extract and licorice extract as recognizable melasma treatment ingredients. A more recent version also contains caviar extract, which it claims is effective.

I am skeptical of the caviar extract claim, but arbutin and licorice are couple favorite ingredients of mine. The cream is lightly moisturizing, but not oily, and it did not seem to clog my pores. Whether it was effective or not was hard to say. I was using the cream in conjunction with a PCA Skin Care gel that I have found to be very effective, so the best I can say is that when I alternated between the two, my melasma continued to improve.

Makari makes a number of products, all with quite attractive packaging. They also have samples available for a low cost.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Review: Dermaquest Dermaclear Acne Treatment

DermaQuest Skin Therapy Dermaclear (aka Rejuvaderm) has been my acne treatment of choice for the past six weeks. I chose it after careful research, searching for products with treatment ingredients that might also assist in treating melasma and that were non-comedogenic. Amazingly many of the drugstore acne treatment products, and some of the expensive ones as well, contain acne causing ingredients of fairly high concern.

I have been very pleased with my choice. As active treatment ingredients, Dermaclear contains Salicylic Acid 2%, Azelaic Acid 5%, and Glycolic Acid 10%. This is a fairly strong combination, especially with 10% Glycolic Acid, so those with sensitive skin might want tobe careful with this one because of the strength. Irritating your skin can actually cause acne. Personally, I like the high amount of Glycolic Acid and the addition of Azalaic Acid, because these do double duty for me by also treating melsama. The formula also contains ingredients to soothe inflammation, which makes the strength more tolerable. I have not experienced any issues with irritation or drying from the Dermaquest formulation, but my skin is not particularly sensitive either.

In my six weeks of use, my acne has cleared quite a bit. It hasn’t disappeared, and unfortunately I don’t think it is going to completely clear without a visit to the dermatologist. But I have seen a very large improvement. In addition to Dermaclear, I am using a Dermaquest cleanser and am alternating in Retin-A and DS Labs Trioxil as my other primary acne treatments. I also rotate in DDF Fade Gel for melasma and acne treatment (read review). I will be posting a review of Trioxil in the next week or so.

At $60, Dermaclear is definitely on the expensive side. I find that I need very little, so it lasts fairly long though. I have found it worth the price and will repurchase this item when it is gone.

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Popularity: 18% [?]