4 clean ingredients that reduce the appearance of melasma
While melasma is harmless and often fades on its own over time, there are still a number of reasons you might want to help speed up that process—trust me, I feel you! By creating Damastíque, my goal is to destigmatize melasma through open conversation and increased awareness. Melasma is a much more common experience than some of us realize, but I’m quite familiar with the internalized embarrassment and frustration that comes along with it.
That’s why I’ve identified four clean ingredients (tried and tested by yours truly) that have demonstrated some benefits for my own melasma. None of these are harsh bleaching agents or chemical peels (though I’ve been there too!), and all are chosen in the spirit of nourishing our skin rather than punishing it.
No conversation about melasma goes on without mention of the most popular and effective ingredient for evening tone: hydroquinone. Held as the gold standard by many dermatologists and estheticians, hydroquinone is praised for its quick results. On the flip side, it can only be used for between two and six months—and for good reason. It also can have harmful effects when used incorrectly.
Like I hinted at above, I gave hydroquinone a try when I did the Cosmelan MD peel last year. And while it worked to even out my tone, the process certainly had its pros and cons, which you can read more about in my Cosmelan MD post.
I would caution against long-term use for a number of reasons. Hydroquinone is a skin depigmenting agent, and as such causes burning, stinging, dryness, and dermatitis. It can create resistance and have adverse changes in pigmentation that originate even deeper in the dermis than those caused by melasma, as a result of inflammation and increased photosensitivity. Another potential side effect is called ochronosis, which is the paradoxical darkening of treated skin. On the opposite end of the spectrum, its bleaching properties can spread to areas without hyperpigmentation; the “halo effect” is the lightening of the baseline-toned skin surrounding melasma patches when the product isn’t applied precisely. According to Allure, the ingredient has been banned in Europe since 2001 after studies found evidence that hydroquinone was carcinogenic when administered orally to rodents. Even if it’s prescribed by a dermatologist, my stance is that hydroquinone is not a long-term solution for supporting your skin.
That said, here are a few ingredients that aren’t only safe but also beneficial for topical use on your skin!
TRANEXAMIC ACID: A 2019 study found that using Tranexamic Acid at 5% is just as effective at treating melasma as 3% hydroquinone. Also referred to as TXA, when applied to the skin the ingredient interferes with a pathway that decreases the interaction between skin cells (keratinocytes) and melanin-forming cells (melanocytes). This results in the reduction of dark spots. In addition to anti-melanin producing properties, it also has anti-inflammatory component making it a win for skin conditions like melasma. Tranexamic acid comes from the amino acid lysine. Traditionally, it’s been used as an oral medication for heavy menstrual bleeding but when applied topically, it can alter the way cells produce melanin.
NIACINAMIDE: Also known as nicotinamide, niacinamide is the active form of niacin, or vitamin B3. Its anti-inflammatory effects can reestablish balanced melanin production and it also plays a role in ceramide production (the fatty acids that form a natural protective barrier on the skin). On top of that, niacinamide interferes with the melanin development process by interrupting the transfer of melanosomes (the pigment organelles that give skin its color). Niacinamide disrupts the flow of melanosomes from the melanocytes where they’re made to the keratinocytes that store them in the epidermis. In short, less pigmentation makes its way into your skin to stay.
One clinical study shows that niacinamide cream had positive effects on “pigmentation, inflammatory infiltrate, and solar elastosis” in participants with melasma after eight weeks of use, nearly matching hydroquinone cream for effectiveness with significantly fewer reports of side effects. As the precursor to two vital chemical compounds that aid in enzyme function, NAD+ and NADP+, niacinamide may also encourage cell repair and support the neutralization of free radicals, which can accelerate the appearance of creases in the skin. Studies suggest that it may have some ability to prevent the development of skin cancer, and its soothing effects on inflammation make it beneficial for people with mild to moderate acne and rosacea.
The Environmental Working Group offers a number of suggestions for niacinamide products that score in the green, and it’s considered safe for use even during pregnancy! All in all, niacinamide is definitely worth a try.
AZELAIC ACID: An acid found naturally in grains like barley and rye, azelaic acid has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help eliminate bacteria, resulting in clearer, less irritated skin. It promotes cell turnover for faster healing and reduced scarring, and it prevents melanin synthesis by interfering with an enzyme called tyrosinase. It also inhibits the “energy production and/or DNA synthesis of hyperactive melanocytes,” those pigment organelles we discussed above. Studies have shown azelaic acid to be just as effective in promoting even skin tone as hydroquinone, without the unpleasant side effects.
Azelaic acid doesn’t produce immediately visible results, but is a safe and natural skincare option for use on skin with melasma spots and can be quite effective over time. It can also be used during pregnancy, just like niacinamide.
ARBUTIN: Arbutin is actually a derivative of hydroquinone. It is mainly found in plants, such as wheat, pear, and bearberry. Like Azelaic Acid it functions as a tyrosinase inhibitor preventing the formation of pigment from forming. The difference is that hydroquinone kills cells that make melanin and pigmentation, while arbutin stops the enzymes that make cells that produce pigmentation.
According to an article in Byrdie, the article also mentions Alpha-arbutin is the most stable and effective form of the ingredient. It's important to learn how to distinguish between alpha-arbutin and other, similar-sounding ingredients like beta-arbutin, which is not stable.
Developing a solid care routine that nourishes and hydrates the skin is a worthwhile endeavor, whether you have melasma or not! It will take some trial and error to find the products that work best for you, but the conversation around melasma is gaining an increasing amount of traction and the body of research on this phenomenon is growing all the time. The more we know, the better we can do to support our skin—not just to achieve more even complexions, but to show our bodies the love they deserve!
