The Best Active Ingredients for Your Skin Type and Concerns

Ingredients to look for: Glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, vitamin c, retinol, niacinamide, SPF (UVA & UVB), licorice.

In the morning:

“Antioxidants protect the skin from free radicals, but also improve the signs of aging, like lines, wrinkles and pigmentation. In fact, vitamin c is also considered to be a great treatment for pigmentation,” says the Lion/ne team. “To make sure that the vitamin c is complimented, search for a serum that also contains licorice and/or niacinamide. They are great ingredients to fight brown spots.”

Rouleau says SPF is key. “I tell all my clients to apply SPF daily, but this is even more important for anyone who experiences hyperpigmentation. What’s important to understand is that UV daylight (even on a cloudy day in January) will keep pigmented cells active whenever it sees the skin. The goal withdiscoloration is to put pigment cells to sleep, and if they are woken up due to daylight (or sunlight), they will remain on the skin longer. Without a doubt, sunscreen will greatly reduce how long the hyperpigmentation, whether caused by the sun, heat, or a blemish, will stay on the skin.”

Try carrying an SPF face mist in your handbag, so you can top up throughout the day.