I overhauled my skincare routine about 6 months ago, because I had been struggling with long-lasting hyperpigmentation from breakouts that made no sense to me. I had tried cleansers and moisturizers targeted for acne-prone skin, glycolic and lactic acids to fade the spots, hydroquinone, African black soap, cocoa butter, Clarisonic, all of it. Didn't make a difference.
6 months ago someone talked about pH levels and the skin's acid mantle, what it means for clear skin and what can disrupt it. And what I found was that a lot of the products I had been using, mainly the cleansers, contained detergents that actually promote bacterial growth. So yeah. Made a decision to stop using cleansers that contained soap and to find a toner with low concentration of acid to make sure my skin maintains its acidity.
I can't tell you what a difference I'm seeing. My hyperpigmentation isn't completely gone yet, but I'm just happy to see that it's improving, slowly but surely. In another few months, I can probably go without foundation and concealer entirely, which I haven't felt comfortable doing in several years.
The products I'm using:
cleanser - MUJI Sensitive Skin Cleansing Oil (doesn't disrupt pH levels, takes EVERYTHING off, doesn't leave an oily film)
toner - Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner (a 2% glycolic acid toner for dry skin, minimal ingredients, doesn't sting, will help to slowly fade spots)
moisturizer - PM: camellia oil
- AM: Olay Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer SPF 30 for Sensitive Skin (any sunscreen will work, but SPF 30 or higher is necessary, this is an important step in any dark spot treatment plan as UV rays makes them worse - use every morning without fail, foundation with SPF will not cut it)
On top of a consistent daily regimen, you can add an eye cream, weekly masks, specific dark spot treatments, etc. But being gentle and using SPF is key, otherwise you'll undo the progress and worsen your spots.
But skincare, specially taking PCOS into consideration, is holistic. You'll want to look at your diet and lifestyle to see how they are contributing to your condition, and definitely talk to an endocrinologist about treatment (if you aren't already).
