10 Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Dark Spots & Hyperpigmentation
Of all the years that I have worked in the beauty industry alongside women of color, hyperpigmentation has hands down been one of the more prominent areas of concern. Hyperpigmentation is the overproduction of melanin in the skin that leads to unwanted dark spots and discoloration. For many women, including myself, it can be frustrating and make you feel very insecure about your skin. There's a ton of DIY methods and products that promise to correct hyperpigmentation but compared to other skin concerns, it's something that takes a lot of time and patience to really see results.
For many women, acne and breakouts are the leading cause of hyperpigmentation, so it makes sense that some ways to combat hyperpigmentation is rooted in taking care of the breakouts first. Whether you're the kitchen beautician that prefers using natural ingredients on your skin, or the girl that doesn't mind venturing out to your local department store, there any many ways to combat hyperpigmentation right at home. If getting your skin in check is at the top of your list of priorities, here are 10 ways you can correct your hyperpigmentation and live your best life.
How To Treat Hyperpigmentation
Check Your Diet
Whether you want to accept it or not, your skin a major reflection of everything you put into your body. At the end of the day, your skin is an organ and if you're not eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, etc. your skin will show it. Though a balance diet targets breakouts more so than hyperpigmentation itself, it's sensible to start there. If you get to the root of what is causing your dark spots (i.e. acne scarring), you can stop them from forming in the first place.
Wash Your Face For 60 Seconds
Increase your cleansing routine to 60 seconds
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This is another word of advice that pertains mainly to controlling breakouts, but for most women breakouts are the main culprit for hyperpigmentation. According to skin expert and licensed esthetician Nayamka Roberts-Smith of LABeautyologist, washing your skin 60 seconds at minimum is a non-negotiable if you're looking to achieve overall healthy skin--and yes, this includes hyperpigmentation. Taking the time to thoroughly clean you skin will ensure that you're ridding your skin of dirt, bacteria, and other culprits that are clogging your pores, contributing to breakouts and causing hyperpigmentation. 60 seconds may seem like it's such a short amount of time in most areas of your life but to your skin, it's a lifetime.
Exfoliation (Preferably Chemical)
We have heard the word be thrown around pretty often but now is the time to pay close attention. Exfoliation is important in any skincare regimen because it helps to breakdown layers of dead skin that we all have to reveal fresh "new" skin. Specifically when it comes to hyperpigmentation, exfoliating is important because it helps breakdown the excess melanin and speed up the process of the dark spot fading.
If you're suffering from hyperpigmentation as a result of breakouts, it's best to use chemical exfoliants vs. a physical one like a scrub. Chemical exfoliants are non-abrasive and and in some cases do a better job of breaking down hyperpigmentation than physical ones. Also, when you have active breakouts chemicals exfoliators won't irritate them more.
Layer On SPF
Is there anything better than being in the sun?Getty Images
We know. You've heard this time and time again but honestly wearing SPF is key if you're on a the road to correcting hyperpigmentation. The sun is one of the biggest if not the biggest skin aggressors. Not only does the sun age the skin prematurely, it can work against you when you're working to correct hyperpigmentation. Most skincare experts would recommend using a SPF on at least 30 anytime you're outdoors. If you're discouraged from wearing sunscreen because of the white ghostly cast it may display on the skin, check out these brands that are perfect for WOC. Also, there are natural products like shea butter that have very mild SPF (about 6-10) if you want to take baby steps into the world of sunscreen.
Correcting Serum
A serum is essentially a lightweight concentrated product that is typically applied directly to the skin (before most other products) to absorb through and really get to the root of your skin concerns. With hyperpigmentation specifically, most serums that are formulated to correct hyperpigmentation contain vitamin C. Though they are highly concentrated, you do have to stay consistent with them and your skincare regimen as a whole to see the desired results.
Probiotics
Probiotics have many powerful health benefits for your body and skin
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With products such as Kombucha being all the rage, probiotics has been something that more people have become obsessed with. Probiotics are best known for improving gut health but they also have a major effect on your skin and hyperpigmentation. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that in turn kill bad bacteria, including the ones causing breakouts that may be leading to your breakouts. You can incorporate them into your diet by taking probiotic supplements or by consuming food or beverages rich in them.
Aloe Vera
If you ever typed "how to get rid of dark spots" into your YouTube search bar, I'm sure a ton of videos about aloe vera have popped up. Aloe vera gel (specifically from fresh aloe leaves) is known to be a natural skin brightening agent and anti-inflammatory. Most people would recommend rubbing the gel of aloe vera on your skin and leaving it on overnight for five days straight to see an improvement in both hyperpigmentation and breakouts.
Microdermabrasion
If you have the extra cash to spare and really want to jumpstart your road to even skin tone, cosmetic procedures such as microdermabrasions are a great way to go. Microdermabrasion is like a sandblaster for the skin that gets rid of layers upon layers of dead skin to reveal brighter skin--including those areas of hyperpigmentation. I would recommend speaking to a dermatologist beforehand or getting a consultation at medical spa before booking an appointment.
Chemical Peel
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If you're really about that life, a chemical peel is a much more intensive facial treatment that literally uses chemicals to peel your skin. Unlike a microdermabrasion, a chemical peel does require some recover time, however many people swear by its skin renewing capabilities. This is also something you should speak to an expert about before pursuing.
As frustrating as dealing with hyperpigmentation may be, there are so many ways to combat it. There's no need to go out and try every solution on the list but by slowly implementing these tips into your lifestyle, you can and will see major improvements in your skin.
Look For Products With AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) And Enzymes
You might have seen AHAs and enzymes being the hot new "it" ingredient to hit all sorts of products in the beauty industry. AHAs and enzymes (such a pineapple, papaya, and pumpkin) essentially are exfoliating agents that can help to correct skin texture, tone, and overall health. Try slowly implementing a few products with these key ingredients into your skincare routine to boost the correction of your hyperpigmentation. These can be present in everything from toners to facial creams. My word of advice is to incorporate products containing these ingredients one at a time so you don't over-exfoliate and damage your skin in the long run.
Featured image by Getty Images
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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The Champion's Path: How Cari Champion Is Redefining Roles For Black Women In Media
Cari Champion has had many dream jobs. All of them have helped inform what she does and does not want for herself moving forward. “I get more and more curious. My dreams evolve. My desires change,” she said. “And I feel sorry for people who can’t experience that because it’s a beautiful feeling, it’s a beautiful challenge, and it makes you everything that you are.”
When we speak in late April, the journalist and media personality is preparing for a visit to Atlanta for The Black Effect Podcast Festival. The trip would allow her to spend time in a city that she said taught her a lot about herself and working in the media industry.
Champion was still early in her career when she worked for Atlanta’s CBS affiliate news station, where she was fired, reinstated, and subsequently quit after being accused of accidentally cursing on air in 2008. (“I didn’t. They knew I didn’t. I said ‘mothersucka,’” she said of the hot mic incident.) Still, the Los Angeles native insists she only has the fondest memories of her time in the southern city.
“I grew up in West LA, then moved to Pasadena, and those kinds of familial, tight-knit Black groups just didn’t exist. LA is spread out in a lot of ways,” she said. “To me, Atlanta ultimately built this woman that I am today and [is] why I speak so comfortably for us and for Black people. I had to have that entire experience.”
"To me, Atlanta ultimately built this woman that I am today and [is] why I speak so comfortably for us and for Black people."
It’s been 16 years since Champion moved from Atlanta and her career, as well as her desire to center Black voices in her work, has soared. After working as an anchor and court-side reporter for The Tennis Channel, she spent nearly a decade working as a host and anchor on ESPN for shows such as First Take and SportsCenter.
By the time she began hosting Cari & Jemele: Stick to Sports, on Vice TV with Jemele Hill in 2020, Champion had increasingly become determined to shun the notion that only sports reporters and athletes could credibly discuss sports. The Vice show featured guests such as LeBron James and Magic Johnson, but also Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Sen. Cory Booker.
At a time when America was reckoning with its racial history, Champion solidified herself as a trailblazer for Black women in sports media, as well as a crucial voice for cultural commentary. Today, she regularly appears on CNN discussing sports, culture, and politics.
Champion is now hosting the fourth season of the podcast Naked with Cari Champion on The Black Effect Podcast Festival, which is a partnership between iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God, a media personality and a friend. “We kind of grew up together in this game. And when we first started figuring out or getting attention on a different type of level than we were used to, we learned a lot together,” she said of Charlamagne. “He put this network together for people who are beginning [and] people who are old-heads in the business. He wanted to make sure that all of us had a voice.”
It’s been an adjustment for a traditional TV reporter to transition into podcasting, but Champion said she’s found the medium to be a “much more freeing world.” When she’s speaking to guests such as talk show host Tamron Hall, singer Muni Long, or retired athlete Sanya Richards-Ross, she can “get lost in a conversation” and embrace a more casual environment than the structure of a cable TV show would allow.
Behind the scenes, Champion’s still doing her part to make sure there continues to be a pipeline of Black and brown women in journalism and beyond, too.
In 2018, she launched the nonprofit Brown Girls Dream and enlisted her celebrity friends to help mentor young women in a way that she felt she was never able to receive in the early years of her own career. “When I was at ESPN, I used to get all these emails from different Black and brown girls in the business. They wanted to talk to me about how they could [have the opportunity to] do the same thing [as me],” Champion said. “It fills my heart to see somebody actually get an opportunity to talk to somebody who can guide them through their career.”
Current Brown Girls Dream mentors include journalists Jemele Hill and Nichelle Turner, marketing executive Bozoma Saint John, and more. “These women are just the dopest ever and they take time out to give back to brown girls,” Champion said. “It’s special.”
When she reflects on representation in sports media roles, the Naked host said she’s inspired by the women of color she sees on television today. “I think women of color are doing great. It’s become more and more common to be on air and be Black girl magic,” she said.
“I think that the next level for us, in terms of Black and brown women in this business succeeding, is having true power over what our words are and what the content is,” she added. “Because, when push comes to shove and we want to really tell a story, we sometimes have to acquiesce, and we can't tell the story the way we want to. The next level is that we actually do have editorial control.”
"I think that the next level for us, in terms of Black and brown women in this business succeeding, is having true power over what our words are and what the content is."
Ultimately, Champion is still dreaming and looking to make an impact. She said she wants to eventually launch her own Black news network. “I would love to have a huge platform that focused on the stories that I think Black and brown women care about,” Champion said. “There are so many stories that are being missed.”
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Featured image Emma McIntyre / Staff/Getty Images