KhadyB-Duralo-Eclectique

My skincare routine has dramatically changed over the last few weeks and I wanted to tell you what I’m using now.

The main goal of my current skincare routine is to get rid of dark spots. I would like to be, by this time next year God willing, able to go out freely without feeling like I have to apply foundation.  For the past few years my focus was mainly on getting rid of acne and, although I really wanted to get rid of dark spots as well, it always was kind of an aftertought. Now that my skin is much much better and seems to be stabilized in terms of the number of blemishes I will get (roughly one every two or three weeks now) I consider that acne is now a thing of the past. I have therefore decided to focus on my pigmentation problems with acne scars and dark patches that come from God knows where.

Of course I wanted to steer away from hydroquinone and really wanted try to work on this problem with both my daily and nightly routines. Here’s what I’ve been using for close to three weeks now.

Day

La Roche Posay Mela-D Dark Spots Daily anti-dark spot moisturizer with SPF 15
45.00$ (Buy here)

[box]Mela-D Dark Spots is a daily moisturizer for face and neckline developed to provide dermatologists with an efficient solution to address dark spots on a daily basis. Mela-D Dark Spots has been rigorously formulated with Kojic Acid, LHA and broad spectrun UVA/UVB protection to effectively treat dark spots (age spots, brown spots, discoloration) every day. Hydroquinone-free formula.[/box]

I had never used Kojic Acid or LHA (Beta-lipohydroxy acid, a derivative of salicylic acid, an exfoliating agent commonly used to help unblock pores in the management of acne)  for a long period of time and have heard great things about this product. I wanted to use Mela-D Serum at first but decided against to go for the daily moisturizer at first and maybe incorporate the serum in a few months when I switch to another product for my night routine. More on that later.

On top I put

Anthelios with Mexoryl Ultra Fluid Lotion 60 SPF Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB Protection
25.00$ (Buy here)

I had been using Dermaglow’s SPF 100 (Yeah…a bit of an overkill) and it was way too oily for me and actually made me breakout. Anthelios is extremely light and works much better on my oily skin. It does leave a little bit of a white residue but it’s not the worst I have seen when it comes to sunscreens. Plus I use it under makeup so it really does not bother me at all.

The reason I use sunscreen on top of Mela-D of course is because I do not want UVA and UVB rays to unravel all the work done by the anti dark spots treatments.

Night

I wash my face, apply Advanced Night Repair Serum from Estée Lauder and add:

Reversa Anti-Spot Night Care
36.89$ (Buy here) 

[box]Helps reduce the appearance of brown spots and other signs of skin aging while you sleep. Its advanced formula combines rare plant extracts such as Rumex, Sophora angustifolia and kiwi fruit that work together to reduce the production of melanin (the brown pigment which gives spots their colour), and glycolic acid to exfoliate and moisturize. Also contains Glycolic acid and features the Time-Release Glyco-Comfort System^TM that releases the anti-spot formula over an extended period of time. Together with a special amino acid (Arginine) and the skin protectant Allantoin, it reduces the stinging sensation sometimes experienced by people with sensitive skin using glycolic acid for the first time.

Its special moisturizing ingredients and emollients—vitamin E, panthenol (provitamin B5), glycerin, hyaluronic acid—promote long-lasting skin hydration and help prevent dryness. [/box]

This cream is pretty rich and moisturizes my skin very well. When I wake up in the morning my skin feels plump and hydrated. When I apply it I do feel a slight tingle and, believe it or not, I like it. Mainly because nothing makes my skin tingle and it makes me feel like there’s actually something working in this formula. I know, that’s old school thinking but I can’t help it.

Results?

After a month of this routine I have noticed no change at all on my dark spots but my skin feels great. I did not expect to see any results before 3 to 4 months anyway.

I honestly believe that this treatment will yield results. My plan is, when I finish Reversa, to get Reversa’s Daily Anti Dark Spot cream and use Mela-D Moisturizing Cream and Mela-D Serum on nights to boost the treatment.

Let me know if you’ve used any of these products and if you’ve had any success!

Original Article