Treating hyperpigmentation (continued)...

Combinations of the actives below can lead to significant improvements. All of these are used in Ishtar products and all of these are derived from natural sources, and work at healing areas of disrupted skin. The aim is to restore skin health, not 'bleach' the skin overall, a practice we do not consider desirable or safe.

The scientifically proven actives are:

• Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate - Patented Vitamin C ester
• Alpha - Arbutin
• Alpha Hydroxy Acids (Fruit Acids)
• Gamma oryzanol
• Kojic Acid
• Licorice Extract
• Retinoids (Vitamin A)
• Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

This diagram shows how these active ingredients change and restore the skin to optimum health. Different ingredients target slightly different aspects (eg. Fruit Acids help restore the stratum corneum to its thinner, hydrated best. Alpha- Arbutin and Kojic Acid correct over production of melanin):

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Gamma Oryzanol and Retinoids - including natural tretinoin - are available in Ishtar Skinlights EFA Serum.

Alpha-Arbutin, Fruit Acids, Kojic Acid, Licorice Extract and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate are are available in Ishtar Skinlights EP17 Serum

It is also advisable to use a good broad spectrum sunscreen daily to reduce further darkening.

What NOT to do...

Use Hydroquinone - This is effective but at a high biological cost. It is the biological equivalent of paint stripper or bleach. It might lighten your skin, but can lead to very nasty side effects. Considered significantly damaging and toxic to the skin it is banned in Europe.

Go Out In The Sun Without Sunscreen

Ok so we all do this, especially when younger. But by the time you hit 30 and the delayed, and unwelcome, results become visible ( brown marks, uneven skin tone, wrinkles) you will see the benefit on using a sunscreen.

We recommend avoiding chemical sunscreens (provably cancer causing) and only using natural mineral sunscreens. This should help avoid breakouts too. We stock an excellent organic SPF30 designed for this purpose.

Be careful what you use...

We recently came across a product being sold on Ebay that happily claimed its active ingredient was Isobutylparabens and Methylparabens. We were dumbfounded. Parabens is actually a preservative. It is not an 'active' cosmeceutical and is considered potentially harmful by the natural skincare industry. Even if you consider parabens safe, it most certainly has no benefit beyond preserving a product.

The ingredients of the products reveal it to be a rose scented gel (thickended with carbomer). It contains some weak 'water attracting' moisturisers (sodium lactate, glycerine, sorbitol, propylene glycol) and a weak alpha hydroxy acid (lactic acid) . It also contains Pansy extract (tricolor extract). The remaining ingredients are polysorbate-20 (emulsifier), sodium hydroxide (alkali to activate carbomer) and the chemical preservatives, of which there are a lot, plus an array of artifical colours.

Essentially this is a cheap base gel, bought in and resold at great profit. It has no real actives. Pansy extract is a mild antioxidant, so that has some benefit, although not the one advertised.The product will attract water into the skin and smell nice, but thats about it! It will not correct hyperpigmentation.

The ingredients of the 'Black Star' product, sold at £13 a bottle (including 2nd class UK P&P), were: Aqua, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Glycerin, Polysorbate-20, Propylene Glycol, Tricolor Extract, Rosa Damascena Miller, Sorbitol, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Imidazolidinyl, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothizolione, Phenoxethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, sodium Sulfate, Cl 19140, Cl17200.Cl42090,Cl16355, Cl28440.

What is hyperpigmentation or melasma?

Normal skin contains cells called melanocytes that produce the brown skin-coloring pigment melanin. There are several conditions in which melanocytes are either abnormal or abnormally distributed. Most skin conditions that cause discoloration are harmless.

A pale area of the skin is the result of fewer or less active melanocytes than usual, whereas a darker area (or area that tans more easily) indicates more numerous or more active melanocytes.

What about the red/brown marks left behind after acne?

These kind of marks are postinflammatory hyperpigmented lesions and are located at the site of a skin trauma after it has healed.They can result from acne, bites, burns or skin infections. The lesions range from light brown to black in colour. Lesions may become darker if exposed to sunlight (UV rays).

Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation can occur in anyone, but is more common in darker skinned individuals, in whom the colour tends to be more intense and persists for a longer period.

What is the cause of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation?

Inflammatory responses of the skin to disease or trauma results in the release and oxidation of arachidonic acid. The resulting reaction alters the activity of immune cells and melanocytes. Melanocytes produce more melanin (skin colour pigment), which is transferred to surrounding skin cells. This is known as epidermal hypermelanosis and can be treated with skin care products.

Another cause of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is dermal hypermelanosis. This form of hyperpigmentation occurs in the deeper layers of skin and is caused when inflammation disrupts the basal cell layer. This causes melanin pigment to be released into the papillary dermis (the top part of the dermis).Unfortunatley, this form of cell damage is difficult to treat with skin care products.

What about marks caused by sun damage?

Larger flat brown spots on the face and hands arising in middle age also result from sun damage exposure. Unlike freckles they tend to persist for long periods and don't disappear in the winter (though they may fade). Commonly known as age spots or liver spots, the correct term for a single lesion is benign solar lentigo (plural lentigines). Lentigines are common in those with fair skin but are frequently seen in those who tan easily or have naturally dark skin. Lentigines are due to accumulated pigment cells (melanocytic hyperplasia).

If the brown marks are scaly, they may be solar keratoses (sun damage) or seborrhoeic keratoses (senile warts). These are usually treated by cryotherapy.

It is important to distinguish the benign solar lentigo from an early malignant melanoma, the lentigo maligna. If the freckle has arisen recently, is made up of more than one colour or has irregular borders or if you have any doubts, see your dermatologist for advice.