9 Best Ingredients To Use To Brighten Your Skin

Here are hidden secrets on how to make your skin brighter and glowing.

Have you ever wondered why your skin tone is not even? Or how to reduce hyperpigmentation spots on your face? Those dark spots, freckles, and uneven skin tone are often caused by consistent sun exposure. Ultraviolet rays(UV rays) are known to be the cause of many problems to our skin. Here are a few of the major issues that come from UV exposure - signs of aging, slowing down cell turnover, worsening skin tone clarity. UV rays damage DNA and the barrier function of skin and create free radicals. It destroys and changes enzymes and proteins that are needed for amino acids or metabolism in our body. Besides this, your skin can also be damaged by other external harmful factors such as fine dust, stress, and more. It makes the skin depleted and reduces its ability to retain moisture which decreases elasticity.

Why is it that as you age, your skin becomes dull and loses its glow?

As you age, keratin starts to accumulate on your skin. From your twenties, the skin’s natural exfoliation starts to decrease by as much as 28% and slows down even more as you get older. Accumulated keratin makes the skin appear dull and thin. Again, ultraviolet rays and environmental influences such as pollution and smoking are also ones we need to blame. When your skin is exposed to UV rays, the stratum corneum thickens to protect the skin. If you have healthy skin, this dead skin will fall off after 30-60 days. But this process will slow down on skin that has started aging.

How to restore radiance to your skin?

• Apply sunscreen to block UV rays, the main cause of pigmentation.
• Drink plenty of water and use a moisturizer.
• Skin needs to be hydrated to oxygenate properly.
• Get rid of dead skin cells and do deep cleansing.
• Do a facial massage regularly to stimulate microcirculation.
• Avoid drinking and smoking.
• Get enough beauty sleep.
• Eat foods rich in antioxidants and beta carotene.

Skin brightening and lightening ingredients

Niacinamide

This is a form of vitamin B3 and it helps brighten the complexion and lighten acne scars, age spots, and other types of hyperpigmentation. It helps decrease melanin synthesis, inflammation, and irritation.

Hexapeptide 2 

A fast-acting skin-brightening peptide to brighten skin and even out skin tone. This helps suppress melanin to increase and reduce inflammation, pain, discomfort, and itching associated with sensitive skin.

Glycolic Acid

This is the most popular Alpha Hydroxy Acid(AHA) and it helps refine fine lines, reduce age spots & acne scars, brighten skin and even out overall skin tone. This does not only even out skin discoloration but also helps minimize fine lines and wrinkles.

Willow Bark Extract 

Willow bark is the original source of salicin - salicylic aid as known as BHA(Beta hydroxy acid) in skincare. It's best known as an anti-inflammatory that helps soothe acne, redness, and swelling. However, it also has brightening quality as it helps to stimulate the skin and cell growth.

Vitamin C

Thanks to the antioxidant properties of vitamin C, it helps increase collagen levels, reduces hyperpigmentation, repairs the effects of sun damage and helps to prevent environmental damage. It's also known as ascorbic acid.

Licorice Root Extract

There are few skin lightening compounds found in licorice root, Liquiritin, Licochalcone, and Glabridin. They help bring your skin to smooth, brighter and stop the skin from darkening after sun exposure. Liquiritin and Licochalcone inhibit the activity of the enzyme tyrosinase which is responsible for the production of melanin. They also have UV blocking enzymes that help protect your skin from sun damage.

Kojic Acid

This all-natural lightning and brightening ingredient derived from a fungus that is used to make rice wine/sake. It suppresses the enzyme tyrosinase production in the body and impedes melanin formation. Kojic acid also acts as an antioxidant for the treatment of sun damages or sensitive skin.

Alpha Arbutin

This is a natural component extracted from bearberry leaves. It's being known for skin whitening with their melanin-inhabiting properties. Just remember, Alpha Arbutin is more effective on skin whitening than beta arbutin.

Spirulina

Spirulina is dark green algae which is one of being known superfood. This ingredient is rich in nutrients, vitamins, fatty acids, and amino acids. It helps brighten and improve the skin tone due to high levels of phosphorous, vitamin A, B-12, E, calcium, and iron. It's also effective at fighting acne, free radicals, detoxing skin, and healing inflammation.

*** These ingredients help to reveal the skin tone damaged by UV rays. It is also effective in hyperpigmentation, dark spots, anti-aging, exfoliation, and hydration.

Skin brightening Korean Beauty products

1. Pyunkang Yul Acne Toner: Formulated with white willow extract, which contains natural BHA that helps to exfoliate the dead skin cells, pore clogged impurities, and excess sebum while niacinamide helps visibly improve enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines, and wrinkles.

2. Liz K  Super First C Serum Pure Vitamin 13%: Formulated with 13% pure Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid). This antioxidant-rich serum helps brighten and even out skin tone, diminish the appearance of dark spots and overall pigmentation problems on dull and sensitive skin while reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

3. Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence: This essence is great for anti-aging and brightening. It helps boost collagen production and cell renewal. Along with those, it also promotes reduce the visibility of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation.

4 Heimish Bulgarian Rose Water Hydrogel Eye Patch: Formulated with Bulgarian rose water that contains loads of skin-benefiting vitamins and minerals with ultra-hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties. The patch has excellent anti-wrinkle and brightening synergistic effects. It helps decrease the appearance of dark under-eye circles and awaken dull skin.

5. COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence: Enriched with 95% Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate that helps brighten, hydrate and tighten the skin. The essence is great for improving uneven tone, hyperpigmentation, dry and tired skin. Thanks to hyaluronic acid, it promotes skin renewal and elasticity for a radiant and youthful complexion.