[EZ Mom]

Hi all,

I am new in this forum and I am glad that I found it. I have been looking for something to even out my skin tone especially on my legs. I have this mild blotchiness on my legs and my knees are dark compare to my legs...I am Asian and have quite fair skin color. My skin is also sensitive. I easily get dark spots from scars. I am not looking into getting "whiter" or paler just even skin tone and get rid of those dark spots...

Can you please offer any advice? I am interesting to try the likas soap already by reading this forum. But any lotions to go with that?

Thanks in advance

 

[Clabbergirl]

An AHA lotion with a higher concentration of lactic acid (say 12%) might help even things up, but it will take 2x day for at least a month before you likely notice much. AmLactin and Lac-Hydrin are 2 that come to mind. Lactic acid needs to be the 1st or 2nd ingredient in anything else. These will help slough off older skin cells.

Hydroquinone 4% (Rx only in the US, OTC in Canada) or a product with Kojic acid as an alternative applied to these spots 2x day will reduce the pigment-making abilities of the skin cells in those areas temporarily, so that when they slough off the new skin will be lighter. But it will make your skin more sensitive to the sun because the melanin has been reduced.

I have only just begun using the Likas soap, so I can't comment on that yet. I've used the Hydroquinone 4% for about 2 weeks and am seeing results on my elbows especially. I use AmLactin as a body lotion as well - it's a great moisturizer by the way. It truly will last 24 hours on me.

Sometimes darker skin areas such as knees, elbows, waist, and back of neck can be metabolism-related or due to medications like birth control pills. It's called acanthosis nigricans - do a google search for possible causes if you have skin discoloring in other areas.

 

[EZ Mom]

Thank you Clabber girl. I am very interested in trying this Likas soap. When applying this lightening agent such as Hydroquinone or Kojic Acid, do I need to apply only on the spots or can I apply to an overall area?

 

[LittleEmmy]

Hey, have you tried a self tanner, to just darken the rest of your skin. I fyou are very fair, you may be able to use a little glow.

 

[ondine]

Hi EZ mom & welcome to the forum! When applying these agents, use them only on the area you want to lighten. With Kojic acid or glycolic acid 12%, test first on a small area for possible adverse reactions: esp with sensitive skin. With HQ, anything less that 4% is not worth your money. Anything above 10% could be dangerous. From what you describe, 4% ought to do the trick. Good luck!

 

[Clabbergirl]

Thank you Clabber girl. I am very interested in trying this Likas soap. When applying this lightening agent such as Hydroquinone or Kojic Acid, do I need to apply only on the spots or can I apply to an overall area?

EZmom, you can do either. If you apply it all over your face, for example, it will prevent the mechanism within the skin cells that makes melanin (the color), and as the old cells slough off, the new cells will be melanin-deficient. This gives you an even canvas...all the 'new' skin has been equally treated with melanin-blocking so to speak.

If you apply it to darker areas only, the new skin beneath these dark places will be the only areas with melanin-blocking. It's okay though, as the areas that aren't dark already will most likely not get dark (as long as you use a sunblock regularly). I hope that makes sense.

You can do both. I apply HQ4% all over my face, but apply only to my elbows. Same thing with Retin-A.

 

[EZ Mom]

Thanks for the advice...Ondine, can you please let me know where are you getting your HQ4% from? I have been looking around it seems that the max is 2

 

[ondine]

I've pm ed them to you.