We’ve Got Bright News for Dark Spots

Those with skin hyperpigmentation used to have only one ingredient to rely on—hydroquinone, a bleaching agent that lightened skin, but generated questions about safety. Then came Vitamin C serums, which made progress, delivering a boost of brightening as well as firmness, and bounce, but were unpleasant to and prone to oxidizing in the bottle. They were also difficult to layer under other skincare products and sometimes even caused irritation and breakouts.

Enter our revolutionary new serum: Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum. It’s a proprietary blend of 10% vitamin C and white shiitake mushroom extract that delivers quicker, more powerful, and longer-lasting results, all without the downsides of traditional vitamin C serums.

Where Do Dark Spots Come From?

It seems like these troublesome spots arise out of nowhere, but that’s not necessarily true. “Whenever skin is injured, skin cells called melanocytes create pigment which is the body’s protective response to things like sun exposure, inflammation from a wound, acne, or friction,” says McKenzie Bolt, Biossance Director of Global Education. “The creation of melanin, resulting in what you see as dark or pink marks, is a sign of the skin feeling threatened and the body trying to defend itself.”

Spots that arise after injuries or acne (also called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) may arise quickly and can fade with time. However, dark spots resulting from sun exposure—the number one cause of skin hyperpigmentation—may take years to develop, working their way up from the deepest levels of the skin to the surface before becoming noticeable. This can occur at any age, but as you get older, the look of dark spots is amplified due to loss of skin suppleness and elasticity, and around age 30 is when many people start looking for a product to reverse or eliminate the spots.

What Makes This Dark Spot Serum Special

Vitamin C is a gold-standard ingredient for skin, with years of testing and real results that attest to its efficacy. It’s an antioxidant that fights free radicals, supports collagen production for youthful firmness, visibly brightens, and helps decrease the look of hyperpigmentation. Our precisely calibrated serum takes traditional C serums one step further with a unique form of vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid. Most water-soluble vitamin C serums are unstable, so they turn brown in the bottle and lose their effectiveness. “But there’s a new form of water-soluble vitamin C that’s more stable,” says Nancy Leung, from Biossance Product Development. “And it’s less irritating, yet still as effective. Because it basically works with your skin and has a continuous effect to release vitamin C into your skin on application.” It doesn’t sacrifice efficacy for the sake of stability or gentleness, so the end result is all the upside with none of the downside.

The last thing that makes this serum so groundbreaking? That magic number of 10%. Although some vitamin C serums on the market promise 20% or even 25% vitamin C, the higher that percentage, the more likely they are to cause skin sensitivity or even breakouts. Our scientists found that 10% vitamin C is the perfect strength for powerful efficacy without causing irritation. It’s also the most potent concentration allowed for a product to be verified by the Environmental Working Group, which all Biossance products are.

Your Skin’s Insurance Policy

Your skin can benefit even if you don’t have visible dark spots yet. Including Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum as part of a daily regimen for healthy skin can prevent new spots from forming. Since pigment production and dark spot appearance can take years, the white shiitake mushroom extract can disrupt this process, eliminating dark spots before they reach the surface of the skin, while vitamin C continues to keep skin bright and clear.

Of course, the very best way to avoid these spots altogether? Sun protection. Don’t forget to finish with SPF every morning, and the combination of these two products will keep skin spotless and healthy for years.