When I had melasma, I felt like it was the first thing I would see every time I looked in the mirror. I felt ugly. If you’re struggling with this too, I get it. Here’s exactly what helped me get rid of it for good: 1. Obagi Nu Derm Clear RX. This cream helped my melasma the most. You need a script for it though. I mixed mine in my tretinoin. It gives you the glowiest skin. I also linked one you don’t need a script for, but it takes a bit longer to start working 2. Tinted mineral sunscreen- the tint contains iron oxides, which provide significantly better protection against visible light, especially the wavelengths that can trigger pigmentation in melasma-prone skin. 3. Reapplied my SPF. Most people don’t use enough sunscreen and don’t reapply. I linked the sunscreen powder I use on top of my makeup.  3. Wore hats—but not just any hat.
I learned that heat can be a trigger for melasma. I avoided tight hats that trapped heat against my forehead and looked for breathable options whenever possible. (Linked some of my breathable favorites) 4. Vitamin C every morning. This became part of my daily routine and helped support my overall pigment-fighting routine. 5. Niacinamide helped support my overall pigment-fighting routine. It can help reduce the transfer of pigment within the skin. I use every morning.  7. Tretinoin several nights a week. This helped with cell turnover and was a huge part of my long-term skin strategy. 8. Regular chemical peels. Chemical peels helped speed up the fading process and kept my skin looking more even. I personally loved the VI Peel. 9. I paid attention to heat. This was a big one. For some people, melasma isn’t just triggered by UV exposure. Heat can play a role too, which is why I became much more mindful of prolonged heat exposure. (now that I have my melasma under control, I can do things like hot Pilates and hot yoga, but in the beginning, I needed to be super careful) LTKBeauty LTKstorytime LTKselfcare