Which Ingredients Are Effective for Treating Hyperpigmentation?

Numerous ingredients claim to brighten and reduce hyperpigmentation, but only a select few are truly effective. “You really should focus on ingredients that target all three steps of the pathway,” Dr. Shah stated. “The melanin [or pigment] goes from the melanocyte [through the tyrosinase enzyme] to a melanosome, which is like a little vesicle [or transport], and then it transfers it to the skin cells.” Many ingredients only inhibit the tyrosinase enzyme step, which does not eliminate existing hyperpigmentation.

What ingredients address all three steps? “Opt for a combination of ingredients that targets multiple steps in the pigment pathway. Therefore, that would include vitamin C, retinol, niacinamide, kojic acid, alpha-arbutin, and azelaic acid,” Dr. Shah advised. If there is a single ingredient that treats it all effectively on its own, it is retinol—and not alternative retinols, but pure retinoid.