Combining sun protection and skin whitening products can help with hyperpigmentation, freckles and uneven skin tone.

The importance of using safe products that don’t contain harmful ingredients long enough to reverse the memory bank of skin cells, to stop producing melanin.

Suggested products for asian skin tones are: Matis Blanche and Skin Doctors SD White.

When inflamed from an outbreak of acne, as the skin heals, melanin comes to the surface giving an uneven skin tone or hyperpigmentation.

Skin whitening products can be applied to the effected area to improve the complexion and restore an even skin tone.

In the video below, Yasmin talks about acne, how skin tends to leave dark scars after an outbreak and suggests a number of skin whitening products that can help lighten the skin to restore an even skin tone.

Recommended products include Skin Doctors Gamma Hydroxy, Matis Blanche and Crystal Clear Illuminate.

Ideally every day, otherwise every other day, use an exfoliating product such as PhytoSpecific Gentle Exfoliant to lift away the dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.

Washing alone won’t remove dead skin cells and you need a product with an ingredient that will unblock your pores and remove the dead skin which we naturally shed.

An alternative to a cream is a powerbrasion kit, which when run across the surface of your face and neck will clense your skin giving the same effect as an exfoliation treatment from a beauty salon at a fraction of the cost.

A product worth checking out is Skin Doctors Powerbrasion kit.

Providing a barrier against harmful UVA and UVB rays will prevent the pigment melanin coming to the skin surface. Protection from sunlight will allow melanin to disperse and over a period of time the skin appearance will gradually lighten.

The number one skin lightening tip is to use a moisturizer on a daily basis that contains sun protection.

Skin Doctors Supermoist SPF30 Accelerator is a superb facial moisturiser that protects skin from the damaging effects of the sun. Most products with a high SPF are too thick, oily or heavily fragranced. Supermoist SPF 30 Accelerator is different: it is light, non-oily, and is so comfortable that you will happily use it everyday.

Something to consider, is the need to reapply sun protection.

The SPF level refers to the amount of protection in time that the product gives. So an SPF 15 gives 150 minutes of protection, after which a sun protection product should be reapplied.

Other alternatives to help your skin condition would be to adjust your diet, change your lifestyle and take regular exercise.

Throughout history women have been using a range of substances such as sour milk, fermented grape skins and  mustard poultices to improve their complexions. Today, different acids are used to remove the outer layers of the skin and improve its appearance.

There are three types of peel:

Superficial peel: The most commonly used, it removes the outer layer of cells, lightly exfoliating the skin to give a healthy glow.

Medium-depth peel: This penetrates further into the skin to reduce small wrinkles and acne scars, and to even out skin colour and tone.

Deep peel: Penetrates the lower dermal layer of the skin to remove or lessen deeper wrinkles, lines and scars.

Superficial peels can be applied by medical staff, beauty therapists or trained individuals and will cost aroud £60 per session in the UK.

Medium depth peels are usually applied by a doctor with costs of around £500 for a course of four sessions.

Deep peels are only administered by dermatologists or plastic surgeons, with costs of £2,000 plus, depending on the size and type of area treated.

When considering medium or deep chemical peels, you should always contact an experienced practitioner to discuss possible side-effects in detail.

The chemicals found an alpha hydroxyacid peel are naturally occuring acids from fruits and foods such as;

- lactic acid from sour milk,
- citric acid from citrus fruits
- glycolic acid from sugar cane.

The name given to this group of acids is alpha hydroxyacid which can be found in many of the healthiest foods we eat and drink everyday, including orange juice.

These acids have been extracted and formulated into skin lightening products;

- Many over the counter cosmetics contain alpha hydroxyacids in low concentrations.
- Prescription products contain medium concentrations of alpha hydroxyacids.
- Acid peel treatments applied by professionals at intervals of three to six weeks will contain high concentrations of alpha hydroxyacid.

Unlike other chemical peels, alpha hydroxyacids are not toxic to the skin.

What happens during treatment? (The procedure varies, according to the depth of peel).

Superficial peel:  The face is cleansed and painted with peel, then left for two to ten minutes.
Mild stinging may occur. The peel is then washed off and neutralised.

The skin will look pink afterwards and may show faint white discolouration or blotches which fade in one or two hours. There are no after-effects, and you can go straight back to normal daily life.

Medium depth peel: The skin is cleansed and peel applied evenly. The treated area turns whitish grey over several minutes. Cool saline compresses are then applied to neutralise the acid in the peel.
The face may swell when the peel is applied, and burning or stinging lasts for about an hour after treatment.

Recovery takes a week or more, depending on how quickly you heal (older skin heals more slowly).
In the five to six days after treatment, the skin may turn dark brown, with white streaks.
It will itch and begin to peel, after which the skin is bright red, fading to fresh pink over the next three to six weeks.

Deep peel: A local anaesthetic is injected to freeze the face. (You may also be sedated). The skin is cleansed and a strong peel applied and left on for around 30 minutes before being neutralised.

Patients often feel unwell after a deep peel, and experience moderate to severe pain lasting several days. The face swells in the first two days and it can be very itchy during the healing process. It takes around two weeks before the face is healed enough for you to be seen in public.

One treatment can produce dramatic results and the effects last for 10 years.

Note: There are many risks with chemical peels

Chemical peels probably would not be recommended if you have a history of skin scarring, abnormal pigmentation, Afro-Caribbean or Asian skin, red hair and freckled skin.

Superficial peel: New skin may have too much pigment which will turn to brown blotches in sunlight (hyper-pigmentation). Using a high factor sunscreen at all times helps prevent this problem. A rare side-effect is skin infection or cold sores, in patients with a history of these complaints.

Medium-depth peel: Hyper-pigmentation can occur even if you use sunscreens. Brown blotches can be treated with bleaching creams. The red face can sometimes last longer than two to three months. Permanent scarring is a very rare risk.

Deep peel: The red face can last three to four months, and small raised cysts or white spots can appear and last from a few days to many weeks. Scarring is quite common early on after a deep peel, but this heals over time.
Areas of skin may lose pigment permanently, and appear noticeably whiter than the surrounding skin.
Hyper-pigmentation is another possible problem, and it’s vital to wear high protection sunscreen whenever the delicate new skin is exposed to the sun.