4 products to deal with all of your pigmentation woes

28 March 2018
By Fashion Quarterly

Shiseido White Lucent range

The post-summer comedown can be brutal in more ways than one.

In addition to shorter, colder days and sudden moodiness and lethargy (we see you there Seasonal Affective Disorder), the autumn months also mean contending with those pesky post-summer skin issues. Yes, those long days outdoors in the sunshine felt good at the time, but the resulting sun spots, hyperpigmentation and dry, scaly patches you’re now wrestling with are problematic to say the least.

The best way to counteract these? With brightening products.

What are brightening products?

Brightening products will do exactly what they say – brighten those dull, dark spots and hyperpigmentation usually caused by sun overexposure. Brightening products can be a confusing landscape to navigate, so we’ve broken down one of the leading specialist brightening product lines on the market – Shiseido White Lucent – to help you understand how each product works and which one/s might suit your specific skin issues.

It’s also worth noting two things:
1. There’s a common misconception that brightening means whitening or bleaching but in fact, these products will literally brighten and give an overall glow to your own skin tone.
2. Brightening products aren’t just for people already suffering from pigmentation – these products are great for anyone who might be seeing the first signs of darker spots or who is looking to brighten and even the tone and texture of their skin. Even if your skin tone is pretty flawless but you get the occasional acne spot which doesn’t disappear quickly, there will be a brightening product for you.

How do brightening products work?

Among the key ingredients in the Shiseido White Lucent products is the pale pinkish-white Japanese cherry blossom, which helps to suppress the skin’s signals for pigment production, meaning it not only corrects and resists existing dark spots and pigmentation, but helps to build up your skin’s resistance to dark spot formation. Interestingly, the products contain fragrance ingredients which also work to inhibit pigmentation – rosenium, which is extracted from Bulgarian rose oil; and White Lilac Element (derived from the aromatic white lilac), reduces the amount of pigmentation production, while also having a profound calming effect.

If you need more help finding out what each product does, read on.


Shiseido White Lucent Luminizing

Shiseido White Lucent Luminizing Infuser

Best used for: The appearance of unresponsive spots.
How to use it: This essence lotion is to be patted onto the face after cleanser – it infuses the skin surface with intensive brightening ingredients while hydrating and relieving from external stresses, and also preps the skin to become receptive to the benefits of other brightening treatments such as the serums and night creams below.


Shiseido White Lucent Luminizing Surge

Shiseido White Lucent Luminizing Surge

Best used for: If you keep getting recurring pigmentation, this product will help to discourage spots from reappearing.
How to use it: This alcohol-free formula has been designed to work in conjunction with other brightening products (it would go hand in hand with the rest of the White Lucent products) or after receiving professional cosmetic procedures, such as laser spot removal (although do avoid using on any inflamed areas post-procedure). It is to be used each evening after a cleanser and essence, such as the White Lucent Luminizing Infuser (above).


Shiseido White Lucent MultiBright Night Cream

Shiseido White Lucent MultiBright Night Cream

Best used for: Discolouration problems including signs of spots, acne scars, irregular skin tone, noticeable pores and dullness.
How to use it: As your body rests at night, your skin regenerates and repairs itself – and this night cream has been designed to take advantage of this fact. Applying this product at night after using a cleanser and essence allows it to work most effectively, as it will not only restore skin from the stresses and pollutants it came into contact with during the day, but it will work to solve multiple skin tone and texture problems over time. This includes reducing the appearance of dark spots, acne marks and uneven skin tone, while intensely hydrating the skin and maintaining moisture overnight.


Shiseido White Lucent MicroTargeting Spot Corrector

Shiseido White Lucent MicroTargeting Spot Corrector

Best used for: Diminishing the appearance of scattered, stubborn spots – from tiny and blurred to dark.
How to use it: This intensive anti-spot serum is designed to be applied directly to the problem areas, targeting specific spots, or used all over the face to brighten the overall tone and create perfectly radiant skin. Use both morning and night, after cleanser and essence, but before moisturiser. If your skin is pretty flawless overall but you suffer from a few spots or acne marks, this could be a good product to add to your existing skincare routine.


This article is brought to you by Shiseido White Lucent.

Photos: Supplied

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