How to avoid white and dark spots on skin?

This skin damage generally appears above age 50 and is synonymous with visible signs of ageing and sun capital exhaustion. It is estimated that our skin loses half of its sun capital by age 20 and that 7% of people between 21 to 30 years old present skin pigmentation disorders.(1)

Consequently, it is important to protect skin’s sun capital for a healthy, young and beautiful skin in the long run. In this blog, we will uncover the origin of white and dark spots and how they can be faded thanks to Mel[o]stem™,  our 100 % natural based adaptive active ingredient which cocoons the melanocyte to preserve skin’s sun capital.

What are white spots on skin?

Fig 1 - Photo of skin showing the presence of white marks.

Scientifically referred to as idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH), white spots are also called reversed freckles and are small flat depigmented skin areas associated with sun overexposure (2). They are co-located with solar lentigo (dark spots) and xerosis especially on the shins, forearms, trunk and in smaller quantities, on the face and neck. They are most likely to be visible marks of age-related degenerative changes which are worsened by solar oxidative stress.(3)

White spots represent areas where skin cells are no longer protected by melanin from the harmful effects of the sun. In these areas, the melanocytes become larger with small dendrites, accumulating melanin without being able to distribute it to neighbouring keratinocytes. Over time, the cells are intoxicated by melanin and eventually die. 

Fig 2 - Photo of damaged keratinocytes.

Unprotected keratinocytes are then prematurely aged and defective. The dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) is flattened, and the epidermis is atrophied. The easily accessible dermis is silently deconstructed by UV rays leading to solar elastosis.

What are dark spots on for skin?  

Fig 3 - Photo of skin showing the presence of dark marks.

Dark spots also referred to as sun or age-spots are hyperpigmented lesions of variable size appearing on the face, neck, décolleté, back of hands, upper shoulders, arms and earlobes.

They are the outcome of a melanin overproduction due to skin ageing (senile lentigo) and over-sunbathing or outdoor activities (solar lentigo).

Melanin production is an oxidative process. The more melanin is produced, the more the melanocyte is self-oxidised. Over time and amplified by sun-induced oxidations, these oxidative cascades trigger random mutations in the melanocyte. These cell mutations deregulate melanin production, leading to high transfer to keratinocytes and the formation of hyperpigmented or dark spots.

Fading white and dark spots on skin

Like skinification for hair care, sun products with added skin care benefits are attracting consumer interest. From UV protection to skin regeneration, sunification is becoming essential to providing a holistic care to maintain a healthy and youthful-looking skin.

Sunscreens are physical or chemical defense ingredients providing variable UV barrier protection to the skin. Their formulation as well as consumer’s expectations and use have evolved over the years. Consumers are now seeking multifunctional sun products with added skincare benefits. According to The Benchmarking Company, 82 % of US consumers want sunscreens which reduce the appearance of dark pigment spots and skin discolouration. 

In line with this "sunification" trend, our active ingredient Mel[o]stem offers the unique benefit of simultaneously reducing dark and white spots for an even complexion. Mel[o]stem is a unique and sustainable phyto-complex crafted from scarlet beebalm leaf cell culture.

This smartadaptive active ingredient regulates the homeostasis of melanocytes and their microenvironment to preserve sun capital and limit the appearance of skin pigmentary defects. It promotes collagen and elastin productions and reconstructs the UV-damaged skin tissue. It offers unique sustainable attributes and full transparency on its sourcing and manufacturing process.

Clinically tested at 3 % against placebo, Mel[o]stem decreases the appearance of white and dark spots.  

Fig 4 - Photos with computer enhancement showing the decrease of white spots with Mel[o]stem. After two months of application, the lesion volume is decreased down to -93% and skin quality is improved in areas of white spots.  

Fig 5 - Fading dark spots with Mel[o]stem: expert-measured 64% improvement of complexion evenness vs placebo in 2 months while maximum pigmentation is decreased down to -19% and pigmentation heterogeneity is decreased down to –32%.

Now that white and dark spots on skin no longer hold any secrets for you, what about developing your next innovative and targeted solution to protect skin‘s sun capital?

To get started, explore our blog “Sun care trends – what’s on the horizon?”  and be inspired by our formulation suggestions including Mel[o]stem.

References:

(1) Goorochum R., Viennet C., Granger C., Fanian F., Varin-Blank N., Leroy C. and Humbert P. (2016) “Biological processes in solar lentigo: insights brought by experimental models.” Exp. Dermatol., 25, 174-177. 
(2) Shin M-K., Jeong K-H., Oh I-H., Choe B-K. and Lee M-H. (2011) “Clinical features of idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis in 646 subjects and association with other aspects of photoaging.” Int. J. Dermatol., 50, 798-805.
(3) Podder I. and Sarkar R. (2019) “Idiopathic guttate hypomelanose: an overview.” Pigment Int. IP: 223.176.109.131.