How to Treat Acne Scars and Melasma

I get this question a LOT. It seems like a lot of us are currently struggling with acne scars and/or melasma. Whether we’ve had it since we were 13, we’re recently pregnant, or aging, we all want the same thing. To get rid of it. So what are safer ways to treat acne scars and melasma? 

Before I dive in, here’s something to watch out for when it comes to treating acne scars and melasma. Since both are forms of hyperpigmentation, what is the natural thing to want to do? Bleach it. Right? Most bleaches contain a chemical called hydroquinone. I wrote about hydroquinone in my clean beauty series last year if you want to read more about it. In sum, it has been linked to causing cancer. If you want to see more ingredients to watch out for (and make sure aren’t in your beauty products), see the full toxic ingredient list here. You can click on every ingredient to see what it does!

Since melasma is a long term thing, we should proceed with caution when treating it. I mean, it’s not like melasma just disappears one day. In fact, it’s the opposite. It keeps getting WORSE! Add this to the list of things that we as women have to deal with! Would one container of bleach containing hydroquinone be okay to use? Sure. If I had a wedding or a major life event and my melasma made me too embarrassed for that event, I’d consider it. One tube or one bottle of anything won’t cause tons of harm, usually. It’s the prolonged use over a lifetime that causes health risks. Want to know more? Read this post on why reading the ingredients in your products is important.

So what is my approach? I use clean beauty products that are intended to brighten skin and even its tone. All of these are safe for pregnancy and nursing. If a product isn’t safe for pregnancy, that’s usually a great indicator you shouldn’t be using it at all. Ever. The results of this routine aren’t overnight. It’s a gradual process. Then again, some bleaches don’t really work either! However, they do work and effectively fade melasma and acne scars. They should also be part of your regular skincare routine anyway!

1. Brightening Face Oil. 

When it comes to the holy grail of skincare, face oil is my ride or die. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my love of face oil is real. It’s the best thing you can do for your skin! And not just for treating melasma and acne scars! There are a slew of other benefits too. Read about all the good things face oil does here. Beautycounter makes my favorite one because it has all these benefits AND it brightens the appearance of your skin while evening skin tone. This one smells like citrus and I find it to be very refreshing.

In additional to reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation, try incorporating face oil into your skincare routine overall. Here is a quick recap of my skincare routine! You can also watch me walk through it in my Instagram highlights!

2. Overnight Resurfacing Peel.

As the name implies, you will see overnight results from this peel. Don’t worry, nothing too drastic will happen while you sleep. However, you will notice your skin is visible brighter after you start using it. The AHA/BHAs improve texture and minimize pores, fine lines, and dark spots in a safe/clean way. Dull skin is removed and hyaluronic acid reveals younger looking skin.

This is also a must have product for anyone concerned with anti-aging! This is hands down the best serum-like product I’ve ever used. It also lasts 6 months which is more than I can said for anything else I’ve tried over the years. See the full list of serums I’ve tried here.

3. Discoloration Defense.

This Discoloration Defense serum is a recent add to my routine and I’ve fallen in love with it. I feel like it’s a great formula for both morning and night. I use this after my antioxidant in the morning and my first serum at night. It’s solely a brightening/discoloration serum so it doesn’t target anti-aging or any other issue but that also makes it extremely effective.

4. Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream.

I’m a huge fan of multipurpose products and I also love all the REN moisturizers and cleansers. This Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream is a great lighter weight formula so it works well for all skin types because it doesn’t clog pores. I’ve had so many of my readers grab this and say they saw results within the first week! I like to add my Brightening Face Oil to this and mix it in my palm before pressing this into my face. I also love to order directly from REN because they usually have a promotion going where they give you travel sized products which give you more value than ordering at another retailer!

5. Fade Scar-Spots Kit.

If you haven’t heard me talk about Maelove, read this post. It’s budget friendly beauty that actually works. If you’re looking for a combination of products in one spot to target dark spots, this face scar kit is for you. It comes with an antioxidant (to be used in the morning only), a cleanser, and a night cream all for $65 which is a steal! I use their Night Renewer for anti-aging as well especially during summer when I need a lighter formula! It works well alternating with the REN Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream too.

6. Microneedling.

I’m relatively new to the world of microneedling but I swear by it already. It makes your serums (all serums) work better which also means that when you’re using things like the Discoloration Defense, your dark spots, acne scars, and melasma goes away faster. There are so many benefits like increasing your skin’s natural collagen production which is why I love it. My skin also feels much thicker and looks younger especially when I use it in conjunction with the NuFACE (great for wrinkles). I love it so much I bought the body attachment too!

If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message on Instagram! I’m always happy to help. These are the products that I use to treat melasma though and they work! I also recommend wearing sunscreen religiously and protecting your face with hats or visors in the sun!