3 Ways to Improve Hyperpigmentation in the Winter

3 Ways to Improve Hyperpigmentation in the Winter - Sente Labs

Following some basic tips for skin care in the winter can go a long way in minimizing the appearance of hyperpigmentation and achieving a more even-looking complexion. If you’ve noticed your skin getting darker in winter months or dark spots appearing, you’re certainly not alone. The colder temperatures, decreased humidity, and harsh weather can lead to a number of skin conditions associated with dehydration, inflammation, and a compromised skin barrier, and that includes hyperpigmentation.

Fortunately, there are effective solutions available. Read on to learn how to avoid skin darkening in the winter.

1. Add Senté Cysteamine HSA to Your Routine

Cysteamine HSA is Senté’s revolutionary, non-hydroquinone tone and pigment corrector. While using it every day is one of the best tips for skin care in the winter, it’s safe for daily, long-term use all year — even for those who have sensitive skin. Although our cysteamine is gentle, it’s still very powerful, helping to reduce the appearance of dark spots with no prescription required.

Cysteamine HSA Pigment & Tone Corrector is formulated with complementary ingredients that synergize beautifully with cysteamine. Heparan Sulfate Analog technology helps boost the skin’s immune response to inflammation. Niacinamide helps decrease visible redness and improves uneven skin tone, and THD ascorbate helps to minimize UV-induced pigmentation. Combined, these ingredients work wonders in reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation all year round.

2. Protect Your Skin Barrier

A woman in the snow with hyperpigmentation on her face

Dehydrated skin often leads to inflammation, which often leads to hyperpigmentation. One of the easiest yet most important tips for skin care in the winter is to simply moisturize more frequently, but that’s not all. 

Dehydration and inflammation are often caused by a compromised skin barrier — the outermost layer of skin that protects your body from harmful UV and HEV light, pollutants, allergens, heavy metals, free radicals, and other external stressors. If you notice your skin getting darker in winter months and dark patches forming, it may be caused by damage to the skin’s barrier.

The skin barrier is often compared to a brick wall. Skin cells called corneocytes act as the bricks, and fatty acids, ceramides, cholesterol, and other fats act as the mortar that holds those cells together, creating a protective wall.

Focusing on your skin barrier is one of the best tips for skin care in the winter because, just like a real wall, your skin barrier is prone to damage caused by winter conditions. Your skin barrier doesn’t just keep bad things out of your body — it also holds moisture and natural oils in, which naturally keeps your skin hydrated and healthy.

3. Wear Physical Sunscreen Daily

A person outside on a sunny winter day

You might be surprised to see that wearing sunscreen is one of our tips for skin care in the winter, but sunscreen should be worn regardless of season, even when it’s not sunny out. Prolonged exposure to the sun’s UVA and UVB rays is one of the most common causes of hyperpigmentation, and those rays are still present during the winter months.

Ultraviolet light penetrates clouds and fog, so you can still get sunburned even on those dreary winter days. If you’ve seen your skin getting darker in winter months, it could be related to inflammation caused by the sun. However, sun protection isn’t the only reason why you should be applying physical sunscreen daily.

Physical, mineral-based sunscreens are very different from chemical sunscreens. As you research tips for skin care in the winter, remember that the two types of sunscreens are not equal. Chemical sunscreens allow UV light to penetrate your skin, and then they cause a chemical reaction in your body that converts ultraviolet light into heat that dissipates out through your skin. 

On the other hand, physical sunscreens are formulated with mineral filters that act as a physical barrier between your skin and the sun and other external stressors. Senté sunscreens also contain powerful antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and pollutants, further protecting your skin from damage.

While wearing chemical sunscreen is better than not wearing any at all, physical sunscreen is far and away the superior option.

Shop Medical-Grade Hyperpigmentation Solutions

These three tips for skin care in the winter can help you achieve a more even-looking skin tone despite harsh winter conditions. We encourage you to learn more about the benefits of Cysteamine HSA Pigment & Tone Corrector, as well as redness-reducing ingredients to look for in your moisturizer and sunscreen

Whether you’ve noticed your skin getting dark spots in winter months or you’re looking for a year-round solution, taking these three simple steps can make a major difference in keeping hyperpigmentation at bay. Now that you know how to avoid skin darkening in the winter, upgrade your winter skincare regimen with Senté.