Those dark spots and the uneven skin tone on your face, chest, and hands is a clear sign of aging skin, but with some daily attention, it doesn’t have to stay that way.

The trick to achieving and maintaining an even skin tone through the decades is to protect your skin from sun exposure while you’re young.

Let me be clear. If you are in your twenties or thirties and you haven't noticed age (sun) spots, take precaution NOW. Because, if not, it is inevitable that you will be doing damage control in just a few years. Take heed, and make daily (face, neck, chest, hands, forearms) sunscreen application as important as brushing your teeth. If you are a wise women, 40+, and you are noticing the effects of the sun - brown spots, larger pores, bumpy, uneven skin - here is your life boat.

Daily Sun Protection

Because a full 80% of the aging on your skin, is due to your daily exposure to the sun.

Let me repeat that. 80% of the aging on your skin, is due to your daily exposure to the sun.

Too many days in the sun without adequate protection from a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater takes its toll on skin. Years of daily, cumulative exposure to the sun without sunscreen can cause: pores to weaken and expand, creating an orange peel–like texture on skin's surface that feels rough and looks uneven; dark spotted skin, and more sagging and lines than necessary. The solution: Daily (yes, 365 days, daily) sunscreen, skin brighteners and exfoliation!

Gentle Exfoliants

Your skin's natural shedding process slows down with age and certain skin conditions, which equal, an uneven skin tone.

Help your skin out with both mechanical (a gentle scrub) and chemical (AHA's and BHA's, kojac acid and retinol) exfoliant. Please avoid scrubs that contain jagged particles like apricot and nut pits or shells. Only ever use a gentle formula with smooth, round beads. Best yet, use our Jojoba Creme Scrub with smooth round beads made with jojoba oil that gently dissolve as you use them. And my goodness, don't stop at your jawline. Carry on through to your neck, throat, chest, hands and I suggest forearms. These areas get the most sun and the most damage, early on.

Hint: Too much of a good thing is not always, a good thing.  Too much exfoliant = flaky, red-irritated skin. Your skin should be smooth and soft with the proper amount for your skin. Experiment. Find your sweet spot. 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C has been solidly proven to help even out your skin tone, firm up your skin by building up collagen, (thus plumping up your skin) and lessening the effects of exposure to the elements. Ascorbic acid - Vitamin C's true name, is a powerhouse when mixed with other antioxidants. The combination can help alleviate uneven skin tone problems both before and after they occur. Although ascorbic acid is definitely an outstanding form of vitamin C, there are other forms that also have notable research demonstrating their stability (when compared to pure ascorbic acid) and efficacy such as ascorbyl palmitate and retinyl ascorbate. 

Skin Brightening and Lightening for Discoloration

First, let's distinguish between a skin lightener and a skin brightener. A skin lightener is an over-the-counter product that contains hydroquinone as its active ingredient. This ingredient is approved for reducing the look of brown spots, dark spots, and freckles that result from sun exposure without using sunscreen and from other triggers. However, hydroquinone is not without controversy and tends to be strong; if its use is not well-managed, and it can be misused. We don't offer it up but you could research it for yourself if it intrigues you.

Skin brighteners are cosmetics that contain ingredients such as various forms of vitamin C, kojic acid, acetyl glucosamine, arbutin, mulberry extract, various forms of licorice, and niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3. All four of these ingredients have research showing they can visibly brighten skin and make it look more even. And they tend to work best in combination rather than alone. 

Don't Give Up - Have Patience

This is important. Results might take 6–12 weeks to appear. But think about it, your skin's appearance didn't change from even to uneven overnight, so give your new products time to work.

Intense Pulse Light (IPL)

Sadly, sometimes, even if you’re diligent with your new found skin care routine as well as diligent about daily sun protection, it’s still possible your dark spots may not improve as much as you like. Some discolorations are so stubborn and entrenched they are slower to respond to topical care and need more help.

What to do? It may be time to consider seeing a dermatologist to discuss other options. IPL (Intense Pulse Light) is the tried and tested treatment for dark spots (as well as redness and broken capillaries).

IPL is a light-based device which targets melanin in your skin. There is little downtime, though treated skin may be red for a few hours, and the pigmented areas get darker before scaling off. Depending on the stubbornness of what you are treating, you could need only one treatment, or as many as six. I find it quite reasonably priced as well. I am most definitely a fan.

Better Skin Every Day

You can have better skin. When skin-lightening and brightening products, and exfoliants are combined with diligent daily application of a sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater, you can absolutely reveal a luminous and more even tone that will help your skin look younger than it has in years! Going forwar, let's teach our daughters prevention. Sunscreen now. They will thank us in years to come.

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Jojoba Creme Scrub	Super C Stem Serum	Sunscreen
Radiance Reveal Exfoliant	Clear Skin Serum

 

Key Takeaways

• Up to 80% of visible skin aging is caused by cumulative sun exposure
• Daily sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) is the most important step in preventing uneven skin tone and dark spots
• Sun protection should extend beyond the face to include the neck, chest, hands, and forearms
• Gentle, consistent exfoliation helps improve skin tone by supporting natural cell turnover
• Over-exfoliation can damage the skin barrier. Balance and moderation are key.
• Vitamin C and other antioxidants help brighten skin, support collagen, and reduce visible discoloration
• Skin brighteners (like vitamin C, niacinamide, and licorice) work gradually and are best used consistently
• Results take time. Visible improvements typically appear within 6–12 weeks
• Stubborn discoloration may require professional treatments like IPL
• Long-term skin improvement comes from consistency, not quick fixes

Frequently Asked Questions

• What causes dark spots and uneven skin tone?
  The primary cause is cumulative sun exposure over time. Other factors include aging, hormonal changes, and slowed skin cell turnover.
• Is sunscreen really necessary every day?
  Yes. Daily sunscreen is the most effective way to prevent further discoloration and protect your skin from ongoing damage, even on cloudy days.
• Where should I apply sunscreen?
  Apply it to all exposed areas: face, neck, chest, hands, and forearms. These areas show signs of aging quickly due to frequent sun exposure.
• How often should I exfoliate?
  It depends on your skin, but generally 1–3 times per week is sufficient. The goal is smooth, soft skin; not irritation or redness.
• What’s the difference between skin brightening and skin lightening?
  Skin brighteners help improve overall radiance and evenness using ingredients like vitamin C and niacinamide. Skin lighteners (like hydroquinone) are stronger and target pigmentation more aggressively.
• How long does it take to see results?
  Most people begin to see visible improvement in 6–12 weeks with consistent use of sunscreen, exfoliation, and brightening ingredients.
• Can I reverse sun damage completely?
  You can significantly improve the appearance of sun damage, but ongoing protection is essential to prevent new damage from forming.
• When should I consider professional treatments like IPL?
  If discoloration is stubborn or not improving with topical care, IPL and other dermatological treatments can help target deeper pigmentation.
• What is the most important step if I want even skin tone?
  Daily sunscreen. Without it, other treatments will be less effective.

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