Category Archives: how to get rid of hyperpigemenation

Haruharu Dark Spot Go Away Serum Review

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Hey hey everyone!

I hope all is good! Spring is in the air in the UK and Im so glad brighter days are coming back

I’ve used up the dark spot serum from Haru Haru so it’s time for a full review and some progress pictures!

The Centella 4% TXA Dark Spot Go Away Serum has 5 main ingredients that promise to work together to fade dark spots & hyperpigmentation, soothe the skin and leave it hydrated. These are Vit C, niacinamide, tranexamic acid(4%), squalene and centella complex

Experience

I started using this product on the 1st of feb alongside other Haru Haru products for my 30 day skincare challenge. See my full post here.

I was using this once a day for the 1st 3 weeks then went to 2x a day in the last week and a half. I finished this product on the 6th of March, it lasted 4 weeks and 5 days. It probably would have last a bit longer if I used 2ish pumps lol but Im a bit heavy handed with my products, so with most serums I use 3ish pumps.

The texture is like gel – its very lightweight and soothing on the skin. It feels great and layers very well with other serums. I’ve experienced no irritation or pilling with this. It doesn’t have a strong scent either- I think its also unscented like the rest of the products from Haru Haru Wonder.

How do I feel about this serum? Is it effective? Well, I’m 50-50 on this

I was using the Niod repigment serum which was working very well in Jan but I stopped using it on 28Jan to allow my skin to ‘normalise’ before starting the Haru Haru serum. I started the dark spot serum on the 1st of feb. As with all new active/treatment serums, I use it 2-3 times in the 1st week to minimise any irritation. I was using this serum to treat the 2 dark spots on my chin that resulted from plucking but now that I’m doing laser the hair hasn’t been coming back and I’m able to fade them! I was using the serum all over my face btw lol, but those 2 were my target spots to gauge effectiveness.

Anyway, I noticed by the 4th of feb- the pigmentation was coming back after I stopped using the Niod serum. Something I wasn’t expecting to be honest. It took at least 2 weeks for me to see a noticeable difference with the Haru Haru serum. You can see by 18feb, the intensity of the dark spot was reduced! I was really happy with it, but I don’t think I got any more reduction after this. Looking at the pics from the 21st of feb and 6th of march- I don’t see any more reduction especially in the large dark spot on the right but this may be down to my laser session on the 21st. (the pic was taken before the laser session). As laser can cause pigmentation it makes sense that from the 21st to the 6th I didn’t really see any reductions, infact I even think its slightly(just a tad bit) darker.

I also had a reaction to the laser on the 21st! I totally forgot and was playing with my face later that evening and doing this causes me to have a breakout! This time was bad and it left some dark spots- on my cheeks. It’s like I took several steps back. Sigh!

So why am I 50/50 on the serum?

Well I think I did hit a plateau after the 18th because I still don’t see any huge reductions in the dark spots. Even with the mini breakout I had the serum hasn’t been able to fade those marks and I feel like those are mainly superficial.

Verdict

Hyperpigmentation is extremely hard to treat and for me who is prone to getting it, it makes my serums work even harder! I really like this serum on paper- it has a blend of 3 ingredients known to combat dark spots and other ingredients to soothe and hydrate the skin. I really like the texture of the serum, the gel like texture is very soothing on the skin and I love that it layers so well other products. I used it with retinols & acids with no issues

It works, after 2 weeks I started to see results, but I feel like once I got there, there wasn’t any further progression. I know the dark spots in that area are deep and therefore harder to treat so perhaps I was expecting too much from the serum?

Will I recommend the dark spot serum? Yes and no- I think for deep, hard to treat hyperpigmentation it may be best to go for more potent treatments and a chemical peel( having my 1st one this year after I finish my laser!) if you are doing any sort of treatments that leave you prone to pigmentation e.g. lasers I think this might not be able to keep it at bay and you need something else

For superficial pigmentation or if you are someone who doesn’t really suffer from pigmentation then this serum is more suitable for you. It has the blend of actives to fight the pigmentation and added ingredients to soothe and hydrate the skin.

I wish it also mentioned the concentration of vit c and niacinamide alongside the TXA

I’m really glad I got to try this product and was gifted it- it was on my Stylevana wish list! of course SPF is non negotiable when treating hyperpigmentation!

This serum is available from Superdrug or Stylevana if you’re interested!

catch you laterrrr

Dose by VH Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum Review

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hey hey, you good? I hope all is well.

I have an exciting review today for you. Having hyperpigmentation means I’m always on the hunt for a treatment serum to help deal with it. There are many serums with even bigger claims and I really enjoy looking for new serums to try.

Today I will be talking about the Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum from Victoria Health. Dose is Victoria’s Health own brand and their aim is to provide solutions for various skin concerns that deliver results. The Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum is designed to fight to help target uneven skin tone, dark spots, age spots and post blemish marks, together with 1% Kojic Acid, a powerful antioxidant and skin brightener.

Experience

I’ve known about Victoria health for a long time, do you guys remember when the ordinary skincare first came to the UK? VH were one of the retailers to first stock the brand! I didn’t know they now had their own skincare range( I think the garden of wisdom brand was theirs too but I’m not too sure). Anyway whilst looking for a new treatment serum I found Dose and was really intrigued by the ingredients at that price point.

I used the serum for about 7 weeks in my evening routine last year with no irritation issues. I also appreciated how easy it was to add to my routine, I used it with retinol & acids with no issues. It layers well with creams and I had no issues with pilling.

The serum is a bright yellow gel textured serum with no noticeable scent and doesn’t stain the skin.

Does it deliver on claims?

My baseline picture was taken on the 28th of Sept however between that date to when I started using the serum on 2nd November I wasn’t using any other treatment serum for hyperpigmentation. I used the serum from 2nd Nov to 22nd Dec 2024

I wanted the serum to target a stubborn patch of pigmentation near my jawline and I can say it did work to lighten the intensity of the spots but not completely get rid of it which is understandable. I also felt like my skin in general looked brighter which I liked. I have ‘lighter’ dark spots on my cheeks which it didn’t get rid of however I just feel I would probably have to laser/ have a chemical peel to get rid of those as nothing has been able to completely get rid of them so far.

Verdict

I do like this serum and I was pleasantly surprised with my results. That stubborn patch of pigmentation did lighten a bit and overall my skin was left brighter. I also liked the range of skin brighteners in the serum: vit c, alpha arbutin, niacinamide & kojic acid as well as glycerin & Lactobacillus Ferment. I always try to get treatment serums with a mix of brighteners because hyperpigmentation is so difficult to treat. Alpha arbutin has never worked for my skin alone but in combo with other ingredients it seems to work.

The customer service from VH is outstanding. I emailed to ask if my serum was oxidized as I was taken aback by the bright yellow color and I got a reply straight away confirming it was ok to use! I also had no issues with ordering and shipment

Will I recommend this serum?- Yes. This is an effective hyperpigmentation serum with a range of well known ingredients that work to brighten the skin over time as well as some skin conditioning ingredients. if your pigmentation isn’t as deep/stubborn as mine then I have no doubts you will get much better results. It goes without saying, SPF is KEY when dealing with pigmentation issues and should be worn everyday. Try to avoid direct sunlight where possible. Dealing with the root cause of the issues causing pigmentation rather than pigmentation itself is the best cause of action. However, I do understand that sometimes there isn’t much that can be done in some cases. This year I focusing on treating my underlying causes and I will be sharing some of the clinic treatments I will be doing

The serum is available from Victoria Health for £18

catch you later!