I Tried This Dark Spot Peel That Shoppers Are Calling “Magic In A Bottle” — & My Skin Has Never Felt Softer
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Anyone who knows me will tell you one of my biggest skin insecurities is my dark spots. I’ve spent the majority of my twenties trying all sorts of vitamin C’s, retinol, at-home remedies — you name it, I’ve tried it — to combat my hyperpigmentation. Over the years, I’ve come across many products that did nothing — or left my skin worse — and a few that have made some improvements. But it wasn’t until recently, when I discovered just what type of hyperpigmentation I had, that I could make a difference with what products to use.
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For a long time, I thought most dark spots were the same, but when I had a skin consultation earlier this year, I discovered that I experience post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This type of hyperpigmentation usually happens after inflammation, so acne scarring, swellings, irritation, or injury. And while I’ve left the horror years of puberty and teen acne behind, I still break out at least once or twice a month regularly — hence my dark spot insecurity. I’m sharing all of this with you because if you’re like me who also experiences dark spots and scaring after a pimple, then I might’ve found a product that could be both of our saving graces.
Over the past 10 days, I tried Dermalogica’s New PowerBright Dark Spot Peel. It’s an intense, fast-acting formula that exfoliates skin to fade dark spots. So much so that it claims to “visibly lift dark spots in just five uses,” per the brand, it also claims to “reduce triggers of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.” Almost immediately after reading that, I got a sample to try right away. I wanted to put it to the test to see if this could be the saving grace I need.
PowerBright Dark Spot Peel
$79
In my opinion, I found this formula to be packed full of powerful ingredients. And with great power comes great responsibility. It’s made with 12 percent AHA + PHA, mandelic acid, tranexamic acid, and niacinamide. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a lot of acid to me. They’re all meant to gently exfoliate your skin while slowly but surely fading dark spots and hyperpigmentation. It’s also formulated with an Omega-3 and turmeric blend that reduces the triggers of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation while leaving skin incredibly soft and smooth.
Per the directions, “apply a thin, even layer; leave on for 15-20 minutes, then rinse.” It is also recommended that you begin using it daily for four to five days, then use it two to three times per week. Frankly, I wouldn’t recommend that. It’s a powerful peel that essentially strips your skin every night. If you have sensitive skin, that could be dangerous as it is low-dose acid you’re putting on your face. Instead, I used it every other day or every two days for over a week and still saw good results. After the first two uses, I saw the dark spots on my cheek that I’ve been struggling with for months begin to fade. Plus, it made my skin baby soft! The next day after using it, I was shocked by how my skin felt. I couldn’t help but touch my face. However, since it is a potent formula and I started using it during my time of the month, it did affect my PMS breakout, too.
As I see it, tackling dark spots, especially post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, is a long game. While this product has definitely helped to visibility fade them in five uses, I could see over time, perhaps in two to three months, it’ll be a much more significant difference. And shoppers feel the same! This product has only been out for a couple of months, and so far, it has a 4.7-star rating with over 400 reviews. “Magic in a bottle,” one shopper called it. “Unbelievable how this stuff in this little bottle works so fast. It has reduced the appearance of my blemishes in less than two weeks.”
“I have been loving the PowerBright Peel. My skin feels brighter, softer, and smoother since I started using it,” another shopper said. “I break out less compared to before. I absolutely love this and would 100% recommend it to anyone with dark spots and hyperpigmentation. I use it just once a week as my skin is very sensitive.
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