From slathering on vitamin C to exfoliating regularly, the pursuit brighter, more even-toned skin can feel never-ending. Whether acne scars have taken up residence on your jawline or sun spots have started popping up on your cheeks, you may be searching for a solution. But other than the good ol’ vitamin C, there are other ingredients that can help brighten your complexion and leave your skin glowing that are far too underutilized by even the most experienced skin-care devotees.
The reason vitamin C is hailed as one of the best skin brighteners — and arguably the most well-known — is because of its high antioxidant content. “Vitamin C combats oxidative damage from free radicals that cause fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation, in addition to skin cancer,” dermatologist Marnie Nussbaum, MD, told POPSUGAR. “At high doses it can upregulate tyrosinase activity, which breaks down melanin and inhibits melanin overproduction.” This means it helps keep discoloration — like dark spots — from forming on your skin’s surface.
But aside from vitamin C, there are far more brightening ingredients to discover in the skin-care world and we created a guide to make navigating the options easy.
