Beauty Of 5: Curbing Hyperpigmentation With Dove's Even Tone Antiperspirant

Source: Dove / Unilever

Women of color have a unique relationship with our underarms. For some, occasionally, they just don’t match the rest of our body. Blemishes, scarring from razor cuts, or even simple friction can show up much easier on us and tattoo hyperpigmentation on our skin for weeks or even months. While many don’t think anything about it, some of us would just rather such discoloration not be there.

That’s why we sat down and chatted with board certified dermatologist Dr. Alicia Barba about hyperpigmentation, self-care, and Dove’s new Even Tone antiperspirant. She gave us the rundown on what causes darkened patches, how to prevent it, and how to treat it. Yes! You can treat your uneven underarms now. Keep reading to find out how.

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What causes hyperpigmentation in the first place? 

“Hyperpigmentation, as it relates to the underarms, can be explained by genetics. Sometimes we are programmed to have more melanin in our skin. We can find more hyperpigmentation in what we call intertriginous areas, where we have more skin against skin friction. These areas include our skin folds in our neck, underarm, groin, etc. These areas are often exposed to low-grade friction and lead to hyperpigmentation, which is natural! Some areas of the body are going to reflect more pigment naturally than others.

Then there is low-grade inflammation, which can come from everyday life, like friction from our clothes and friction when we exercise. And our beauty habits, like waxing, rubbing too hard with a razor, and lasering, can lead to hyperpigmentation issues over time, which is not a problem until you think its a problem.

Now we have antiperspirants with ingredients that can address this uneven skin tone. These ingredients can work to block the melanin transfer or by soothing the skin and adding skincare benefits so that the skin tone is naturally restored. The skin under the arms deserves as much attention as the skin on our face.

Sometimes, however, dark spots are not cosmetic in nature and can actually be related to underlying diabetes. So I make sure that when my patient comes to me with complaints of dark spots, I take a full[ [medical] history and check to make sure it’s not a sign of an underlying medical disorder.”

Source: Dove / Unilever

How does this antiperspirant work to prevent hyperpigmentation? 

“The Even Tone Antiperspirant has 12HSA and Vitamin B3 that work as moisturizers and anti-inflammatory agents to make sure the skin barrier is repaired so that the skin can renew itself naturally. They are the moisturization factors that calm the skin and prevent the melanin transfer.”

Source: Dove / Unilever

Were there any ingredients that absolutely had to be in this antiperspirant? 

“Aluminum chloride salts are, of course, in this antiperspirant because it stops sweat. Dove’s Even Tone antiperspirant contains also Vitamin B3 and 12HSA. Vitamin B3 is an ingredient that we have been using in topical skincare for hyperpigmentation for years. It’s an anti-inflammatory that works to block pigment from the epidermal cells. The 12HSA prevents transepidermal water loss and it’s creating that moisturization layer that’s so essential for skin to function normally. It repairs the barrier of the skin, and in doing that, it allows the skin to naturally restore itself.”

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Along with this deodorant, what else can we do to prevent hyperpigmentation? 

“We can be kind to the skin under our arms, especially as we welcome spring and summer and we’re going to be wearing fewer clothes. Don’t press too hard when you’re shaving and make sure you’re using a lubricant like a shaving gel, or, at the very least, soap, in between your skin and the razor. Make sure your razor is clean without any rust so we can prevent an infection. An infection will cause the body to produce coloring as it heals and that leads to hyperpigmentation as well. I even suggest taking your razor out of the shower, rinsing it, drying it and storing it in a dry place away from any humidity.

Be careful when waxing as well because when we wax we remove the hair and some skin as well, that’s just how it works. If you go to someone to get your wax done make you choose a specialist that knows how to take care of skin of color because our skin can pigment with just inflammation.”

Source: Dove / Unilever

Are there any products or ingredients that we should definitely keep away from when treating hyperpigmentation? 

“Yes, be careful of anything that stains, itches, or causes rashes. Not just on your underarm but anywhere on your face as well. With skincare becoming so sophisticated we can buy stronger products like peels from Sephora, for example. Nothing you buy should be stinging, burning or itching when you put it on. A tingle is okay, but anything burning, stinging, or itching for too long needs to be washed off because itching can lead to scratching that leads to hyperpigmentation.”