Welcome to “what happened to…?”, an irregular series in which I look at products that I reviewed a while ago and check if I changed my opinion on them. This time: my Eucerin Anti-Pigment Spot Corrector update. (And yes, I changed my mind on this one.)
My experience with Eucerin’s Anti-Pigment Spot Corrector
Recap: I’m always on the hunt for a good hyperpigmentation-fighting product. I’ve got sun damage on top of my cheekbones where my glasses touch the skin (and in summer, often rub away my sunscreen). I had tried Retinol, Vitamin C, Azelaic Acid when I trialed Eucerin’s spot treatment with their patented ingredient Thiamidol. Meanwhile, I also tried tranexamic acid and didn’t see any effects.
While I saw results with Eucerin’s pen, I’d rather not buy it again. Here’s why.
What does it do?
Eucerin uses its own patented Thiamidol in the pen.
Thiamidol works differently than various acids or retinol products used for hyperpigmentation: while those ususally promote a quicker cell turnover, Thiamidol promises to minimise the production of melanin that’ll turn into hyperpigmentation. Correctly, it’s called a tyrosinase inhibitor. (Again, have a look at Lab Muffin’s post to learn more about that.) The astonishing find is that Thiamidol seems to yield better results than hydroquinone.
Twindly: Eucerin Anti-Pigment Spot Corrector review
Different actives, different ways to fight pigmentation
To make an informed decision how to treat your hyperpigmentation, it’s important to understand how hyperpigmentation happens.
Those brown spots are melanin that’s build up by melanocytes in deeper skin layers. To start melanin production, they need tyrosinase. (That’s where Thiamidol comes in.)
For example, if you use hydroquinone for your hyperpigmentation, it will regulate melanocyte production.
L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) and retinol will inhibit tyrosinase as well, while niacinamide will block the melanin that’s transported to the cell.
My (new) approach: multifaceted
You see that we already HAVE actives that will fight tyrosinase: Vitamin C and retinol, which are coincidentally two actives I like to use regularly and that my skin doesn’t have any problems with.
I’d therefore suggest that if you’ve got sensitive skin that can’t cope with Vitamin C and retinol in higher doses, Eucerin’s pen might be for you.
I, on the other hand, want to use as little products as possible, and also want to reap the additional benefits that both Vitamin C and retinol have (anti-aging, antioxidant protection, acne-fighting). Both give me good results, coincidentally: it just needs time. And yes, prevention (AKA sunscreen) is the best way to fight hyperpigmentation.
Eucerin Anti-Pigment Spot Corrector update
Btw, after lighting up during the last year, my hyperpigmentation spots have returned after my summer vacation in the incredibly hot Mediterranean. Even if I’m continuously diligent with my sunscreen application, I guess they’ll return every year until I bite the bullet and laser them.
In Germany, you can buy the Eucerin Anti-Pigment Spot Corrector in pharmacies for around 16-20€. International shoppers may get it at Escentual, for example.
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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