Philippine Daily Inquirer

How to lighten dark elbows, knees caused by floor workouts

- RIA FRANCISCO-PRIETO

There are many factors that cause dark skin. One that stands out is friction. Many women leaning and kneeling on the workout mat may have seen the dark areas. They make sense, as the smallest amount of friction affects the skin.

I’m listing down a few items to curb the darkness, based on my consultati­on with a dermatolog­ist. Keep an eye out for a few ingredient­s that help lighten knees and elbows.

Vitamin C is one. Keep in mind that it’s best to apply lotion all over your legs and arms. The lotion serves as an added layer of protection. Don’t think spot treatment for dark knees and elbows.

Sanitas Vitamin C Body Lotion promises to brighten up dark sports with a nontoxic formula. It also has squalane, hyaluronic acid and antioxidan­ts. These ingredient­s help in hydration, something crucial in keeping your skin looking good.

There is also the Somaluxe Firming Lotion with Collagen, COQ10, and Vitamin C for Face, Neck and Body. As the name more than implies, it’s power-packed with ingredient­s to help your skin recover from the bad stuff. Either is best applied before your workout and after you take a shower.

I’ve learned that for immediate but lasting results, you need to have a complete routine. A lotion is a good start. But I also know that your soaps and cleansers also help prevent dark elbows and knees. After all, these products are crucial in turning over new skin, literally.

Go gentle

It’s best to go gentle. Harsh ingredient­s won’t help the skin. Give it much love with Mila Moursi Refining Body Scrub. It has “black pearl extracts that deep cleanse and refine skin texture, eliminatin­g impurities.” This is said to increase “the rate of skin’s cell renewal, and improve the clarity and luminosity by accelerati­ng its natural peeling process.”

For your body wash, check out the Indie Lee De-stress Body Wash. It has a gentle, coconut-derived cleanser with calendula, panthenol and hydrolyzed quinoa, rich in protein and vitamins A and B.

On top of that, it is cruelty-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, phthalate-free and sulfate-free.

Don’t forget sunblock. No matter how minimal the sunlight hits your skin, it will immediatel­y darken problem spots. For a no-fuss applicatio­n, spray on the Coola Classic Body Organic Sunscreen Spray. It has an organic formula and gives the protection you need.

Don’t think spot treatment. You need a complete routine

 ??  ?? Somaluxe Firming Lotion with Collagen, COQ10 and Vitamin C for Face, Neck and Body
Somaluxe Firming Lotion with Collagen, COQ10 and Vitamin C for Face, Neck and Body
 ??  ?? Coola Classic Body Organic Sunscreen Spray
Coola Classic Body Organic Sunscreen Spray
 ??  ?? Sanitas Body Lotion with Vitamin C
Sanitas Body Lotion with Vitamin C
 ??  ?? Mila Moursi Refining Body Scrub
Mila Moursi Refining Body Scrub
 ??  ?? Indie Lee De-stress Body Wash
Indie Lee De-stress Body Wash
 ??  ??

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