Lipofuscin & Melanin:
There are two types of pigmentation marks with very different formation mechanisms: marks caused by melanin and marks caused by lipofuscin.
Melanin is a pigment naturally produced by the skin to protect itself. Produced in melanocytes – cells located at the base of the epidermis – it is then transferred to keratinocytes, the surface cells, via melanosomes, whose role is to protect the nucleus of skin cells.
Its synthesis is regulated by a key enzyme: tyrosinase. The more active it is, the more melanin is produced and transferred. However, this enzyme is not activated solely by UV exposure: inflammation (scarring, acne), skin ageing and hormonal changes such as pregnancy can also trigger it.
When melanocytes are overactive, excess melanin accumulates in the skin cells, which are then no longer able to combat free radicals effectively. It is this hyperpigmentation that causes brown spots, the intensity of which varies from person to person.
Lipofuscin is a yellow-brown pigment composed of residues of damaged and oxidised molecules, often referred to as the ‘ageing pigment’. It is found in the deepest layers of the epidermis. Unlike melanin, it is not produced intentionally by the skin: it results from the gradual accumulation of cellular waste that the cells are no longer able to eliminate.
With age and under the influence of environmental stressors (UV rays, stress, pollution, etc.), the intracellular recycling process, known as autophagy, slows down; cellular waste is no longer broken down and accumulates permanently within the cell: this is the deposition of lipofuscin.
The more the years go by, the more this process of autophagy slows down and the deposits accumulate irreversibly.
What makes lipofuscin particularly harmful is its pro-oxidant nature: once accumulated, it in turn generates free radicals, which then attack neighbouring cells, triggering a chain reaction: the surrounding cells age more rapidly. These free radicals also activate melanogenesis, stimulating the production of melanin.
Gradually, lipofuscin and melanin aggregate to form pigment clusters that become increasingly difficult to break down, creating a vicious cycle that accelerates pigmentary ageing and the appearance of dark spots.
By targeting these two mechanisms underlying the formation of pigmented spots, our cream helps to prevent and treat pigmentary ageing as a whole.
The 3 types of pigmentation spots:
Not all dark spots are the same. Some are already visible on the skin’s surface, others are still invisible but forming, whilst some are deeper-seated and more difficult to correct.
These are the brown spots that can already be seen with the naked eye on the skin’s surface. They generally appear as a result of repeated sun exposure, skin ageing or marks left by blemishes. Their intensity and size may change over time.
Before becoming visible, spots begin to form beneath the skin’s surface. These clusters of melanin, still imperceptible to the naked eye, act as a veritable ‘reservoir’ of future pigmentation spots. Taking early action helps to limit their appearance on the surface.
Located in the deeper layers of the epidermis, or even at the dermo-epidermal junction, these spots are often older and more established. They may appear more diffuse, more widespread or more persistent, and generally require targeted, prolonged treatment to be reduced.
Our cream has been formulated with a comprehensive approach to hyperpigmentation, acting simultaneously on spots that are already visible, those in the early stages of development, and those more deeply rooted in the skin.
