There’s the 5 million dollar question! The answer depends to some extent on how deep the inflammatory trauma and what your skin tone is - but there is certainly a natural skincare regime you can use to improve the appearance of PIH.
This regime isn't an overnight fix - nothing is - but it should help fade discolouration and keep your skin healthy and resilient over time.
Cut out the irritants that trigger the inflammation that causes PIH. Find out what inflames your own particular skin: it could be soap, perfume, preservatives, synthetic ingredients, essential oils, coconut oil, or SLS.
Keep your skin clean - but use warm (not hot) water and soap-free cleansers (or SLS-free shower gel or shampoo), to avoid your skin being stripped of its natural oils and compromising the skin barrier function.
Feed your skin with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy, strong and resilient, so it can resist inflammatory episodes. In order to lock moisture in and keep irritants out, it needs vitamins, essential fatty acids, minerals, nutrients, so make sure you’re eating for skin health!
Pile on the good stuff topically as well! Naturally antimicrobial and humectant beeswax, nutritious super-seed hemp, and natural anti-inflammatories such as calendula and skin-soothing nettle will keep skin calm, protected and well-nourished.
A daily dose of rosehip will give a super-charged boost to healing skin. Our Intensive Facial Oil is exceptionally rich in regenerative rosehip, as well as calendula, chamomile, lavender and palmarosa, and used over time can improve the appearance of uneven skin tone, stretch marks, scars and hyperpigmentation.
For more information on post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, see our blog What Is Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation? or read Alaa Hassan’s personal experience of PIH in her article Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation, Eczema & Me
Recommended products:
Balmonds Skin Salvation balm to moisturise and nourish skin during an inflammatory episode
Balmonds Daily Moisturising Cream for daily maintenance of dry or sensitive skin
Balmonds Rosehip Scar Oil for long-term application to improve the appearance of uneven or hyperpigmented skin tone