Melasma is an acquired and chronic hyperpigmentation disorder. It is regarded as one of the most psychologically distressing and difficult to cure forms of skin hyperpigmentation and is associated with significant impairment in the quality of life. Its treatments include local application, oral medication, physical laser therapy and program combination therapy. However, routine treatment can cause damage to the skin barrier function, leading to adverse reactions like erythema, pruritus, post-inflammatory pigmentation and even scar. 

Skincare products have an assortment of active ingredients, which are widely advised by cosmetic dermatologists considering their high safety, good tolerance and improving effect on the damaged skin barrier. Using these products alone or blended with routine treatment can improve the curative effect for melasma, decrease side effects and recurrence rate, and enhance patient satisfaction. 

Many studies have demonstrated the different roles of various types of medical skincare products for preventing and treating melasma, but a large sample, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled experiments are still lacking and the evaluation criteria are also not completely unified. Thus, more relevant clinical observation and basic research are warranted. Cosmetic dermatologists must choose appropriate skincare products and treatment programs considering the skin type, condition and expectation of the patient. Further research on the effective components and biological activities of skincare products may bring better prospects for the treatment of melasma.

Source- Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2021;14:1165-1171. Published 2021 Sep 7. doi:10.2147/CCID.S323748