Night Light™: Making dark spots a memory with clinically proven results
Brigitte Tolson
I’ve been pretty savvy about skincare since I began making memories. When I was 5, I would steal fruit from my dad’s garden and make face masks with his beloved harvest. When I was 10 I would steal my mom’s beauty magazines and read them like they were scripture, so when I was 12 years old and developed a dark spot on my nose from enjoying the fun of Venice beach (and an Italian mom who, bless her, did not slather sunblock on us in true Tuscan fashion at the time) I knew what to do: apply a thick layer of hydroquinone every night, and start using sunblock every day. It worked. Though the other 6th graders made fun of me for applying sunblock to my skin, my passion for flawless skin managed to over shadow my 6th grade self awareness. I continued my pursuit of skin care education, and quickly realized hydroquinone was banned in Europe and considered toxic by many credible sources, but I figured I got away with it working for me, though I had a shiny textured scar where I diligently applied hydroquinone. Flash forward years later, and that spot on my nose became a mysterious skin cancer. I have had 3 aggressive surgeries, and must use a topical cream every night to stop the reoccurrence.
This was plenty of fuel for me to pursue creation Night Light, a completely botanical cream that has actually been proven to eliminate the appearance of hyperpigmentation better than hydroquinone, but it was also my deep love of being outdoors. I met my fiancé on a camping trip, and every year my rafting, hiking, and camping expeditions are the absolute highlight my year. I did not want to create something that left the skin photo-sensitized, I wanted to create something that actually made the skin stronger against future sun damage as well.
We source vitamin B3 from plant based ingredients such as tomatoes
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) has been evaluated to be more effective in many clinical trials, including a double-blind clinical trial published by Hindawi that compares 4% hydroquinone with 4% niacinamide. Though many formulas use 5% niacinamide or less, we chose to use a generous 10% as Vitamin B3 is non-irritating and very stable, and this is the true super star of Night Light. As the study shows, Vitamin B3 targets melanocytes, at the very bottom layer of the dermis, but as those cells metabolize to the surface layers, we wanted to think about protecting them from further damage, and also allowing vitamin B3 to work more effectively. In comes MSM: MSM often called “the beauty mineral” decreases androgen hormones and helps the skin become more capable of absorbing vitamins. This also means that the contaminants leading to breakouts and cysts are neutralized, thus eliminating the chance of further scarring. In addition to that, MSM is a crucial mineral that binds together amino acid chains (the building blocks of collagen), and increases glutathione, which is present in every cell of the human body and is considered to be the most potent antioxidant in existence.
No fish harmed here: Our face lifting DMAE is completely vegan.
We take advantage of this more receptive state from MSM, and include DMAE “the face lift molecule”, which prevents the production of arachidonic acid in skin cells, a chemical in the body that causes inflammation. The protective nature of DMAE reduces sensitivity, broken blood vessels, scarring, and fine lines, along with organic aloe juice, shorea robusta seed butter, neem seed, and over 20 different botanicals to provide serious results for all skin types (yes, sensitive skin and acne too) with stubborn pigmentation concerns.
We intentionally left AHAs out of the formula, because most brightening products rely on lactic acid or glycolic acid to work, and we wanted to allow AHAs to work their magic first with Phyto Glow (our home peel and toner) so the skin’s PH could neutralize first, and be more receptive to the ingredients in Night Light. Not only is separating these steps better for sensitive skin, it’s actually much more effective.
Shorea Robusta tree from India provides a seed butter with unparalleled hydration.
This combination has resolved my own stubborn pigmentation issues from years of enjoying backpacking and convertible ownership, after laser made me darker, and peels made it challenging to meet new clients while my face was visibly shedding (could you imaging meeting your facialist while her face looks like she’s shedding like a growing reptile?). This amazing formula took years to create, and several chemists and doctors that are far more schooled than myself, and I am so delighted to share it with my clients and customers. Do feel free to send in your own before and afters!