Are You an AMBER Skin Type?

amber hyperpigmentation melasma

Do you have splotchy, uneven skin? Does it darken into freckles, melasma, or liver spots when you are out in the sun for too long. Have you tried skin-lightening creams and treatments only to find that you then have to be extra cautious going in the sun because you’re even more prone to hyperpigmentation?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then you are most likely an AMBER skin type. You may have discovered that sunscreen helps prevent additional dark spots, but once these problem areas appear, they usually linger. Luckily, a natural approach from the inside out can help you reduce the appearance of troublesome discoloration and give you lasting results for your skin problems.

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(It’s quick and easy to learn if you’re an AMBER)

AMBER Skin Type Overview

Let’s look at exactly what it means to have AMBER skin. It’s important to recognize the characteristics and root causes of the skin conditions in order for you to improve the health of your skin.

Common skin conditions for AMBER skin:

  • Darkening of skin in certain areas (known as hyperpigmentation)
  • Freckles
  • Brown or gray-brown patches typically found on the face (known as melasma)
  • Splotchy, uneven skin tone

What causes AMBER type skin?

The two main root causes of AMBER skin are:

  • Oxidative damage
  • Hormonal imbalances

Excessive exposure to the sun’s UV radiation and toxins in your environment generate free radicals in the skin, and when their levels exceed your skin’s natural antioxidant defenses, oxidative damage occurs. This damage can cause an increase in melanin production, worsening hyperpigmentation. In addition to aggravating AMBER types’ skin, oxidative damage can also contribute to premature aging, skin damage, and even skin cancers. (not good!)

For hormonal imbalances, the goal is to balance both sex and stress hormones to minimize inflammation. Inflammation causes an increase in production of the adrenal hormone cortisol. In addition, changes in sex hormone levels (estrogen and progesterone) may trigger melasma.

A Holistic Approach For AMBER Skin

You are an AMBER type; therefore, it is critical to protect your skin from exterior oxidative stress while also improving things from the inside through dietary changes. Here are some tips on how to get started:

 

    1. Protect Your Skin
      You want to prevent pigmentation changes to your skin because they’re signs of sun damage, and they can signal internal disturbances. So, protect your skin from excess sun exposure by limiting your time in the sun during peaks hours, wearing hats and using a high-quality mineral sunscreen made with natural ingredients .
    2. Manage Your Stress
      AMBER skin types are affected by the stress hormone cortisol. This adrenal hormone increases when you’re stressed and triggers inflammatory pathways in the body, including worsening hyperpigmentation. Enjoy daily techniques to curb stress, like breath-work, yoga and other stress-management exercises.
    3. Balance Your Hormones
      Certain types of hyperpigmentation such as melasma are triggered by pregnancy, birth control pills, and hormone therapy. Changes in women’s sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) trigger extra melanin production during sun exposure, leading to melasma. So, make sure you eat foods from the cruciferous vegetable family to help with hormone balance, such as broccoli, turnips, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, mustard greens, radishes, and rutabaga. The glucosinolates in these vegetables, in particular, indole-3-carbinol increases the liver’s ability to metabolize estrogen by almost 50 percent. Lightly steaming these vegetables will improve their nutrient absorbability.
    4. Increase Your Antioxidants
      Since oxidative damage from sun and pollutants can worsen uneven skin tone, it’s smart to increase your antioxidant intake by including colorful fresh fruits, veggies, legumes, and other high antioxidant-rich foods in your diet every day. Here are some of my favorites: berries, avocados, black beans, chia seeds, and wild salmon. Since diet alone is sometimes not enough, consider taking an antioxidant-rich supplement such as Astaxanthin Omega Krill Supplement.
    5. Use Clean and Balancing Skin Care
      Use high-quality skin care. Nourish and protect your skin on the outside by using skin care containing natural actives, antioxidants, and organic ingredients. For AMBER skin types, I recommend using all four steps of The Spa Dr.’s Daily Essentials Skin Care System both morning and night.

Easy DIY Skin Care Recipe

Natural skin care options can be really simple. Just check out this quick DIY non-toxic skin care recipe from my best-selling book, Clean Skin from Within to see what I mean.

ORGANIC STRAWBERRY AND ALMOND EXFOLIANT

Strawberries naturally brighten skin and are rich in vitamin C; the almonds act as a natural and effective exfoliant. Ideal for AMBER skin types, the antioxidants in this exfoliant reduce free radical- and inflammation-induced signs of aging and pigmentation.

  • 4 large organic strawberries
  • 6 almonds ground to a smooth flour, or 1 tablespoon (6 g) almond flour

In a small bowl, mash or purée the strawberries to a pulp. Stir in the almond flour. Gently massage the mixture onto damp skin using circular motions for 2 to 5 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Keep any unused portions refrigerated and use within 3 days.

What People with AMBER Skin are Saying

“I have melasma and very sensitive skin and for 10 years now have not been able to use any cleaner on my face just water until I tried The Spa Dr. products and I love it. No breakouts, no horrible scent the makes my eyes water, but a great product and my skin looks beautiful again. Thank you so much from a woman who had given up on my skin.”
~ Casandra C.

Ready to Dig Deeper?

In this podcast episode I go over all five skin types and discuss some of the holistic approaches to overcoming the root causes of their individual issues.

If you want to learn even more about how you can improve your AMBER skin type using natural approaches to achieve glowing, healthy, youthful skin… then, I’d like to offer you a free copy of my best-selling book Clean Skin from Within. It will guide you through a 2-week program for improving your skin from the inside out. It also goes into a lot more detail about all of the skin types and how to change your diet and skin care routines so they best suit your skin’s needs.

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