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GRATIS BEZORGING BOVEN €65 (NL)
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GRATIS BEZORGING BOVEN €65 (NL)
Read time: about 7 minutes
Following our lovely time meeting so many of you at the Beauty Trade Special in Utrecht, we noticed a very common pattern. Many people came to our stand celebrating the fact that they had finally got their hormonal acne or eczema under control, but they were feeling deeply frustrated by what was left behind: stubborn, lingering marks that just would not fade.
Wanneer je huid een opflakkering heeft meegemaakt, houdt deze vaak de herinnering aan die onteking vast. In de huidverzorgingswereld worden deze vlekjes opgesplitst in twee categorieën: PIH (donkerbruine of grijze vlekjes) en PIE (roze, rode of paarse vlekjes). Laten we kijken naar de wetenschap achter de vraag waarom je huid deze herinneringen vasthoudt en hoe we haar kunnen helpen om dit los te laten.
To understand these leftover marks, it helps to realise that they are not permanent scars. True scarring involves structural damage to the skin’s collagen. PIH and PIE, by contrast, are signs of a temporary, post-injury traffic jam beneath the surface.
Depending on your skin tone and how your body naturally heals, that “traffic jam” takes one of two forms.
PIH is more common in medium to deeper skin tones. When a breakout or irritation occurs, the inflammation triggers your pigment-producing cells to release extra melanin into the injured area. Even after the spot itself is gone, a dark brown or grey mark remains behind.
PIE is more common in lighter skin tones. The inflammation from a spot or a scratch affects the tiny, superficial blood vessels beneath the skin, causing them to dilate. Long after the active breakout has flattened, a pink, red or purple mark remains because blood flow in that small area is still increased.
A well-documented clinical reality is that trying to aggressively scrub or bleach these marks away with harsh physical exfoliants or overly strong acids tends to backfire. The skin reads that friction as a fresh attack, triggers new inflammation, and can end up darkening or spreading the mark further, the opposite of what you were hoping for.
At Junita® Lab, our core philosophy focuses on biomimicry, using gentle ingredients that skin welcomes rather than resists, to guide it back to an even, settled state. We do not believe in punishing the skin to fade a mark. We believe in supporting the skin so it can clear the congestion at its own pace.
Traditional retinol can cause peeling and irritation, which can ironically trigger more PIH or PIE. A head-to-head clinical trial found that bakuchiol produced comparable improvements in pigmentation and fine lines to retinol, with significantly less scaling and stinging. We use bakuchiol to support cell turnover, helping skin shed stained surface cells and bring fresher, more evenly toned cells up, without the irritation that can restart the cycle.
This duo is well studied for supporting a more even tone. Niacinamide has been shown in laboratory research to reduce the transfer of melanin from pigment-producing cells into the surrounding skin cells by 35 to 68 per cent, and studied formulations containing niacinamide have also shown reductions in visible redness. Vitamin C is one of the most-researched antioxidants in skincare, helping to protect against UV-driven oxidative stress while supporting a brighter, more even-looking tone.
When your skin barrier is compromised, it tends to sit in a low-grade, reactive state, which can keep marks looking more visible for longer. Using biomimetic plant oils that echo your skin’s own lipid profile helps keep the surface calm, comfortable and hydrated, so it can focus its energy on settling rather than staying on alert.
Because PIH and PIE are closely tied to how your individual system responds to injury, the most honest advice we can share is that time, consistency and daily sun protection are your biggest allies. UV light can act like a magnifying glass on these marks, locking pigment and redness in place for longer, so a gentle daily SPF is essential.
Fading these marks is a process of patience. It typically takes around 3 months of a steady, gentle routine to see a visible softening, as skin moves through its natural cell-turnover cycles. Staying with that gentle approach for 6 to 12 months allows deeper congestion to clear, though the exact timeline varies from person to person.
Stepping away from harsh “quick fixes” and choosing a steady, biomimetic route lets you guide your skin back to balance gradually. The goal is skin that is not just fading its past, but building a calmer, more resilient future.
A pairing built for exactly this: a gentle bakuchiol and vitamin C serum, alongside a niacinamide toner for daily support.
Bakuchiol 1%, vitamin C and ferulic acid 2%, formulated for pigment-prone or reactive skin that hasn’t tolerated traditional retinol. Supports cell turnover and a more even tone, without the irritation that can restart the cycle.
View productA light, no-rinse mist with niacinamide to support your skin barrier and add gentle daily hydration alongside your fade-focused routine.
View productJunita® exists for skin that has been through something and is trying to find its way back to calm. Supporting the skin to fade its own leftover marks, gently and on its own timeline, is exactly the kind of “less is more” care our whole philosophy is built around.
If you know anyone who is tired of dealing with the ghost of old breakouts and needs a simpler, more human perspective, please do share this with them.
PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) is a dark brown or grey mark caused by extra melanin released after inflammation, and it is more common in medium to deeper skin tones. PIE (post-inflammatory erythema) is a pink, red or purple mark caused by dilated blood vessels after inflammation, and it is more common in lighter skin tones.
No. True scarring involves structural damage to the skin’s collagen. PIH and PIE are temporary changes in pigment or blood flow following inflammation, and both typically fade on their own over time, especially with a gentle, consistent routine.
Aggressive exfoliation or overly strong acids can trigger fresh inflammation in already-sensitive skin. That new inflammation can deepen or spread the existing mark rather than fading it, which is why a gentle approach tends to work better than an aggressive one.
Visible softening typically appears after around 3 months of a consistent, gentle routine. Fuller fading is commonly seen over 6 to 12 months, though this varies from person to person depending on skin tone, how the mark formed, and sun exposure.
UV light can darken and prolong both PIH and PIE, effectively locking the pigment or redness in place for longer. Daily sunscreen is considered a first-line step in supporting these marks to fade.
Bakuchiol supports cell turnover with less irritation than traditional retinol, niacinamide is well studied for reducing the transfer of pigment into skin cells, and vitamin C is a well-researched antioxidant that supports a more even tone. All three are gentler options than harsh acids or bleaching agents.
Written by the Junita® Lab Team. Junita is a skincare brand built for difficult, reactive skin, with a barrier-first, evidence-led philosophy.
With love and science,
The Junita® Lab Team
