If you’re dealing with dark underarms, you’re not alone. Dark armpits are extremely common, with one study showing that up to 74% of people experience dark armpits at some point in their lives. In general, this skin condition is largely cosmetic and isn’t typically tied to any medical issues. Your armpits can get dark spots or just overall darkness for a variety of reasons. There typically isn’t a need to lighten or “whiten” your underarms (because they’re typically not indicative of a medical issue), but if you’ve come looking for the best underarm whitening cream or treatment, you’ve come to the right place.
Why do people get dark underarms?
Before we talk about underarm whitening cream or treatment options, let’s first talk about why underarm darkening happens. There’s a wide variety of reasons as to why skin darkening on the underarm area can happen (including genetics – it could run in the family!). Some of the most common reasons are:
Shaving
I want to quickly debunk this – shaving doesn’t inherently cause dark underarms. However, what can happen is if you shave with a dull razor or cause any irritation, this can lead to discoloration or hyperpigmentation. Like I mentioned above, skin irritation can lead to hyperpigmentation and a dark underarm area.
If you’re noticing increased dark spots or discoloration after shaving, try switching to a new razor or look for alternatives like waxing or sugaring. Remember to be gentle with your skin to minimize skin irritation however you can.
Irritation
Another common cause of dark armpit/underarm skin is irritation. Some people may experience irritation or sensitive skin from their deodorant or body wash, which can lead to dark spots and discoloration. Particularly in medium to deep/dark skin tones, irritation can trigger melanin production. Increased melanin = dark spot formation.
The armpit area is an especially sensitive area because the skin folds over. This can warm up your deodorant in your armpit and make irritation even worse. Try patch testing your products before using to minimize irritation and minimize uneven skin tone/discoloration along with it.
Hormones
Like other skin conditions like acne, hormones can play a large role in your dark armpits. Hormonal imbalances tend to trigger melasma, a skin condition that can lead to discoloration and hyperpigmentation. You may have seen melasma as dark patches on the face, but it can also be found on the armpit or other parts of your body.
Other Medical Conditions
In rare cases, dark underarms can be a sign of a skin condition called acanthosis nigricans (AN). AN can cause the skin to darken and thicken and is typically caused by an increase of sugar in the body. If you’re noticing patches of darkness on your underarms, elbows and knees, you may want to check in with your doctor.
Let’s talk about the best underarm whitening cream.
Before we jump into lightening/whitening cream options, let’s first talk about the idea behind “whitening” this area. In my opinion, I don’t love the idea of “skin bleaching” or “underarm whitening” because the goal is typically evening out the discoloration, not WHITENING the skin. The reality is that many brands market their products as a whitening cream or skin bleaching cream, but this isn’t the goal.
The typical names for a dark spot cream are skin lightening, lightening cream, or underarm whitening cream. As an esthetician, I don’t love the use of bleaching cream or skin lightening cream as ways to describe a dark spot corrector. I personally prefer using terms like fading hyperpigmentation or evening out the skin tone.
What is the best treatment for dark armpits?
Now that we’ve talked about why an underarm whitening cream isn’t the ideal way to talk about treating dark underarms, let’s talk about what is. Rather than opting for a bleaching cream or underarm whitening/skin lightening cream, I recommend looking for ingredients that are known to treat hyperpigmentation or uneven skin tone.
Some of my favorite ingredients are kojic acid, tranexamic acid, and exfoliating acids like glycolic or lactic acids. A lot of people think that you need an underarm cream to treat dark spots, but I’d actually recommend using an exfoliating toner instead.
Exfoliating toners typically use an ingredient like glycolic or lactic acid to help remove dead skin cells and even out the skin. They can also help with build up in a clogged pore, which can help with ingrown hairs as well! I’d recommend opting for a gentle option to avoid potential irritation. Now that you know my recommendation, let’s talk about how to use it!
How to use an exfoliating toner to reduce underarm darkness
As mentioned earlier, I don’t love the idea of skin whitening or trying to “lighten underarms”. Instead, I’d recommend using gentle products to help reduce and even out darkness on your underarms. Here are my tips of using a gentle exfoliating toner on your armpits:
Start slowly. Try using it once or twice a week to start, then build up to every other day as tolerated. Going in too strong can cause irritation, which can lead to more discoloration.
Apply gently. Use a reusable cotton pad to apply a small amount of product under each arm.
Let it dry. Let the product sink in and dry down before closing/putting down your arm. As mentioned earlier, folding the skin can worsen irritation, so letting the product sink in first can help minimize this.
Moisturize if needed. Trying using a small amount of a thin, lightweight moisturizer to hydrate the area if your underarms are feeling dry.
Other tips to help minimize underarm darkness
Try waxing instead of shaving. As mentioned earlier, shaving can cause irritation if not done correctly. Try other options like waxing, sugaring, epilating, etc if you notice increased discoloration from shaving.
Use a non-irritating deodorant. If you’re noticing rashes on your skin or any type of itchiness in this area, try swapping out your deodorant. I like to look for options with minimal fragrance and essential oils based on my previous experience.
Product recommendations for dark underarms
One of my favorite exfoliating toners you can use to treat dark armpits is the Versed Weekend Glow Brightening Toner. It has a great mix of ingredients like low percentages of lactic acid and glycolic acid, along with azelaic acid, kojic acid, and vitamin c to help brighten and even out your discoloration. It’s also formulated with hydrating ingredients like glycerin and soothing ingredients like panthenol to help minimize sensitivity and irritation.
Remember to start slowly and that results will take time. Hyperpigmentation is notoriously hard to treat, so it can take up to 3 months to start seeing progress, but consistency is key for best results!
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Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4144206/
https://duradry.com/blogs/hyperhidrosis/what-are-the-causes-of-dark-underarms-and-its-treatments
https://www.romper.com/life/dark-armpit-causes-how-to-prevent-treat
