So I often get asked, “What’s the difference between brightening and lightening?” I think it’s quite straightforward. When you hear lightening, I am actually trying depigmenting. I know it’s been wrongly used over the years but the actual word for lightening is depigmenting. You want to depigment hyperpigmentation. This hyperpigmentation can be melasma, it can be dark spots or any form of hyperpigmentation. Ingredients like Kojic acid, alpha arbutin, hydroquinone, glycolic acid are great tyrosinase inhibitors. So when you hear brightening, brightening refers to just boosting skin radiance. Maybe your skin is dull, you want that glow boost. You should be looking at ingredients like niacinamide, vitamin c, maybe tranexamic acid, lactic acid.