Questions Hally hears every week.

Honest answer: 4–8 weeks for newer marks (post-acne, ingrown), 6–12 months for older or hormonal patterns (melasma). Anyone promising you faster on melanin-rich skin is selling you a story.

Daily SPF is what makes the routine work. Without it, marks come back as fast as they fade. — Hally

Lakū is built for melanin-rich skin specifically — Fitzpatrick IV through VI. Every formulation is calibrated for the way deeper skin tones respond to actives, including SPF that doesn't leave a white cast.

If your skin tone is lighter, the products are still safe — they just weren't formulated with you as the priority customer.

30-day satisfaction guarantee. If your skin doesn't love it, email info@lakucosmetics.com and we'll make it right — refund, replacement, or routing you to a different product. Hally signs off on every guarantee personally.

Different things, different approaches.

• PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) is the brown or dark mark left after a pimple, ingrown, or any inflammation has healed — pigment staying behind. Most common, responds well to a steady routine over 8–16 weeks.
• PIE (post-inflammatory erythema) is the red or purple mark in the same situation. Different mechanism — vascular, not pigment. PIE responds to barrier support and time, not brightening actives.
• Melasma shows up usually on the cheeks and forehead in symmetrical patches, often hormone-related. Slower to respond. Sunscreen every day — even indoors near windows.
• Ochronosis is what happens to skin that's been on hydroquinone too long — the skin gets darker and bluish. The answer: stop the hydroquinone. We help you rebuild from there.

If you're not sure which one you have, take the skin quiz.

Some yes, some no.

• Safe during pregnancy: Soap, Face Cream, Body Oil, Scrub, SPF 60
• Not for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding: Body Cream, Knuckle Cream, Peeling Oil — these contain retinol or AHAs/BHAs at levels we don't recommend during pregnancy

If you're pregnant and want a Lakū routine, Soap + Face Cream + SPF 60 is your trio.

Built for completely different jobs.

• Face Cream is the gentle daily moisturizer — water, aloe, rose water, shea, coconut, jojoba, plus a small amount of turmeric extract. Safe to use morning and night, on every skin type, including during pregnancy.
• Body Cream is the treatment — niacinamide, glycolic, alpha-arbutin, kojic acid, retinol. For body areas only. Not for the face. Not for sensitive new users. Not for pregnancy.

Starting routine: Soap + Face Cream + SPF in the morning, plus Body Cream on body areas at night.

Probably not, if you're asking — but let's check.

The Peeling Oil is the strongest product Lakū makes. It's a 5-acid resurfacing peel (glycolic, lactic, salicylic, citric, malic). Built for someone who:

• Has been on a steady routine for 6+ months
• Has resilient, non-reactive skin
• Is not pregnant or breastfeeding
• Is not using prescription retinoids
• Wears sunscreen every single morning, no exceptions
• Is not in a flare-up or recovery phase

If any of those is "no" or "not sure," skip the Peeling Oil for now.

Mineral filters — zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. They sit on top of skin and reflect UV. They're literally white. On Fitzpatrick V–VI skin, they read grey or ashy.

Radiance Invisible SPF 60 uses an all-chemical filter system instead — octinoxate, octisalate, DHHB, BEMT, octocrylene. Different mechanism: filters absorb UV instead of reflecting it. Goes on clear, stays clear.

Wear it every day. Every active in the Lakū line is a no without sunscreen.

We get why you're asking — skin concerns can feel personal. Lakū focuses on fading dark spots and evening tone, not changing your natural skin color. That's not what we make. If you're dealing with hyperpigmentation, we can help with that.

I'd recommend not stacking the two without talking to your provider first.

Hydroquinone is a strong active. Layered with niacinamide, kojic, alpha-arbutin, and retinol from the Body Cream, you risk over-suppressing pigment, irritation, and — long-term — ochronosis.

Two paths:

1. Keep using hydroquinone: drop the Body Cream and Knuckle Cream. Use Soap + Face Cream + SPF 60 + Body Oil only. Talk to your dermatologist about the rest.
2. Ready to stop hydroquinone: start with our Barrier First 30-day reset — Soap + Face Cream + SPF only, twice daily, no other actives. After 30 days, bring in the Body Cream slowly.

Don't combine without your provider's call.

Some are, some aren't.

• Not vegan: Soap (contains honey), Face Cream (contains honey), Body Cream (contains lanolin)
• Vegan-compatible: Body Oil, Scrub, Peeling Oil, SPF 60, Knuckle Cream

If you're vegan and want a full Lakū routine, the Body Oil + Scrub + Peeling Oil + SPF 60 covers most of it.

Yes — we don't test on animals at any stage of formulation or production.

The active is in there at a level that supports the look of an even tone — but we don't publish percentages we can't substantiate to a single decimal. Trust the order of the INCI: actives appear before the preservatives, which means they're at a meaningful level for the product to work.

If you have a specific concern that requires knowing a precise percentage — like layering with a prescription product — email Hally directly.

The starter routine, no matter the skin type:

Morning:

1. Soap (cleanse)
2. Face Cream (moisturize)
3. SPF 60 (protect — non-negotiable)

Evening:

1. Soap
2. Face Cream
3. Body Cream — body areas only, not face (start every other night for the first 2 weeks)

That's the routine that does 80% of the work. Add the Scrub once a week. Add the Body Oil for special-occasion glow.

The Lakū Specialist is an AI trained on Hally's formulation logic and the Lakū catalog. If you want to talk to Hally directly, email her at info@lakucosmetics.com — she reads every message herself.