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Carrot & Stick Brightening Spot Treatment
SECOND:
Formulyst Dark Spot Solutions
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As if it’s not enough to deal with wrinkles, dark spots are another aging factor that can make us look older than our years. Discoloration causes your complexion to look dull and mottled, robbing it of its radiance — which is where the best dark spot correctors come into play. While a dark spot remover is not a miracle worker, it can significantly improve the skin’s clarity.
The main culprit in the battle against dark spots is tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanin production. As you may already know, melanin is the pigment that gives our hair and skin its color, and its role is to protect the skin. It’s often heightened in the skin by tanning and general sun exposure. Though it’s necessary, too much melanin is what causes dark spots and discoloration, so it’s time to reach for the best products for dark spots, such as dark spot serums.
Not sure what to look for in the best age spot remover? No worries. Here at the Derm Review, we’ve reviewed hundreds of products with a scientific lens to ensure you’re creating a skincare regimen that’s safe and effective. Ahead, 13 of the best dark spot correctors to help you restore a more youthful-looking complexion.
Related: Best Lightening Creams
Best Dark Spot Correctors: The List
BEST OVERALL
BEST: Carrot & Stick Brightening Spot Treatment, $70
FULL LIST
Formulyst Dark Spot Solutions, $79
Formulyst Luminous Skin Serum, $49
Dr. Brandt Dark Spots No More Triple Acid Spot Minimizing Concentrate, $68
REN Clean Skincare Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream, $49
Verso Dark Spot Fix, $95
SkinMedica Lytera, $154
Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector, $146
Murad Rapid Age Spot And Pigment Lightening Serum, $72
Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Dark Spot Corrector, $17.96
Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, $56
Olay Prox Even Skin Tone Spot Fading Treatment, $31.50
Estee Lauder Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum, $98
La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Dark Spot Serum, $49.99
The Science Behind Dark Spot Correctors
When it comes to how the best dark spot correctors work, it all comes down to ingredients. Thank nature (and science!) for all of the ingredients available to halt or inhibit tyrosinase. Since the following help fade dark spots in different ways, they are incredibly effective when combined.
- Hydroquinone, vitamin C, niacinamide, and mulberry root have the power to stop tyrosinase in its tracks.
- Exfoliators like glycolic acid and salicylic acid work hard to “unglue” the skin cells that bind together and cause dullness. Once those offending cells are sloughed away, radiant, glowing, and even-toned skin can emerge.
- Retinol is another exfoliating ingredient — and perhaps one of the most celebrated skincare ingredients for targeting the signs of age. Retinol causes the skin cells to turn over, which begins the process of removing the pigmented cells. As dark spots are sloughed away, your skin replaces them with normally pigmented cells.
Related: Best Retinol Cream
What to Expect from a Dark Spot Remover
It can be challenging to determine whether a dark spot remover will work because not every dark spot is the same. There’s no such thing as a universal solution, which is why you may have to do a little trial and error with products formulated with the ingredients mentioned above.
- Darkness from acne spots or dyspigmentation (an abnormality in the formation or distribution of pigmentation in the skin) tends to respond well to over-the-counter dark spot remedies. Keep in mind that it can take up to three months to start to see results.
- Age or sunspots, as well as freckles, are caused by sun exposure. While there’s no harm in trying the best age spot remover, discoloration caused by the sun may have a better response to a prescription cream or dermatological treatment such as laser resurfacing.
- Even after you’ve chosen one of the best products for dark spots, don’t forget to wear a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 every day. Sunscreen will help prevent current spots from becoming dark while helping to prevent new ones from forming.
Related: Best Vitamin C Serums
Best Dark Spot Correctors
BEST OVERALL
BEST: Carrot & Stick Brightening Spot Treatment, $70
Carrot & Stick‘s Brightening Spot Treatment contains 2 highly effective plant-based compounds combine to correct the look of hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone.
FULL LIST
Formulyst Dark Spot Solutions, $79
Developed for daily use, Formulyst’s Dark Spots Solution Serum targets the appearance of dark spots and uneven skin tone caused by hyperpigmentation. It’s formulated with HyWhite, an alpha-linolenic acid that helps lighten the appearance of dark spots and visibly improves the uniformity of skin color.
Additionally, a lightweight molecular hyaluronic acid gives an instantaneous hit of moisture. This potent serum intensely nourishes skin while visibly improving the tone of the complexion.
Formulyst Luminous Skin Serum, $49
Pick up a bottle of Formulyst’s Luminous Skin Serum for brighter and smoother-looking skin. This lightweight serum tackles dark spots and hyperpigmentation using natural ingredients, including alpha arbutin, an extract of the bearberry plant that prevents the formation of melanin; rumex extract, derived from the dogberry plant; and a biomimetic peptide that helps accelerate cell regeneration.
Dr. Brandt Dark Spots No More Triple Acid Spot Minimizing Concentrate, $68
This potent spot reducer harnesses the power of a 15% complex of three acids (azelaic acid derivative, tranexamic acid, and phytic acid) along with 5% niacinamide, plankton, and turmeric. Along with visibly reducing the number, intensity, and size of dark spots, it also soothes the skin and combats any irritation associated with the lightening process.
REN Clean Skincare Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream, $49
A night cream and spot corrector in one, this effective treatment is clinically proven to reduce dark spots in just seven days, providing you’re consistent. An encapsulated algae complex targets pigmentation while phytoglycogen promotes a hydrated, plump, and glowing complexion.
Verso Dark Spot Fix, $95
Three potent ingredients combine to give Verso Dark Spot Fix its dark spot fading abilities. Retinol 8, turmeric, and niacinamide are the dark spot enemies promising to banish discoloration regardless of its cause. Retinol 8 is a less irritating but eight times more potent form of retinol. Unlike retinol, it can be used during the daytime without fear of any adverse reactions.
Retinol 8 exfoliates to fade away excess melanin and reveal a more even-toned, brighter complexion. Turmeric and niacinamide have been proven to lighten dark spots over time, and, in combination with retinol 8, they work even better. These time-tested ingredients can be trusted to help you fade dark spots from both the face and body.
SkinMedica Lytera, $154
Loaded with skin lightening ingredients, SkinMedica’s Lytera Skin Brightening Complex targets dark spots on the face and other areas with precision. The reason it works so well is that it contains a large variety of dark spot lightening ingredients, including tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (vitamin C), niacinamide (vitamin B3), ethyl linoleate, retinol (vitamin A), Dunaliella salina extract, hexylresorcinol, and licorice root extract. Rounding out the list are tetrapeptide-30 and 4-ethoxybenzaldehyde.
Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector, $146
Clinique’s Dark Spot Corrector contains a variety of plant extracts that work together to combat dark spots and other skin conditions.Mulberry root is effective in skin whitening and has antioxidant properties that help scavenge free radicals. Turmeric root and barley inhibit tyrosinase.
Rice has also exhibited anti-melanogenic effects, essentially curbing melanin production to reduce the formation of dark spots and treat existing ones. Birch contains salicylic acid, an exfoliant that can encourage cell turnover. Wheat contains hydroquinone, a potent anti-pigmenting agent present in many dark spot reducing creams and available via prescription as well.
Murad Rapid Age Spot And Pigment Lightening Serum, $72
While it’s not our favorite ingredient because it can be potentially dangerous, Murad Rapid Age Spot And Pigment Lightening Serum
contains 2% hydroquinone, the highest percentage available without a prescription. Hydroquinone is a very effective skin lightening agent that can remove dark spots, even skin tone, and lighten age spots. This formulation also contains vitamin C and glycolic acid, two of the top ingredients on our spot-correcting ingredient list.
Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Dark Spot Corrector, $17.96
Neutrogena dark spot corrector contains two powerful ingredients: ascorbyl glucoside and retinol. Ascorbyl glucoside is a stable form of vitamin C that has been combined with glucose. When applied to the skin, ascorbyl glucoside converts to L-ascorbic acid — a more stable delivery process than just using L-ascorbic acid on its own.
Retinol has been shown to provide “consistent” improvement in treating hyperpigmented skin, whether due to acne scarring, sun exposure, or simple aging. This just may be the best drugstore spot corrector.
Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, $56
The active ingredients in Kiehl’s dark spot corrector are vitamin C, white birch extract, and peony extract. According to the brand, both white birch extract and peony extract work with vitamin C to enhance potency. White birch contains vitamin C and niacinamide (vitamin B3), especially effective when paired. Both lead to a more even complexion, lightening darker spots to match the natural lighter skin tone of the surrounding area.
Peony extract also works with vitamin C to enhance the skin’s brightening effect. In clinical studies, topically applied peony extract has also exhibited skin lightening properties.
Olay Prox Even Skin Tone Spot Fading Treatment, $31.50
Olay’s spot fading treatment works thanks to the power of niacinamide (vitamin B3), Undecylenoyl phenylalanine, and glycerin to remove dark spots and uneven patches of discoloration while also hydrating and fortifying the skin barrier.
Undecylenoyl phenylalanine works against dark spots by inhibiting melanotropin, which controls tyrosinase and promotes melanin in the skin. Studies show it “significantly” reduced discoloration caused by melasma (a discoloration disorder) within four weeks — especially when paired with niacinamide.
Estee Lauder Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum, $98
Several plant extracts in the Estee Lauder Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum make this a powerhouse against hyperpigmentation. Similar to Clinique’s Dark Spot Corrector, this formulation contains turmeric root, mulberry root, cucumber fruit, barley, grapefruit peel, and rice. Many of these ingredients have shown the ability to halt tyrosinase from producing more melanin.
Barley contains azelaic acid, an ingredient often found in many anti-dark spot serums because of its ability to stop tyrosinase activity. Rice has been shown to “down-regulate melanin synthesis” in animal studies. Furthermore, this serum allows for exfoliation with its inclusion of salicylic acid.
La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Dark Spot Serum, $49.99
La Roche-Posay‘s Pigmentclar Dark Spot Serum combines the forces of Phe-Resorcinol, ferulic acid, and LHA to break down dark spots and make them disappear. According to the company, Phe-Resorcinol is 100 times more skin lightening than kojic acid, one of the best skin lightening ingredients.
Ferulic acid is an antioxidant found naturally in the seeds of apples and oranges and some other vegetation. Studies have shown it to be effective against melasma, which is often stubborn and difficult to get rid of. LHA is an exfoliator much like glycolic acid and salicylic acid. Its mechanism involves removing dead skin cells and revealing newer cells that make skin look more radiant.
Best Products for Dark Spots: The Bottom Line
The main culprit in the battle against dark spots is tyrosinase, a key enzyme in the production of melanin, the pigment that gives our hair and skin its color, and its role is to protect the skin. It is often heightened in the skin by tanning and general sun exposure.
Dark spots can pretty much pop up anywhere, especially areas of your body that are exposed to the sun. Luckily, skincare products contain ingredients that halt or inhibit tyrosinase, including hydroquinone, vitamin C, niacinamide, mulberry root, and glycolic and salicylic acids.
Our favorite dark spot corrector is Carrot & Stick Brightening Spot Treatment.
What’s the best dark spot corrector, in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below!
FAQs
Both are incredibly effective. Vitamin C brightens and improves pigmentation issues, while retinol stimulates collagen production, another way to remove dark spots. You have to be careful not to use retinol that’s too strong for your skin because it can cause inflammation and exacerbate dark spots. You can find some dark spot serums that are safely formulated to include both active ingredients, which is a win-win.
Those with darker skin tones may have a higher risk of discoloration or hyperpigmentation from the use of retinol, so this ingredient (along with prescription-strength ingredients) should be used sparingly.
Sources:
“Quantifying Dyspigmentation in Facial Skin ageing: an Explorative Study,” US National Library of Medicine National Center for Biology.
“Reduction in the Appearance of Facial Hyperpigmentation by Topical N-undecyl-10-enoyl-L-Phenylalanine and its Combination with Niacinamide,” Research Gate.
“Topical Treatment of Melasma,” US National Library of Medicine National Center for Biology.
Body Positivity in the Beauty Industry | The Derm Review - The Dermatology Review Original review: Jan 21, 2021.
[…] represent the wide range of the human form. This may include eye creams, anti-aging eye creams, or dark spot correctors that showcase aged models. Other areas for opportunity and focus may include sunscreens, […]