According to Derms, These 11 Products Fade Dark Spots in Record Time
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Pros: Made to order to preserve freshness, customizable formula, contains multiple skin brighteners
Cons: Expensive
"What makes DermaBright Pads unique is its formulation using multiple natural skin brighteners and pigment lighteners such as kojic acid, arbutin, vitamin C, and emblica along with potent antioxidants like green tea polyphenols. These pads are freshly mixed at the time of your order and come as 60 treatment discs to sweep over the skin. You can also customize it with hydroquinone 2% over the counter and even higher strengths with a prescription. They are gentle yet effective. My patients really notice a huge difference in the quality of their skin." — Shirazi
Customer Review: "I've been using Dermabright for over a year and I absolutely LOVE it! It cleans and exfoliates my skin while helping with uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation. I am fair-skinned and didn't protect my skin in my 20's from the sun. I am now paying the price at 45, but with this product plus a few laser procedures and microneedling, it has changed my skin and it's amazing!"
Pros: Formulated with 10% azelaic acid and arbutin to even skin tone, helps clear breakouts and prevent future ones
Cons: Expensive
"Formulated with a blend of azelaic acid 10% and arbutin to even skin tone, reduce hyperpigmentation, smooth texture, reduce breakouts, and calm redness. Azelaic acid is a tyrosinase inhibitor that interferes with melanin production to prevent and treat hyperpigmentation, but it also clears pores of bacteria and organisms to fight against acne and rosacea, enhances cell turnover and gently exfoliates the skin, reduces inflammation and redness clinically shown to improve rosacea and acne." — Shirazi
Customer Review: "I normally use the azelaic cream to protect breakouts and seeing this, I started using it and I love it. It brightens my skin and I love the feel. Leaves my skin hydrated with moisturizer and sunscreen of course on top. A must buy."
Pros: Niacinamide, glycolic acid, and tranexamic acid to lift stubborn dark spots, peptides firm the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles
Cons: Takes a while to see results
"Containing a blend of key ingredients that help to brighten, this serum combines niacinamide, glycolic acid, and tranexamic acid to help visibly fade dark spots and even out the skin tone. It's fragrance-free and can be used by all skin types." — Garshick
Customer Review: "I actually use this serum under my make up. It is not sticky and allows for my foundation to set well. I just had one dark spot on my forehead and it appears less visible."
Pros: Contains a trio of glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acid, great for those who can't tolerate retinol, helps reverse sun damage and reduces fine lines
Cons: Expensive
"A trio of glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids for those who can't tolerate retinols to help reverse dark spots and fine lines from sun damage. Formulated with plant-derived raspberry extract, citric, and tartaric acid that work well together in fading hyperpigmentation." — Shirazi
Customer Review: "This is the ONLY thing I've found in almost 10 years that actually cleared up my acne! I use a couple nights a week with my regular moisturizer and snail mucin and literally almost never have any breakouts! (Been using consistently for almost a year). I've seen a lot of comments about [the] price, but one 1.0 oz bottle lasted me like 9 months so I don't think it's bad at all!"
Pros: Contains a 1% concentration of oxyresveratrol to block the formation of excess pigment, brightening peptides even out skin tone
Cons: Expensive
"Designed to address hyperpigmentation and dark spots, this contains oxyresveratrol in a patented stabilization system. Oxyresveratrol has been found to be even more effective than kojic acid and works by blocking the tyrosinase enzyme, a key enzyme involved in pigmentation. Also formulated with brightening peptides, tetrapeptide-3, and acetyl-glycyl beta alanine, it works to brighten the skin and improve uneven skin tone." — Garshick
Customer Review: "This product is amazing! I saw great results within two to three days of use! My wrinkles have disappeared, my complexion is very clear! The lines [on] my neck are almost completely gone! I highly recommend this product!"
Pros: Contains tranexamic acid, kojic acid, and niacinamide to brighten stubborn dark spots
Cons: Expensive
"This topical product contains tranexamic acid, an ingredient that has also been studied in an oral ingestible form and found to be helpful for the treatment of melasma. This is a great non-hydroquinone option to incorporate into a melasma skincare regimen." — Garshick
Customer Review: "This is a remarkable product for erasing discoloration. I use this one in conjunction with Phloretin CF on flat-freckled sunspots that create a discoloration on the skin, and I must say within one week there was quite an improvement, and they don't come back. I recommend following up on a sunscreen provided by SkinCeuticals to keep sunspots from coming back."
Pros: Great for those with sensitive skin; addresses fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation without irritation; affordable
Cons: Takes longer to see results
"A great option for someone who cannot tolerate a retinoid, this serum contains bakuchiol to help address fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation without irritating the skin. It also contains the lingonberry stems cells, which protect the skin from oxidative stress and blue light, which can worsen hyperpigmentation." — Garshick
Customer Review: "I really enjoyed this serum even though I just got it. I like the fact that it combats blue light stressor. It went on nicely under the rest of my skincare."
Pros: Contains 4% niacinamide and brightening botanicals to lighten pigmentation, affordable
Cons: May not be suitable for extra-sensitive skin
"This has 4% niacinamide and skin-brightening botanicals that help to gently fade dark spots and prevent the formation of new ones." — Penzi
Customer Review: "I am mid 30s and have deep scaring from years of acne as an adolescent and dark spots from more recent acne while pregnant. I have noticed a remarkable difference in diminishing both the scaring and dark spots in just a few [uses] of this product! I really wish I had taken pictures, because I have tried SO many products over the years and my old acne scars have never been this faded from anything else! My newer dark spots have faded considerably and I am confident they will continue to do so. It smells surprisingly fresh too, not chemical at all. This product is a great fit for me!"
Pros: Resorcinol and tranexamic acid help even skin tone, glycolic acid removes dead surface cells and speeds up skin cell turnover
Cons: Expensive
"An intensive serum that rapidly reduces the look of dark spots using a mix of glycolic acid, resorcinol, and tranexamic acid." — Penzi
Customer Review: "I have tested countless vitamin C and spot-reducing serums as I'm prone to hyperpigmentation and I would say this one is the best I've tried. It helped with all of my acne scars, including ones I had been struggling with for months, although not rapidly. I started seeing results after ~8 weeks of use, so be consistent and patient. I apply diligently every morning before moisturizer and SPF."
Pros: Helps fade stubborn dark spots without irritation
Cons: Expensive
"With kojic acid, niacinamide, alpha arbutin, diglucosyl gallic acid, and glycerin, this serum packs a punch for fading dark spots without irritating the skin." — Penzi
Customer Review: "Love this serum!!! I have aging skin with sunspots and immediately saw some fading from use twice a day. I’m on my second cartridge of the serum and my spots are significantly lighter now! I can’t believe how fast it worked and I can’t be without this serum!"
Pros: Affordable; contains a combination of niacinamide, vitamin E, and pro-retinol to fade discoloration
Cons: Takes longer to see results
"This serum includes a combination of niacinamide, vitamin E, pro-retinol and hydroxyresorcinol and together helps to reduce the appearance of dark spots and discoloration. It can be used twice daily." — Garshick
Customer Review: "I was still skeptical about just trying this system. I just decided to go for it and I am so glad I did! I noticed how smooth and bright my skin looks."