15 Best Dark Spot Correctors to Help Improve the Clarity of Your Skin
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.
What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2023?
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
FULL LIST
Carrot & Stick Brightening Spot Treatment
Dr. Brandt Dark Spots No More Triple Acid Spot Minimizing Concentrate
REN Clean Skincare Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream
Verso Dark Spot Fix
SkinMedica Lytera
Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
Murad Rapid Age Spot And Pigment Lightening Serum
Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Dark Spot Corrector
Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution
Olay Prox Even Skin Tone Spot Fading Treatment
Here’s a closer look at the active ingredients commonly used in Predire Paris skincare products. Vitamin C, Retinol, Collagen, and Peptides make up the core ingredients for the Predire Paris skincare line. These ingredients should all be part of your skincare routine.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the best anti-aging ingredient. It is a powerful antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals and unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin. It is widely known to promote collagen production that decreases within the skin with age.
Vitamin C is used throughout the Predire Paris collection, in products such as Vitamin C, E & A Booster Serum, Vitamin C, E & A Booster Facial Peeling Gel, and more.
But our favorite Vitamin C serum is Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum. It contains 3 distinct types of Vitamin C that work together to help fight free radical damage. We recommend using it every morning.
Collagen
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It is found in the bones,muscles, skin, and tendons. Collagen forms a bridge that provides strength and structure within the body. Not only providing strength but elasticity to the skin. As you age, your body’s production of collagen slows down. As a result, the skin loses its youthful plumpness and texture.
Our choice for a collagen serum is Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum. It contains 7 plant-based peptides to promote plumper and smoother-looking skin. It also has skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.
Retinol
Retinol is an over-the-counter (OTC) used by women and men worldwide in order to tap into its anti-aging effects. Retinol is derived from Vitamin A and is the strongest composition in achieving these results. In addition to boosting collagen production, reducing wrinkles and fine lines, it also stimulates new blood vessels, giving the skin a rosy appearance and fading age spots. Some known side effects are peeling and
itchiness of your skin.
Peptides are overall more gentle and moisturizing than retinol and therefore a better choice for those with a more sensitive skin type.
The Predire Paris Black Orchid Peptide Collection contains Peptide, Retinol, and Collagen. Although we recommend this retinoid oil serum. It contains Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, an ingredient that provides similar benefits with less irritation.
Argan Oil
Argan oil contains multiple benefits for the skin, not only nourishing and protecting but reversing environmental damage, wrinkles and premature aging. The active substances in organic Argan Oil, called Triterpenoids, offer amazing anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial protection while promoting tissue and scar
repair.
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: Predire Paris Bio Brightening & Skin Toning Intensive Cream Complex
Predire Paris Bio Intensive Cream is formulated with nourishing Argan oil that works on your problem areas and fights off hyper-pigmentation from the root. It diminishes the dark spots and prevents them from appearing in the future. Its nourishing formula penetrates deep into your skin, provides adequate hydration, and stabilizes the color and tone of your skin without clogging the pores. You can slow down the process of aging by providing your skin with the nutrients and hydration required to keep your skin looking younger and healthier
Predire Paris Bio Brightening Dark Spot Solution
Lighten freckles, age spots, and dark pigmentation areas on the skin with Bio Brightening Dark Spot Solution. It promotes cell regeneration, maintains collagen, and protects with the perfect amount of hydration. For younger looking skin, free of age spots, this solution will work wonders.
FULL LIST
Formulyst Dark Spot Solutions
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Carrot & Stick Brightening Spot Treatment
Carrot & Stick‘s Brightening Spot Treatment contains 2 highly effective plant-based compounds combine to correct the look of hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone.
Murad Rapid Age Spot And Pigment Lightening Serum
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
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
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
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
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
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
Dark spots result from hyperpigmentation due to acne scarring or spending too much time in the sun. Other causes include hormonal issues, liver damage, genetics, and various skin disorders.
Dark spots can occur anywhere on the body, though they’re mostly found on the cheeks, forehead, and upper lip, or around the mouth. They can also appear on the neck, hands, and legs. But keep in mind: dark spots can pretty much pop up anywhere, especially areas of your body that are more often exposed to the sun.
Dermatologists typically recommend laser treatments, chemical peels, cryotherapy, microdermabrasion, or a prescription cream — all of which lessen the appearance of dark spots faster than topical products.
You may be doing too much to fade stubborn spots. Suppose you’re using overly harsh products such as astringents or non-skin-safe spot correctors — or are trying to “scrub” marks away with an exfoliator. In that case, you can actually worsen the pigmentation. The skin can become darker and rougher in texture.
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.
There isn’t one answer to this question because it depends on the formula, strength, and size of the area(s) you’re treating. Generally, prescription-strength creams are applied only to areas of concern a few times a week. For the most part, OTC correctors such as those on our list can be applied daily and all over the face — but be sure to read the instructions on the package first. Don’t forget the sunscreen during the day.
While you shouldn’t expect any miracles, some DIY home remedies may have a subtle effect on dark spots — for example, a lemon juice and yogurt face mask. Or, you could also apply the following topically: buttermilk, aloe, tomatoes, and papaya.
If you’re looking to cover up dark spots with a concealer temporarily, peachy and orange-hued shades are generally best for counteracting the look of darkness and brightening dark spots. A color corrector for dark spots works according to the principles of the color wheel — the opposite of one another on the color wheel can cancel the other out.
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.
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