Don’t Let Dark Spots Get You Down ~ Best Dark Spot Correctors

Get The Best Dark Spot Treatment For Your Skin

Dark spots – also called age spots, sun spots, liver spots or hyperpigmentation – can appear on your face, chest, upper back, shoulders, arms, & back of your hands as a result of sun exposure, hormones, inflammation, pregnancy, or genetics. But don’t let those dark spots get you down, you’ve got options for lightening, if not eliminating, those spots & I’ve got the info for you. Read on to find the best age spot correctors available.

Regardless of what you call your dark spots, there are non-invasive topical over-the-counter (OTC) creams, serums & peels you can use to lighten their appearance. There are also prescription topicals & more aggressive treatments available from your dermatologist, plastic surgeon or skincare professional.

As a general rule, dark spots do not require medical attention unless you notice changes in their appearance, which can be signs of melanoma (a serious form of skin cancer). So be sure to have your dermatologist do a full-body screening annually.

See your doctor about any spot on your skin that concern you, especially a spot that has changed in appearance or:

• is dark
• is growing in size
• has an irregular boarder
• is itchy, painful, red, or bleeding
• is unusual in color

Thanks to Joanne – who asked me to research the best age spot treatments – I went in search of the most highly recommended OTC dark spot lightening treatments. No surprise, there are a lot to choose from. And I learned that I need to step up my skincare regimen!

Before you decide how to treat your dark spots, it’s important to know what causes them. Prevention is the key to avoiding getting new spots & from preventing existing spots from getting darker. Otherwise, there’s no point investing in products or procedures. Already well-acquainted with dark spots? Feel free to jump ahead to prevention or my recommended products list.

What Are Age/Dark Spots

Age spots are small, flat dark areas on the skin that vary in size & color, from tan to dark brown. They are more common in adults over 40 with light skin & tend to appear on areas that are exposed to the sun, such as your face, chest, upper back, shoulders, arms, & back of your hands.

Spots or discoloration can also appear as a result of acne or a rash, known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Dark spots can occur when dealing with melasma, sometimes called the “mask of pregnancy”, which is the result of a change in hormones during pregnancy that stimulates the melanocytes (melanin-producing cells located in the basal, or bottom, layer of the skin).

Dark Spot Prevention

The best way to avoid getting age spots or to keep existing spots from getting darker is to:

• Avoid the sun, especially between 10 am & 3 pm, when the sun’s rays are most intense
• Always wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher that provides both UVA & UVB protection, & be sure to re-apply after sweating or swimming
• Cover your arms & legs by wearing tightly woven clothing that will protect your skin from the sun’s rays
• Cover your face with a broad-brimmed hat, which provides more protection than a baseball cap or visor

Dark Spot Correctors

Over-The-Counter Options

There are many OTC lotions, potions & peels that may help lighten the appearance of age spots. Look for correcting treatments with one or more of the active ingredients listed below & say they “brighten” & “even” skin tone. Most work by chemically exfoliating away surface-level dead cells to take off the top layer of skin, which allows other ingredients to be more effective by penetrating deeper into the skin to lighten the appearance of dark spots.

Look for products that contain one or more of the following active ingredients (listed alphabetically):

• Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) are chemical exfoliants, such as: glycolic, lactic, citric, malic, or tartaric acid.
• Azelaic Acid is a tyrosinase inhibitor (tyrosinase is the enzyme responsible for the first step in melanin production), meaning it can prevent the production of excess pigment because in interferes with melanin production. It has antimicrobial & anti-inflammatory properties, which make it effective in the treatment of skin conditions like acne & rosacea, & it helps keep existing spots from getting darker. 
• Cysteamine is a skin-lightening agent used to treat hyperpigmentation by decreasing melanin pigment within the skin.
• Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that exfoliates the skin. It helps dissolve dead, discolored skin cells, leaving you with clearer, brighter, glowing skin.
• Hydroquinone is a skin-bleaching agent used to lighten darkened skin as well as a tyrosinase inhibitor (the enzyme responsible for the first step in melanin production).
  • This powerful & effective ingredient has been disappearing from OTC products until those products can obtain approval from the US Food & Drug Administration. Buried in the CARES Act, Section 3851 created a new regulatory process that requires products containing hydroquinone to be pulled from the OTC market pending a final study from the FDA. As such, OTC products that contain hydroquinone are still around but disappearing quickly or being reformulated until manufacturers can obtain FDA approval. Until then, you can get a prescription for a cream containing hydroquinone from your dermatologist.
• Kojic Acid blocks tyrosine from forming (like azelaic acid does), thereby preventing melanin production. It’s also an anti-inflammatory.
• Licorice extract includes astringent properties, antioxidant protection & may help lighten sunspots & other skin discoloration from by sun exposure, such as melasma.
• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) helps to slow pigment production, helps your skin retain moisture, look smoother & brighter.
• Retinols are the OTC version of Retinoids, which are stronger & require a prescription. Retinols are derived from vitamin A & have a small molecular structure that allows them to deeply penetrate into the skin to treat your dermis, layers below the epidermis (outer layer of skin). Once there, it helps neutralize free radicals to boost the production of collagen & elastin, which creates a plumping effect that diminishes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles & pores.
• Salicylic Acid is a beta hydroxy acids (BHA), another chemical exfoliant, that is beneficial when used for dark spots from acne because it not only helps with redness & irritation, but it also helps clear excess oil from your pores. So it’s a treatment & a cure! Plus, salicylic acid also helps to encourage the formation of new skin cells to further help with dark spots.
• Tranexamic Acid is another tyrosinase inhibitor that prevents melanin from forming. It might not be as well known or intense as some of the other ingredients on this list, but it’s commonly paired with them to combat hyperpigmentation & melasma. It also decreases inflammation that stimulate pigment production after sun exposure.
• Vitamin C (Topical L-Ascorbic Acid) is an antioxidant that protects your skin against free-radical damage from pollution & UVA & UVB rays. It promotes collagen production & has been found effective in lightening dark spots by blocking pigment production & preventing existing pigment from getting darker.
• Vitamin E is moisturizing & effective at reducing UV damage to the skin.

Dark-spot-correcting products with any or all of the brightening ingredients mentioned above can significantly speed up the process of lightening dark spots. But, to see results, you have to commit to a skincare regimen for at least a month & use sunscreen daily with an SPF of 30 or higher to prevent further damage. Otherwise, you will literally be throwing your money away.

Prescription Options

You can get a prescription from your dermatologist for a topical lightening cream. Prescription topicals are generally more effective because they contain active ingredients in higher concentrations than OTC products. One downside is that people with sensitive skin may not tolerate them as well.

Professional Procedures

• Chemical Peels – A chemical solution is used to remove the outer layer of skin so new smoother skin can grow in its place. Possible side effects include scarring, infection & lightening or darkening of skin color. Redness lasts up to several weeks. You might need several treatments before you notice any results.
• Cryosurgery – Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze individual age spots, which then scab & fall off. This procedure treats the dark spot by using a cotton-tipped swab to apply liquid nitrogen for five seconds or less. This destroys the extra pigment &, as the area heals, the skin appears lighter. Spray freezing may be used on a small grouping of spots. The treatment may temporarily irritate the skin & poses a slight risk of permanent scarring or discoloration.
• Dermabrasion – This treatment gently, but literally, sands down the surface layer of the skin with a rapidly rotating brush, essentially deep exfoliating the outer layers of skin so new skin can grow in its place. You may need to undergo the procedure more than once. Possible side effects include temporary redness, scabbing & swelling. It may take several weeks for pinkness to fade.
• Intense Pulsed Light Treatment (IPL) – Pulses of light energy are used to target sunspots on the skin. It does this by heating & destroying the melanin, which removes the discolored spots. An IPL session usually takes less than 30 minutes & causes little to no pain. The number of sessions needed varies from person to person.
• Laser resurfacing – During laser resurfacing, a wand-like device is used to deliver beams of light that remove sun damaged skin layer by layer. New skin is then able to grow in its place. Laser resurfacing on the face can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours depending on how many sunspots are being treated. Healing typically takes anywhere from 10 to 21 days.
• Microdermabrasion – Microdermabrasion is a less aggressive approach than regular dermabrasion. It leaves mild skin blemishes with a smoother appearance. You’ll need a series of procedures over months to get modest, temporary results. You may notice a slight redness or stinging sensation on the treated areas. If you have rosacea or tiny red veins on your face, this technique could make the condition worse.

Cosmetics

You can always use cover up to conceal age spots. Look for buildable coverage in a long-wearing concealer with peach undertones to neutralize the darker shades of age spots.

Recommended OTC Dark Spot Correcting Products

My research consisted of reading through dozens of articles by beauty & skin experts in medical journals & beauty magazines, such as Allure, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Harpers Bazaar, Harvard Health, Healthline, InStyle, Mayo Clinic, Prevention, Self, Women’s Health, & more for the top dark spot correcting product recommendations.

They did the heavy lifting by testing products & interviewing dermatologists. I combed through all their info & paired it down for you in a list of dark spot correcting products that were recommended by several experts &/or performed well in tests. Plus, I searched the best prices for you.

Lastly, in full disclosure, I have a tendency to hold Good Housekeeping’s Beauty Lab results as the gold standard of the beauty/skincare industry; just as you rely on Consumer Reports’ testing of appliances. The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab experts “evaluate hundreds of skincare products every year, including ones that claim to correct dark spots, from night creams to at-home peels. GH Beauty Lab scientists conduct rigorous clinical testing, recruiting women of all ages and skin types to assess the products’ results after at home use. In the Lab, their skin is scanned with the Visia Complexion Analyzer machine to measure changes in the size and count of dark spots, plus pores, skin texture, and lines and wrinkles before and after weeks of use.”

A few things to remember:

• Start slowly & give your skin time to adjust. Begin using new products slowly by applying every second day or night to start, then every other day, to give your skin time to adjust as some of these active ingredients can be drying. You can expect to have dry or flaky skin during the first week or two, particularly around your eyes, nose & mouth. But your skin should begin to adapt & then you can work up to using them daily or nightly, per the directions.
• For those with sensitive skin, start with the lowest possible strengths to make sure your skin can tolerate the active ingredients. Look for products made with gentler, less irritating ingredients, such as tranexamic, salicylic & azelaic acids.
• People with darker skin tones may need stronger ingredients, for which you need a prescription.
• To see results, you have to commit to a skincare regimen for at least a month & use a broad-spectrum facial sunscreen daily with an SPF of 30 or higher to prevent further damage. Otherwise, you will literally be throwing your money away investing in spot-lightening products.
• ALWAYS USE SUNSCREEN. Your daily face moisturizer should always have a broad-spectrum SPF of 30 or higher to prevent further or future skin damage. Otherwise, there’s no point using spot-lightening products.

Dark Spot Correcting Product Round Up

Products are listed by the number of recommendations they received, that is, the more testers, dermatologists & magazines that recommended them. Those that had the same number of recommendations are listed alphabetically. The prices noted are the lowest I found.

Click on any product listed in the Round Up to jump to its Description, below.

Best, Most Recommended Dark Spot Lightening Product

• SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense (serum) $98

Best Dark Spot Lightening Peels

• Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel $16 for 5
• Philosophy’s Microdelivery Triple-Acid Brightening Peel $65 for 12

Best Best Dark Spot Lightening Serums

Serums are lightweight gels or liquids designed to deliver higher concentrations of active ingredients & are typically applied before moisturizers.

• Neutrogena’s Rapid Tone Repair Dark Spot Corrector $18
• No7’s Laboratories Dark Spot Correcting Booster Serum $20
• SkinCeuticals’ CE Ferulic $165
• CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum $16
• Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum $18
• First Aid Beauty’s Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot $42
• SkinCeuticals’ Advanced Pigment Corrector Serum $87
• Clinique’s Smart Custom-Repair Serum $63

Best Dark Spot Lighteners For Sensitive Skin

• SkinMedica’s Lytera 2.0 Pigment Correcting Serum $154
• CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum $16
• Murad’s Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum $64
• The Ordinary’s Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% $7

Best Dark Spot Lightening Moisturizers

• L’Oréal Paris’ Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Moisturizer with SPF 30 $13
• Ambi Fade Cream $6
• RoC’s Multi Correxion 5-in-1 Daily Moisturizer $19

Dark Spot Correcting Product Descriptions

Best, Most Recommended Dark Spot Treatment

Best Dark Spot Lightening Peels

Best Dark Spot Lightening Serums

Face serums are lightweight gels or liquids designed to deliver higher concentrations of active ingredients & are typically applied before moisturizers.

Best Dark Spot Lighteners For Sensitive Skin

Best Dark Spot Lightening Moisturizers

Please let me know which dark spot correcting products you try & how well they work. I’ll do the same in a few weeks!