The 12 Best Dark Spot Correctors of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Dark spots are a famously infuriating foe, and this equal opportunist strikes across skin tones, types, and ages. Like many antagonizers, once excess melanin forms on the skin's surface and dark spots appear, they're in no rush to leave. The overproduction of melanin is your bodys natural defense against aggravating environmental situations, like UV radiation,

Dark spots are a famously infuriating foe, and this equal opportunist strikes across skin tones, types, and ages. Like many antagonizers, once excess melanin forms on the skin's surface and dark spots appear, they're in no rush to leave. The overproduction of melanin is your body’s natural defense against aggravating environmental situations, like UV radiation, or lifestyle shifts, like stress or acne, but it takes something stronger than sunscreen to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation.

Brimming with patience and determination, we decided to fight the good fight against hyperpigmentation by testing the most popular dark spot correctors, from vitamin C serums to at-home peel pads, on our own spotted skin for the next 12 weeks. Our team of InStyle editors spanned a wide range of ages, skin types, concerns, and textures, evaluated each one, starting with how long it took to visibly zap our marks and the extent to which our spots disappeared at the end of the 12-week trial. We asked ourselves if the product evened out our complexions’ tone and texture and whether our skin looked more plump and firm. Then we scored and ranked each one to curate this list of the very best, most effective options to brighten your complexion.

Best Overall

PCA Skin Hydroquinone-Free Face Serum

PCA SKIN Hydroquinone-Free Pigment Gel Face Serum

PCA SKIN

What We Love: The super effective formula ditches super harsh ingredients in favor of soothing ones, such as fruit extracts, to mollify our angry, irritated skin and effectively banish dark spots, acne, and uneven texture quicker than we expected.

What We Don’t Love: The formula may leave behind a subtle tingling sensation if it’s applied over broken areas of skin. 

We had high, arguably unrealistic, expectations entering this test, and a long list of what we wanted from a dark spot corrector, including everything from fading stubborn acne scars to balancing our complexion’s texture and tone. Oh, and we wanted these wishes granted fast — to our delight, the PCA Skin Hydroquinone-Free Pigment Gel Face Serum fulfilled our dreams on all of these fronts. 

We knew it was a winner from the start when the witch hazel and lactic acid immediately made our complexions appear more radiant and firm, and, since lactic acid is a much milder exfoliator (it’s even safe enough to treat the symptoms of rosacea), it didn’t cause our sensitive skin to react. Instead, these antioxidants helped maintain moisture and worked alongside the other mild alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like kojic acid to turn over dead cells while replenishing our skin with hydration, leaving it softer and smoother.

In fact, despite the gentle formula, we saw quicker results with this corrector than most of the other treatments we ever tried — as in two weeks fast, a short time compared to most formulas. Of course, we partially credit these results to our diligent use, never skipping a single morning or nighttime application through the full three months of testing. 

Still, we’re glad we stuck around because after six weeks our blemishes and acne scars had disappeared and we started to see the dark spots around our cheeks fade. Surely, the game-changing results are partially thanks to the formula’s use of phenylethyl resorcinol, a relatively new whitening agent derived from pine bark. It’s over 20 times more potent than kojic acid at inhibiting tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for pigmenting skin and causing dark spots, and has higher antioxidant activity than vitamins E and C. 

Yet, what was more surprising was how well the formula cleared up our acne in spite of the fact that we stopped using our prescribed tretinoin. As we braced ourselves for an expected breakout, like around the time of our menstrual cycle, we were overjoyed when our skin remained as clear as ever.

As it turns out, research shows that azelaic acid works just as well in controlling acne, if not better, than tretinoin, and it’s less abusive, meaning not only were we experiencing fewer breakouts, but our skin was less aggravated, too. Also, silybum marianum fruit,  a plant-based extract that mitigates oil production, also helped inhibit new pimples from emerging, contributing to our renewed, refreshed complexions.

Truthfully, the only time we experienced discomfort was when we accidentally layered the serum across broken skin, so we learned to keep it away from any fresh cuts and only use it as a spot treatment on problem areas. 

Key Ingredients: Azelaic acid, kojic acid | Product Type: Serum | Benefits: Evens skin tone, clears acne, firms | Size: 1 oz

Best Budget

Versed Dark Spot Gel

Versed Out of Sight Dark Spot Gel

Versed Skin

What We Love: Between in-office visits and high-tech laser treatment, getting rid of dark spots can be costly but this gel showed favorable results for less than $20.

What We Don’t Love: The formula takes a long time to absorb into the skin.

We won’t lie: It takes an aggressive approach to get rid of dark spots,often requiring expensive treatments and sometimes even multiple rounds of these treatments, so you can imagine our delight when this drugstore formula delivered exceptional results. Seriously, we noticed a reduction in our redness and hyperpigmentation soon after application, and an instant brightening effect that made our skin look like it was bathed in the soft lighting of an intimate dinner party. 

As luck, or science, would have it, the formula uses licorice root extract, which contains the chemical compound glabridin. This herbal remedy has quite the reputation for eliminating discoloration as it guards the skin against UVB-induced hyperpigmentation by dispersing the over-production of melanin and inhibiting unstable atoms known as free radicals from wreaking havoc (read: breaking down collagen) on otherwise healthy cells.

However, all good things take time, and our best skin yet was just around the corner. Around three weeks into treatment, the niacinamide calmed our rosacea-induced inflammation and the intensity of our breakouts subsided. Essentially, the vitamin B3 derivative acts as a blocker between keratinocytes, a cell found in the upper layer of the skin, and another one called melanocytes, regulating the signals in our skin calling for an increased transfer of melanosomes — AKA skin pigments.

It worked in tandem with tranexamic acid, an ingredient that’s shown promise in recent years to treat post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and led us to see a significant reduction in dark spots by the end of our 12-week testing period. Not bad for treatment you can add to your cart while also shopping for toothpaste and paper towels, right? 

From its price to the proven, science-backed formula, this gel corrector showed up in some big ways, but if we’re getting nitpicky, we didn’t totally love how we had to wait a bit for its tacky residue to completely sink into our skin. Thankfully, the stickiness didn’t linger after the gel absorbed or caused our makeup to pill. 

Key Ingredients: Tranexamic acid, kojic acid, niacinamide, licorice root extract | Product Type: Gel | Benefits: Brightening | Size: 0.5 oz

Best for Body

CityGoo Dark Spot Remover

CITYGOO Dark Spot Remover for Face and Body

Amazon

What We Love: It became an act of self-care to slather this lightweight, non-oily dark spot cream across our face, arms, and chest every day as we sat back and relaxed while it subtly faded dark spots on our chest and arms with a cooling formula. 

What We Don’t Love: It takes a longer time to see results compared to other treatments we’ve tried.

Whether we blame genetics or how we’ve become lax about applying sunscreen as assiduously below the neck as we do to our face, sometimes dark spots have a tendency to show up on different parts of the body — an issue the CityGoo dark spot thought ahead to alleviate with its lightweight, cushiony cream corrector.

The formula spread like butter across every inch of our skin, from our decolletage to our inner arms, without ever feeling sticky. Additionally, it has a very mild, almost imperceptible smell that didn’t interfere with the scent or texture of any of the other lotions, perfumes, and body soaps we spritzed and buffed into our skin throughout the day. 

However, texture aside, right off the bat, we could feel the cooling and soothing effects of the gentian scabra root extract, a medicinal plant, that mitigated our redness and, with time, the post-inflammatory reactions that caused dark spots. We guess time really does heal all wounds because it took a little over a month before we started to see some other noteworthy positive changes from ingredients such as nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B-3, and vitamin E. Both vitamins tout photoprotective properties that help guard skin against dark-spot-inducing UV rays. Meanwhile, citric acid functioned as a non-irritating AHA that sloughed off dead skin cells, taking our uneven, rough texture with it.

The formula is also stuffed with moisture replenishing ingredients, like hydrolyzed rice protein, to prevent dehydration. This little protein has also been shown to reduce tyrosinase activity that leads to melanin production. Panthenol is another skin-softening ingredient that pulls double-duty by nourishing the skin while delivering healing properties that can fade the look of acne scars and other marks.

Key Ingredients: Gentian scabra root extract, tranexamic acid, nicotinamide, vitamin E,squalane | Product Type: Cream | Benefits: Brightening, smoothing | Size: 1.7 oz

Best for Acne Scars

Fenty Skin Watch Ya Tone 5% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum

Fenty Skin Watch Ya Tone 5% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum with Vitamin C

Fenty Skin 

What We Love: The Fenty Dark Spot Serum softened acne scars by healing damaged skin and plumping it with hydrating, skin-strengthening ingredients like Barbados cherry. 

What We Don’t Love: It leaks out of the bottle if you’re not careful about storing it upright. 

We knew Fenty had our backs when it came to concealing and correcting with beloved foundations and setting powders. Yet, little did we know that the brand could do so much more than simply cover up our acne scars — it can eliminate them completely, all while giving our skin that signature Fenty glow, sans any actual bronzer. 

The formula achieved this in a couple of different ways.  First, it used five percent niacinamide, a percentage studies have shown to be a much more effective amount at treating hyperpigmentation, to lighten the skin. Then, the formula combined Barbados cherry, one of the most abundant sources of ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C), with licorice root extract to vigorously brighten our skin without triggering a hint of irritation.

As a refresher, vitamin C is high on the list of potent antioxidants, and, fun fact, it’s also a primary replenisher of vitamin E, making it a super powerful competitor against the effects of oxidative stress, like overexposure to solar radiation. Notably, it’s an A+ addition to any formula aiming to target acne scars since it increases collagen production, a protein necessary for rebuilding the skin barrier, healing it and making it stronger in the process. 

Though technically this is a serum, between its creamy texture and thicker viscosity, we’d best describe its consistency as a thinner, more flexible face moisturizer. Translation: The product stayed put wherever we applied it without running down our faces (though it did leak out of the bottle a bit), and it only took about one pump to efficiently cover four different areas of our faces.

Naturally, the brand behind our most glam beats wouldn’t make a skin product that didn’t play nicely with our makeup, and we found the serum to layer like magic under our foundation, concealer, and blushes. Its thin, slightly tacky texture actually doubled as a mattifying base for makeup, holding them in place and allowing us to blend products into a seamless finish.  

Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, vitamin C, licorice root extract, Barbados cherry | Product Type: Serum | Benefits: Brightens, evens skin tone | Size: 1 oz

Best for Dark Under Eyes

Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand

Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum

Hero Cosmetics

What We Love: Unlike a traditional drop applicator, the Hero Cosmetics wand used a metal ball applicator that allowed us to apply the antioxidant-rich serum close to the creases of our under eyes without worrying about irritation

What We Don’t Love: Finding out how to dispense the serum from the applicator isn’t totally intuitive. 

In our experience, Hero Cosmetics is true to its name, swooping in to help us with our biggest skin woes. We’ve used it to rid our pores of blackheads with clay masks, and pull grime out of our noses with pimple patches. And while we saw instant results with those two heroes (pun intended), this serum is the full marathon: A longer process, but ultimately more rewarding with longer-lasting effects, especially when it comes to diminishing dark circles. 

At the starting line of this serum’s brag-worthy qualities is the applicator. Yes, it took us a few tries to learn how to use it (you need to press a small button to release the product, but it totally blends into the wand’s white packaging), but once we jumped over that hurdle, it was off to the races. We loved the metallic rollerball applicator for the smooth, cooling effect. This cool zing definitely woke us up in the morning, but it also made us look more awake and far less puffy, while the lightweight serum filled with glycolic acid, which also delivered a zing to our body in the form of speeding up collagen production to improve discoloration.

Additionally, willow bark, vitamin C, and licorice root all contributed to our brighter skin, and, over time, we noticed an increased firmness to our complexions, which we didn’t expect, but we’ll definitely take. 

Meanwhile, the algae extract gently exfoliated away dry flakes, leaving our skin smooth and even. In tandem, an ingredient we had never heard before, called acetylglucosamine, worked as a mighty force to lessen melanin production and to repair wounds, and over time, we saw our most intense acne scars begin to fade. Similarly,  turmeric is another antioxidant-rich ingredient — specifically, the skin-lightening chemical, curcumin, it releases —to help control inflammatory reactions to exposure to environmental stressors like pollution and UV radiation.

Key Ingredients: Tranexamic acid, acetyl glucosamine, vitamin C, and licorice root | Product Type: Gel | Benefits: Brightens, smooths, evens skin tone | Size: 0.34 oz

Best Dermatologist Tested

SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense

SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense

Dermstore

What We Love: This formula doesn’t mess around — it relies on science and researched-backed acids, including tranexamic kojic acid and five percent sulfonic acid, to wipe out our spots for good.

What We Don’t Love: Its bright orange hue stained our pajama top, so be sure to mind the dropper.

We’ve waxed poetic about our love for SkinCeuticals, so we had high hopes for this little guy. After our testing time was up, we can absolutely say our goals were met — and then some. Our first impression was the texture — it really wowed us. The consistency was slightly thicker than water, but it evaporated into our skin shockingly fast, similar to how cotton candy dissolves in water, without leaving the faintest clue in terms of a tacky or sticky residue 

However, evidence of its magic appeared when, almost suddenly, we noticed our skin was clear, our eye bags were practically nonexistent, and the feel of our skin was smoother than glass. And, do we dare say that the kojic acid and niacinamide left our skin with an unmatched luminosity that only the most pigmented highlighters can rival? It also could have been the allantoin, an emollient and chemical compound borrowed from plants, that softened our skin and gave our tired appearance a glow-up.

When it came down to tackling our spots, the formula tapped a couple of heavy hitters — tranexamic acid and HEPES (Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid) — to balance the pH of our skin, stopping it from overproducing pigment and excess oil to keep our pores clear and future spots at bay. One downside to using the serum is the bright orange hue. Surprisingly, it sinks right in without leaving any color behind, but we can’t say the same for our pajamas. Be careful with the dropper, unless you’d like a bit of orange tie-dye.

Key Ingredients: Tranexamic acid, kojic acid, niacinamide, HEPES | Product Type: Serum | Benefits: Brightening, evens skin tone, hydrates | Size: 1 oz

Best for Dark Skin

Eadem Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum

Eadem Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum with Niacinamide and Vitamin C

Sephora

What We Love: Eadem was founded to support deeper skin tones and only uses sensitive-skin-friendly ingredients to target stubborn hyperpigmentation. 

What We Don’t Love: The dropper has an odd shape that makes it difficult to angle out of the bottle. 

The beauty industry has come a long way to provide people of color with safe and effective treatments for hyperpigmentation. And it’s about time, considering darker skin tones are more vulnerable to developing discoloration but are often left out of the conversation when it comes to treatments. Many popular dark spot correctors contain hydroquinone, a lightening agent that can leave a bleached ‘halo effect’ around the dark spot, thereby exacerbating the problem it's trying to solve. Eadem was founded as a solution: A science-backed brand developed by women of color chemists, approved by women of color dermatologists and tested across a range of skin tones, yet this milky serum is richly nourishing and effective for all.

Without hydroquinone, Eadem uses Smart Melanin Technology, a proprietary blend of niacinamide, amber algae, and vitamin C to safely exfoliate, reduce inflammation, and gently lighten discoloration. 

We knew we were in great hands with this serum. Its milky consistency felt light and hydrating, and our sensitive, reactive skin didn’t flare up once. Still, we started slow with three drops, but after three weeks and nothing but dewy skin, we doubled it to six drops, which fast-tracked our impressive results. Our complexion showed significant progress: Breakouts became fewer and farther between, scars started to disappear, and our complexion looked even. 

What’s more, the slightly thicker serum was easy to spread across our entire face without dragging over our rough patches or pilling up in drier spots. Eventually, we only used it as a spot treatment for our dark spots as our skin started to look better, and better. However, no matter where we applied it, how we got it out of the dropper was always a bit difficult since the brand designed the dropper at a funky angle that took some finagling to remove from the small opening in the bottle.  

Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, amber algae, vitamin C, and licorice root | Product Type: Serum | Benefits: Minimizes appearance of pores, soothes inflammation  | Size: 1 oz

Best Anti-Aging

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Dark Spot Corrector

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Retinol + Vitamin C Dark Spot Corrector

Amazon

What We Love: The formula balances retinol with an impressive amount of hydrating ingredients so we can reap the benefits of the all-star exfoliator while enjoying the moisture-replenishing advantages of hyaluronic acid.

What We Don’t Love: Layering too many heavy foundations and face lotions on top of the serum caused it to pill. 

Neutrogena was right on the money with the inclusion of retinol in its bestselling dark spot corrector. This vitamin-A derivative blocks melanin from reaching the skin’s surface, which prevents more spots from forming while strengthening the skin barrier. Plus, it ramps up collagen production, creating an invisible forcefield between our skin and spot-causing UV light, pollution, and pesticides.

Yet, no ingredient is perfect, and retinol is just about as opposite of hydrating as one can get, but alongside conditioning glycerin and water-loving hyaluronic acid, our dry skin would never know it. Our fear of dry patches or flakiness popping up never came true. In fact, we actually found the formula to be so well-balanced that we increased our dosage from the suggested pearl-sized amount to a dime-size without any negative reaction. Still, we always, always recommend proceeding with caution if retinol makes you weary.

But that’s not all: The antioxidant hydrolyzed Myrtus communis leaf extract smoothes the look of our fine lines. We’re also prone to puffiness in the morning (who isn’t, really), but we noticed that we were waking up without looking like we just woke up. Then we learned this plant extract has antibacterial properties great for dissolving excess oil and dead skin cells on the skin’s surface, which not only prevents acne but also ensures a brighter glow.

On another note, for the most part, these lightweight ingredients layered seamlessly with the products we blended on top of it. We only noticed some pilling when we really got glammed up and layered a full face of makeup on top of it, but even still, this became a non-issue when we took the time to wait a little longer for the serum to sink in before moving on to the next step in our routine.

Key Ingredients: Retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid | Product Type: Serum | Benefits: Evens skin tone | Size: 1 oz

Best Brightening

Veracity Brightening Support

Veracity Brightening Support

Saks Fifth Avenue

What We Love: Our skin drank up this serum the same way we gulp down an electrolyte drink after a tough workout,  reinvigorating our skin, rewarding it with a more even texture and fewer breakouts.

What We Don’t Love: It’s a little sticky at first.

Every bit of our experience with the Veracity Brightening Support was a deluxe experience, from pulling the gleaming gold dropper out of the very zen-looking forest green bottle to the way our skin soaked up the light, water-based formula like liquefied sunshine. Truly, we didn’t even mind that it was a little sticky; we happily waited a few extra minutes waiting for it to dry. Then one morning when we were in a particular rush, we realized this tackiness had the hidden benefit of doubling as a fantastic face primer, keeping our makeup in place.

Whether we were standing in direct sunlight or sitting in the darkest restaurant, the skin-brightening ingredients gave our complexions a luminosity and an undeniable glow. Unlike traditional vitamin C formulas that can irritate the skin, this one uses a more stable derivative known as ascorbyl glucoside. This skin absorbs this variation super slowly, preventing potential irritation and it meant that we never experienced an uncomfortable tingling feeling some harsher formulas leave behind.

However, we will say that using this serum in combination with our prescribed azelaic acid and tretinoin didn’t do our dehydrated skin any favors. However, we found it to be far less drying when we decreased application to only once in the morning, instead of twice a day. Potentially, this impacted the rate at which we saw our results, but rest assured the brightening effects still shone through. 

Our little dose of sunshine had some assistance from ferulic acid, a powerful antioxidant found in plants known for fighting free radical damage that leads to acneic skin and for healing acne wounds. Yet, even when we did get the inevitable blemish, the serum sped up the recovery process and our pimples didn’t look quite as angry or red as usual. Working in tandem is gallic acid, a plant-based ingredient known for its brightening properties, brimming with a ridiculous concentration of phenolic acids, which is basically the heavyweight champion of fighting inflammation and bacteria growth. It’s so effective that it can even match hydrocortisone when treating the severe red, itchy symptoms associated with atopic dermatitis.

As a bonus, we barely used any product to see these results because we only needed to apply a small drop of the serum to see it spread evenly across our problem areas. 

What we really found interesting, however, is that continued use of gallic acid inhibits tyrosinase generation — AKA: it stops melanin transfer to skin cells — and has been proven to drastically improve the brightness of skin while reducing dark spots.

Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, garland lily extract, hyaluronic acid, gallic acid, ferulic acid, vitamin E  | Product Type: Gel | Benefits: Brightens, protects, hydrates | Size: 0.5 oz

Best Hydrating

Hyper Skin Hyper Even Vitamin C Serum

Hyper Skin Hyper Even Brightening Dark Spot Vitamin C Serum

Sephora

What We Love: Flaky, dry rough patches ceased to exist while we used this serum, thanks to a couple of moisture-replenishing and skin-plumping ingredients, hyaluronic acid and lecithin. 

What We Don’t Love: There was some sticky residue left over from the application.

Right off the bat, we could tell this serum was drenching our skin with an IV drip of nourishing, hydrating ingredients, just based on the immediate, next-level glow it gave us. We were thrilled and surprised, and flipped over the bottle to read the ingredients list and saw the long list of emollients and humectants that reinforce the skin barrier, we weren’t quite as shocked.

The combination of these lightweight ingredients gave us the sensation of pulling a soft, silk blanket over our skin each morning we applied the product. And, especially since we frequently experience eczema flare-ups, we were particularly appreciative of how the gentle, non-irritating formula treated our sensitive skin with plenty of care. 

The brand thoughtfully incorporated other ingredients into its formula that overwork themselves to condition skin and fade dark spots, like lecithin. The fatty acid plumps skin, protects it from external damage and strengthens the skin barrier so that new dark spots are less likely to crop up. The formula also contains more moisture-rich ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and a bountiful of fruit extracts to ensure you have your softest skin yet. 

Interestingly enough, in addition to kojic acid, salicylic acid is another key ingredient in the formula that we’re used to seeing in our acne cleansers and spot treatments, and we were delighted to learn it’s also a defender against dark spots. As an exfoliator, it can penetrate the skin quicker to turn over dead skin cells and help heal acne scars. Salicylic acid is also an anti-inflammatory and has been shown to have a lightening effect on the skin.

Subtly, but surely, we watched the formula reward our skin and it only took around three weeks to notice more significant changes with a smoother, less textured skin tone and a decrease in dark spots.  

Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and kojic acid | Product Type: Serum | Benefits: Reduce breakouts, evens skin tone | Size: 1 oz

Best for Acne-Prone Skin

Dr. Barbara Sturm Untinted Clarifying Spot Treatment

Dr. Barbara Sturm Untinted Clarifying Spot Treatment

Sephora

What We Love: A host of non-irritating, plant-based anti-bacterials cleansed our skin to curb bacteria growth and oil production that causes breakouts. 

What We Don’t Love: It contains talc, a sometimes irritating ingredient found in many cosmetics and household products.

From the tiniest pimple to larger breakouts, this Clarifying Spot Treatment from Dr. Barbara Sturm was ready to wage war against stubborn acne and banish it for good. It worked quickly, too, as we’d only been using the formula for a little over a week before we reaped the benefits. 

The zinc-based formulation cleared up our congestion, courtesy of its anti-inflammatory properties and impressive ability to control oil. Although it’s quite effective on its own to tackle acne, it’s even more potent when it's used alongside the naturally purifying tea tree oil, which wipes out bacteria on the skin’s surface, while vitamin E and vitamin B3 strengthen it. This allows the skin surface to maintain the moisture it needs to stop the skin from drying out and overproducing pore-clogging oil.

Meanwhile, some research suggests that this formula’s use of advanced bioflavonoids (plant-derived compounds) could be an advantageous approach to preventing cell deterioration that ages skin.

The most notable result after using this product for three months was how our skin tone looked more even than ever before. Unlike a serum you would typically apply to your entire face, this functioned as a spot corrector, allowing us to really hone in on specific areas of discoloration. 

Something else we kept our eye on throughout treatment was talc, a common ingredient found in everything from setting powders to eyeshadows and lipsticks, that’s causing growing concern as a skin irritant. Luckily for us, the only sensation this serum left on our skin was a pleasant, cool tingling and immediate dewy glow from the jojoba oil. 

Key Ingredients: Zinc, vitamin B3, jojoba oil, panthenol, beeswax, vitamin E, tea tree oil, bioflavonoids, tinting pigments, and talc | Product Type: Serum | Benefits: Reduce breakouts | Size: 0.51 oz

Best for Uneven Skin Tone

Glow Recipe Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum

Sephora

What We Love: We loved that it gave our skin an instant brightness, but we were most impressed with our bouncy, plump skin at the end of the testing period.

What We Don’t Love: The slight guava scent was a little sweet for our liking, but it didn’t linger on the skin for very long.

Glow Recipe truly couldn’t have picked a better name for the brand, as we’ve experienced nothing but deliciously hydrated, plump skin every time we try a new product. Once again, right off the bat, this serum acted like a dimmer switch, subtly raising the brilliance of our complexions, and giving it a dumpling-like finish. Although the consistency had the thickness of a traditional moisturizer, it truly did blend into the skin like a serum as advertised—we didn’t wait longer than a minute before we felt good about moving to the next step in our skincare routine. 

Just like everyone else, we’re suckers for immediate gratification, but what truly knocked this formula out of the park was the gentle way it made our dark spots disappear over time, revealing skin that felt impossibly soft and looked so even and consistent like we’d never had a dark spot in our life. Powered by five different forms of vitamin C, the serum strengthens the skin barrier and blocks environmental stressors, like UV rays and pollution, so our existing spots wouldn’t get worse while also preventing new ones from popping up. What’s even better is how it took less than a dime-sized amount of product to reap these benefits, a major score for our wallets. 

Truly, we felt like we were reading the menu of our favorite smoothie shop when we took note of what else was in the formula, like banana, apple, pear, raspberry, and apricot fruit extracts and oils that all together offer an incredible amount of antioxidants that repair and hydrate skin. Our skin looked instantly more radiant after just one application but didn’t increase the shine around our oily T-zone. Still, we knew these fruity extracts and oils were providing long-term benefits as well. These antioxidants also reduce inflammation caused by our environment, and in turn, slow down the aging process, and help to maintain moisture levels.

Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, vitamin E, and guava, banana, apple, pear, and raspberry seed oils and extracts| Product Type: Serum | Benefits: Soothes, hydrates, evens skin tone | Size: 1 oz

Our Testing Process

After researching the best dark spot correctors available on the market, we narrowed down the list to the 13 most popular products currently available and brought InStyle editors to test the product in our NYC-based Lab. Then, each editor went home with a different dark spot corrector to test as part of our daily skincare routine for the next 12 weeks. We followed the manufacturer’s usage instructions and diligently applied the formula every day, sometimes twice, if the instructions called for it. 

Since dark spot correctors are a slow burn, we provided insights at three different check-in points: On day one, at six weeks, and at three months. Then we evaluated our results, ranking each one based on the texture and feel, the level of hydration it provided (or didn’t), any irritation it triggered and — not to sound vain — but how good our skin looked overall, if we had the radiance we wanted and the discoloration we didn’t. After analyzing the data, we ranked the best dark spot correctors that outperformed the others and the top scoring products make up this list.

The InStyle Team Tests Dark Spot Correctors

What to Keep in Mind

Formula

Manhattan-based board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Macrene Alexiades suggests looking for products that, “are working at the root of the matter” to repair the skin and avoid damage that causes brown spots and vulnerability, such as amino acids like glucosamine, aspartic acid, arginine, and citric acid. “Those are gentle and they're safe,” she says, adding that next you can seek out nourishing antioxidants, like a high dose of ferulic acid and vitamins C and E, that will repair the discolored damage without irritating the skin. 

Other mainstays, says New York City-based board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Umbareen Mahmood, are kojic acid, azelaic acid, tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and retinol. 

Skin Type

“People with acne-prone skin should avoid harsh ingredients and look to ones such as vitamin C, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, and tranexamic acid,” according to Dr. Mahmood. Similarly, she says those with sensitive skin should stick to formulas with natural ingredients, particularly kojic acid.

However, Dr. Alexiades, says that everyone, but especially darker skin tones and those with sensitive skin, should proceed with caution for products that contain hydroquinone, retinol, and glycolic acid, as they’re not easily tolerated. “If you're going to use glycolic acid or retinol, be aware, it's very irritating,” says Dr. Alexiades Even more surprising, “40 percent of adult women don't tolerate retinoids or glycolic acids,” adds Dr. Alexiades. “If you overuse them, your skin gets thin and it will make the skin weaker.” 

Skin Tone

In terms of skin tone, those with deeper colored skin should avoid harsh ingredients, especially hydroquinone, “as they can cause a white ring around the spot known as the ‘halo effect’,” explains Dr. Mahmood, who adds that these skin tones should “also avoid products with strong acids, or ingredients that can cause inflammation.” 

However, the best way to know for sure if a dark spot corrector is right for your skin type and tone is to consult your dermatologist, says master esthetician Sarah Akram. “There are different levels of melasma which means that the treatment or method of care will be different,” she adds, explaining that depending on your current skin routine, and what products you are using on your skin, some products make your skin more sensitive than others.

Your Questions, Answered 

What causes dark spots?

“There are a number of causes of dark spots, including sun damage, wounds, hormones, acne scarring, melasma, medication side effects, or certain medical conditions,” explains Dr. Mahmood.” Some studies have even shown that “prolonged exposure to blue light can lead to photoaging and the formation of dark spots.” 

Lifestyle choices aside, Dr. Alexiades says that some of us simply have a genetic predisposition to developing dark spots. “A lot of brown spots are associated with systemic disease and that is inherited,” she explains.  

How do you prevent dark spots from appearing?

Aside from trying to spend less time in direct sunlight, wearing protective coverings like a wide-brimmed sun hat and of course loading up on SPF are a couple of ways to avoid dark spots. 

You can also add a blue light screen protector to your devices. “We probably are accumulating some light damage just from looking at screens,” warns Dr. Alexiades. “Even if we have any light source in front of us, if we're in front of it long enough, sooner or later, those wavelengths are gonna get into the skin, to the DNA, and can cause trouble.” Just another reason why you should take a quick walk around the block every few hours while working from home.

Do dark spot correctors work?

The good news is that dark spot correctors work if you’re willing to put in the time. We can’t say this enough: Similar to laser hair removal or red light therapy, these treatments require patience and consistency, and it may be anywhere from four to eight before noticing significant changes in your skin, according to our experts. 

Although some formulas contain ingredients like vitamin C or hyaluronic acid, which could instantly provide a brightening or plumping effect, to get to the root of the issue and access long-term benefits, it's best to incorporate them into your daily beauty ritual. 

“Spot correctors are best applied as part of your morning routine, first by washing your face, then applying a spot corrector, followed by moisturizer and sunscreen,” recommends Dr. Mahmood. 

What is InStyle Picks?

Did you notice the InStyle Picks seal of approval at the top of this story? That means our team of testers has reviewed every product on this list using a unique methodology to ensure it's really worth your time, money, and attention. We may get samples for free to try but we never promise positive (or any!) coverage in exchange. Put simply: InStyle Picks are products we love, and we've put them to the test to be sure you will too.

Why Shop with Us

Irene Richardson is a writer covering beauty and fashion for InStyle and other publications. In order to write this article, she delved into the insights provided by testers and spoke with board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Umbareen Mahmood, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Macrene Alexiades MD, PhD, and Master esthetician Sarah Akram.

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