The Best Products to Fade Dark Spots and Brighten Your Complexion (2024)

Whether you’re combating acne scars, melasma, or age spots, finding the best dark spot corrector is key for evening out your complexion. These types of powerhouse skincare products target stubborn hyperpigmentation (a common condition that causes some areas of the skin to be darker than others) and help you get your glow back.

“Hyperpigmentation is very complicated,” explains Karan Lal, D.O., M.S., F.A.A.D., skin of color expert and double board-certified adult, pediatric, and cosmetic dermatologist with Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ. “It’s mostly something that occurs after an inflammatory condition in the skin, such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, or skin trauma. It can also be a result of hormones (for example, melasma) or it can be due to sun exposure.”

Meet the experts: Karan Lal, D.O., M.S., F.A.A.D., double board-certified adult, pediatric, and cosmetic dermatologist; Anar Mikailov, M.D., F.A.A.D., board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Skintensive

No matter where your dark spots came from, there are targeted treatments that can help. “Dark spot correctors are products that address hyperpigmentation or dark discoloration of the skin,” explains Anar Mikailov, M.D., F.A.A.D., board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Skintensive.

“Dark spot correctors can work by either inhibiting melanin production or by improving cell turnover,” Dr. Mikailov explains, with ingredients like vitamin C, retinol, glycolic acid, tranexamic acid, and beyond.

Our top picks:

Below, find brighter (complexion) days ahead with the best dark spot correctors according to testing, skincare experts, and rave reviews.

This cream by Avon is formulated with high levels of glycolic acid and performed extremely well in testing done by the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab. The cream earned a perfect score for helping reduce the appearance of UV spots by 12%; it was well-received for improving skin firmness and hydration. Several product testers said it gave their skin a glow. “It really diminished the look of age spots and kept skin well moisturized at night,” one commented. But, some testers noted that they didn’t enjoy the “strong perfume scent.”

Neutrogena’s dark spot corrector serum combines retinol and vitamin C for a brightening match made in heaven. This formula effectively targets stubborn dark spots and provides an overall brightening effect in addition to addressing concerns like fine lines and wrinkles, per the brand. “Love this stuff,” wrote one of the 5,000+ five-star reviewers on Amazon. “My skin brightened up and spots began to fade after just one week.”

This dark spot corrector serum is “non-comedogenic tested, so this is a good option for acne-prone skin, and one of the best options for sensitive skin,” explains Dr. Mikailov. This serum contains ceramides to help soothe and repair skin as well as vitamin C for overall skin radiance.

During an eight-week trial of the “lightweight” dark spot corrector, 85% of users agreed that it minimized dark spots—which the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab’s data evaluation confirmed. The product contains a powerful list of ingredients including kojic acid, licorice extract, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid alongside botanicals like aloe and orange fruit extract. Some reviewers noted that the gel formulation was tacky when applied to skin.

This serum is a “favorite” of Dr. Lal’s and one that he calls the “OG” (a.k.a original) in terms of vitamin C products. It’s also “great for darker skin types and one of the best overall for dark spot correction,” says Dr. Mikailov. While it has a bit of a steep price tag, experts agree it’s worth the splurge. After all, it contains a 15% concentration of pure vitamin C alongside ferulic acid to stabilize and enhance the formula.

Dr. Lal touts glycolic acid as a fantastic exfoliating ingredient for banishing dark spots, and says this option from La Roche Posay is “really great,” as it contains tranexamic acid which helps inhibit melanin production. This serum is also “really good for acne-prone skin,”says Dr. Lal, thanks to glycolic acid’s exfoliating properties.

If you’re looking for overall brightening as well as targeted dark spot correction, look no further than this serum that’s formulated “with proven ingredients like tranexamic acid, kojic acid, and niacinamide to treat dark spots,” says Dr. Mikailov. “This formula features an encapsulation delivery to keep the ingredients stable,” he adds.

“When I talk about tranexamic acid and kojic acid containing products, one of my favorites is the Skin Medica 2.0 Lytera,” explains Dr. Lal. “That is a phenomenal product that has been shown to reduce skin discoloration—it’s really good for melasma and it’s safe on all skin types.” This formula also contains a marine extract blend and niacinamide to help support a healthy skin barrier.

This night cream proved to be a standout product in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab’s testing for minimizing the look of dark spots by 10.5% in calculations with the Lab’s Visia Complexion Analyzer device. It also earned the highest moisturization scores from consumers and boosted skin hydration by 33% over six hours in Corneometer machine measurements. While some testers didn’t enjoy the thickness of the formula, one tester noted that it “really is removing my dark spots.”

If you’re looking to treat both dark spots and address signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, you’ll want to choose a formula that includes retinol. This nighttime cream is “designed for sensitive, dry skin,” Dr. Mikailov explains. “This cream contains bakuchiol and a non-irritating form of retinol to improve cell turnover to help reduce dark spots.”

“This blend of tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and licorice root extract along with a PHA (gentle versions of AHAs) work well together to brighten dark spots without irritating the skin,” explains Dr. Mikailov. However, Dr. Mikailov notes this gel-serum formula is not ideal for general moisturizing, and should be used with another moisturizer for those with dry skin or those living in dry climates.

Dr. Lal “loves” azelaic acid for brightening the skin and reducing dark spots, and recommends this affordable formula from The Ordinary. This lightweight cream contains 10% azelaic acid to help address dark spots and textural irregularities while promoting a brighter, more even skin tone. Plus, it is formulated without fragrance, parabens, mineral oil, and other potentially irritating ingredients.

Tranexamic acid is one of Dr. Lal’s “favorite” ingredients for lightening dark spots, and he recommends those interested in the acid to try this formula by Naturium. This potent serum is contains 5% tranexamic acid, as well as kojic acid, licorice root extract (more of Dr. Lal’s go-to’s), and niacinamide. Hundreds of reviewers from Target rave about the product’s effectiveness, calling it a “life saver” and a “holy grail” for everything from melasma, to acne, to hyperpigmentation.

This elegant formula by Perricone MD is “a really great glutathione-containing product,” recommended by Dr. Lal. Glutathione is considered a skin brightener, and is effective for promoting overall skin radiance as well as for treating isolated dark spots. This formula is also great for those with sensitive skin, Dr. Lal notes. It’s also a great pick for those looking to target fine lines and wrinkles.

This product contains cysteamine, which is a “really powerful bleaching agent that’s great for dark spot correction,” explains Dr. Lal, who says this formula is “really the best” product you could add to your dark spot correcting routine. The formula also contains glycolic acid to help exfoliate the skin and a vitamin B3 derivative that the brand says is more effective and less irritating than niacinamide to help promote overall skin health.

For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Additionally, Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.