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If there’s one thing you’re almost guaranteed to find in a Black woman’s #shelfie, it’s a brightening product. Whether it’s a serum, patches, toner, or spot corrector, it’s likely there; stubborn dark spots and hyperpigmentation are common skin concerns for us. Hyperpigmentation can be caused by many things, including acne and excessive sun exposure. While anyone can experience it, it’s more prominent on dark skin tones given the melanin those complexions produce.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best hyperpigmentation products for darker skin tones. A few are from Black-owned brands and formulated specifically for melanin-rich skin.
So what are the best hyperpigmentation products for darker skin tones?
➼ FAQs
➼ Our top picks
➼ Tried-and-true favorites
➼ Our experts
Our Top Picks:
Size: 1 oz | Skin Type: All
Designed for women of color and formulated with Smart Melanin™ technology, Eadem formulated an effective serum that works without affecting tyrosinase, the enzyme that controls melanin production. A powerful trio of ingredients — amber algae, niacinamide, and encapsulated vitamin C — works in unison to fade dark marks. The milky serum has been one of my favorite new additions to my routine; not only because it’s been fading my hyperpigmentation; it leaves a soothing finish on my skin.
Size: 1.7 oz | Skin Type: All
Topicals has only been around for a year, but its Faded cream already has a cult following. The lightweight, gel-like cream is infused with ingredients like tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and azelaic acid, which brighten the skin, even out discoloration, and improve skin’s texture. I have yet to find another product that visibly reduces my dark marks as effectively as this one.
Size: 0.5 oz | Skin Type: All
Hyper Skin was created out of a need for a vitamin C that works for Black women. The brightening gel has fruit enzymes and kojic acid, which together tackle hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones. A common pet peeve I’ve found with vitamin-C serums is the sticky finish they leave behind, but this one goes on smooth. Many reviewers dub it their “holy grail” for dark marks.
Size: 5 oz | Skin Type: Dry, Irritated
One of Grieco’s favorite products, this glow solution features a five-acid blend that brightens dullness, rejuvenates texture, and improves the appearance of discoloration and dark spots over time. The formula is powerful yet gentle. It has ingredients like witch hazel and banana-fruit extract, which help to refine and hydrate. For the best results, Grieco recommends using the product at least three nights a week. “Exfoliation is key to healthier-looking skin,” she says. “This was formulated to be safe for all skin tones, including melanin-rich skin. I created this clean toning solution to slough away dull skin and even out the appearance of discoloration and dark spots to leave you with your best glow.”
Size: .96 oz | Skin Type: All
Watch discoloration fade away with this fan-favorite serum by Dr. Shereene Idriss. The award-winning serum (which is suitable for all skin types) instantly works to illuminate skin, help dark spots fade, and improve the overall brightening of the skin for a more even skin tone. Idriss recommends applying it twice a day for the best results.
Size: 1 oz | Skin Type: All
Called the “breakthrough” serum for dark spots and sun damage, this serum is the answer to a brighter, rejuvenated complexion. It harnesses the power of malassezin, a naturally occurring molecule found on the skin that has ten times more antioxidant power than vitamin C, according to Mother Science. The brand reformulated the product — and combined it with ingredients such as Alpine-rose extract and niacinamide — to target hyperpigmentation in a brand-new way. Expect to see results in as little as four weeks.
Size: 1 fl oz | Skin type: Combination skin
Some people argue that melanin-rich skin doesn’t need vitamin C to improve hyperpigmentation, instead requiring a host of other ingredients. But SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic is a beloved serum among editors and beauty lovers. This powerful serum not only targets hyperpigmentation but also firms the skin. It’s the vitamin C serum Ware turns to daily to target hyperpigmentation.
Size: 1.7 fl oz | Skin type: Dull skin
Ware also loves Sunday Riley’s lactic-acid treatment, a cult-favorite product. This AHA serum invites a radiance to the skin that’s unlike any other. It gently exfoliates while hydrating and brightening, reducing hyperpigmentation over time. It works great on darker skin tones.
Size: 1 fl oz | Skin type: Oily and combination skin
Another lactic acid Ware loves is celebrity aesthetician Shani Darden’s exfoliating serum with 9 percent lactic acid. She uses it on clients like Kelly Rowland and Shay Mitchell. It’s the go-to serum if you want an overnight facial glow, and with consistent use, it reveals a more even skin tone and targets hyperpigmentation.
More Tried-and-True Favorites:
Size: 1 oz | Skin Type: All
If your dark marks and acne scars have caused your skin to feel weakened, this overnight serum works to strengthen the barrier while brightening it and treating discoloration. It’s a bit pricey but is unlike any other serum on the market — from its distinctive ingredients to its replenishing features.
Size: 1 oz | Skin Type: All
IT Cosmetics wants you to literally kiss your dark spots bye-bye. Like many of the other effective treatments, it is blended with niacinamide and ethyl vitamin C, both favored ingredients in treating hyperpigmentation.
Size: 1 oz | Skin Type: All
When I first started experiencing hyperpigmentation, I went down a rabbit hole of testing products that could work quickly without realizing that fading dark spots usually takes a lot of time. However, this Urban Skin Rx treatment is an exception; it works quickly to improve the appearance of dark marks. The blend includes high levels of retinol and kojic acid — which are very strong — so that’s important to keep in mind if you have sensitive skin.
Size: 1 oz | Skin Type: Dry to normal
Paula’s Choice is beloved by editors, celebrities, and influencers, and with just one use, you’ll see why. The brand’s new repair serum targets the underlying causes of visible discoloration and works to brighten the skin by working through the barrier.
Size: 1.35 oz | Skin Type: Dry to normal
When I started using this product, it was more for the dewy finish and plump appearance it gave my skin, but I quickly realized the niacinamide was reducing the appearance of my dark spots. It’s a great shelf staple if you love a treatment that doubles as a skin-nourishing product and leaves you with a luminous complexion.
Size: 0.5 oz | Skin Type: Dry to normal
This lightweight serum has a trio of acids that works quickly to fade dark marks. It lightly exfoliates the skin barrier while brightening it. It also improves and smoothes out the texture of your complexion.
Size: 1 oz | Skin Type: All
This serum is on the pricey side, but it’s an investment that will benefit your skin. With active ingredients like garden-cress extract and ginseng, Dr. Barbara Sturm formulated a serum that not only brightens and refines your skin tone but also hydrates and moisturizes it. Small drops take you a long way and will leave you with faded marks and a brighter complexion.
Skin Type: All
Serums and creams are great, but if you prefer to slide on a patch and let it do the work for you, these infused micro-needling patches work quickly and effectively. Just a few consistent nights of placing this over a dark mark will visibly even out the complexion.
Size: 3.3 oz | Skin Type: Combination, dry and oily
Peels aren’t everyone’s favorite (seeing your skin flake off can throw you for a loop), but this one comes highly recommended. It works to replenish the skin with a multilayered exfoliation that treats dark marks and simultaneously nourishes.
Size: 1 oz | Skin Type: All
Reviewers rave about the smoothness of their skin after using this serum, and claim the experience is “spalike.” It’s that good at diminishing dark spots and leaving skin refreshed.
Size: 1 oz | Skin Type: All
Love recommends this serum for its low but effective percentage of lactic acid. “It’s pregnancy-safe and gentle enough for most sensitive skin,” she explains. “It should be started a few times a week, especially on sensitive skin, but may ultimately be tolerated nightly.”
Size: 1.7 oz | Skin Type: All
Another low percentage but highly effective recommendation from Love is this overnight renewal serum with 10 percent glycolic acid. It’s pregnancy safe, she explains, and can be used nightly as your skin builds up a tolerance to it, but you should avoid mixing it with other actives like retinols or acids.
Size: 1.7 oz | Skin Type: All
As you add more active products to your skin-care routine, you should also be incorporating a sunscreen to prevent damage to sensitized skin and additional hyperpigmentation. This one is a favorite of Love’s because it’s cast-free and weightless. The smooth formula also makes a great base for makeup.
Designed by dermatologists Dr. Abhijit Desai and Dr. Gauri Desai dedicated to creating formulas that target melanin skin, this dark spot corrector is made with a unique blend of ingredients including rainbow algae and indian gooseberry to preserve the radiance and health of melanin-rich skin. Their community refers to the lightweight cream as “magic” for how it lessens the appearance of hyperpigmentation within weeks.
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FAQs:
What causes hyperpigmentation?
“Melanin is extremely sensitive to inflammation and UV exposure, so hyperpigmentation can occur after any inflammation, even a single, isolated pimple,” explains Dr. Elyse Love, M.D., F.A.A.D. “Pigmentary disorders, such as melasma, are also more common in melanin-rich skin.”
How can I prevent hyperpigmentation?
“Sunscreen is the best step to prevent sun damage and discoloration,” says Nyakio Grieco, founder of Relevant Skin and co-founder of Thirteen Lune, an e-commerce destination for Black- and brown-owned beauty and lifestyle brands. “Hyperpigmentation can certainly be exacerbated by UV exposure,” she adds, so “avoid ingredients that can cause photosensitivity like retinol or topical exfoliants like AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids)” if you’re trying to get rid of it — especially if you’re in the sun more than usual, like on a beach vacation, for example.
What can I do to treat it?
Products like exfoliants and serums are helpful, but “it’s important to start topicals one at a time,” says Love. “Most topicals that treat hyperpigmentation have the potential to be irritating, so starting too many can cause irritation to the skin and actually create hyperpigmentation.”
How often should I apply products that treat hyperpigmentation?
According to Grieco, sunscreen is a key product for hyperpigmentation prevention and should be applied daily, and then “reapplied every two hours if you’re being active outdoors.” But as with other hyperpigmentation- and discoloration-improvement products, use will vary depending on the strength of the solution and the ingredients. Some may call for morning and night application; others may call for once a day but a certain amount of times per week. Be sure to read the use instructions thoroughly for these different products and focus on an application routine that will get you ultimate results.
Dark spots aren’t impossible to remedy, but they can’t be treated overnight either. It’s taken me weeks, and sometimes months, to see results from certain products. And, one of the biggest steps that a lot of people miss when treating dark spots is the regular use of sunscreen. Applying the protective cream daily not only aids to prevent hyperpigmentation, but it can also help to fade it when paired with the right products. (Sunscreen prevents UV rays from prompting the increasing melanin production that makes dark spots more prominent.)
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Our Experts:
- Morgan Evans, Cut Shop market editor
- Nyakio Grieco, founder of Relevant Skin and co-founder of Thirteen Lune
- Dr. Elyse Love, M.D., F.A.A.D.
- Chinea Rodriguez, a shopping writer for the Cut who covers fashion and beauty
- Asia Milia Ware, a writer for the Cut who covers fashion and beauty
