Dealing with hyperpigmentation can be a very disconcerting experience. Many women try to hide these dark spots by wearing makeup. But this is only a temporary fix. For a more permanent solution, it’s time to start using the best skin lightening cream for hyperpigmentation.
The thing about acne scars, melasma, age spots, patchy skin tone, etc. is that they are very stubborn to get rid of. So concealing them seems like the next best alternative. However, treatment methods are slowly gaining popularity. And a part of such methods includes using safe skin lightening creams. Much like the ones reviewed below!
Best Skin Lightening Creams for Hyperpigmentation: Top 12 Picks
1. LilyAna Naturals Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid
It’s a professional, advanced formula very popular for the blend of active and plant-based therapeutic ingredients. The bestseller by LilyAna Naturals here delivers a more youthful, healthier appearance. It provides hydration without any greasy residue.
You can expect this vitamin C-packed cream to control your breakouts. It helps your skin tone clear out and become smoother. The greatest news here is that no amount of harmful fragrances, artificial colors, and parabens are used.
Apart from vitamin C that brightens your skin tone, there’s vitamin E as well. While vitamin C improves texture and clarity and boosts collagen, vitamin E fades hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and scars. Spot correction is one of the most desirable qualities of this serum. You can use it to get rid of dark circles too.
The cream gets absorbed into the skin very quickly. And finally, here’s something that might appeal to you the most if you’re an environment-friendly consumer. The skin lightening cream is vegan and cruelty-free. And it’s non-comedogenic for acne-prone skin plus gentle for sensitive skin.
2. Admire My Skin 2% Hydroquinone Dark Spot Corrector
This dark spot corrector is well-equipped to handle your melasma and hyperpigmentation. It brightens skin complexion and fades dark spots with the help of 2-percent hydroquinone. And results start to take form in only 4 weeks.
Apart from hydroquinone, there’s lactic acid, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, and vitamin C. So you know that the skin lightening and correcting cream is an effective choice for treating pigmentation and acne.
You can use the cream twice daily. And expecting your complexion to become even-toned and smoother seems like a reasonable demand. Needless to say, Admire My Skin does indeed make you want to admire your skin after only 4 weeks of use.
3. Porcelain Skin Whitening Serum
How do you know this is the best skin lightening cream for hyperpigmentation? You know this for sure because the formula is armed with FDA-approved hydroquinone along with kojic acid, glycolic acid, and licorice root extracts.
There’s no other active ingredient out there that compares to the effectiveness of hydroquinone. What kojic acid does is inhibit melanin production. Glycolic acid boosts cell turnover and gets rid of the accumulation of hyperpigmented cells. As for licorice root, it helps with rosacea, pigmentation, and anti-aging. Perfect for acne-prone and sensitive skin!
The professional formula fades and removes brown and aging spots. It contributes to eliminating acne scars, freckles, sun spots, and patchy skin tone. The synergetic effects of the active ingredients penetrate and exfoliate your skin quite effectively.
But the potent antioxidants of hydroquinone are the stars of the show here. So if you’re genuinely interested, you simply can’t go wrong with this one.
4. Amara Beauty Retinol Serum
When you know the cream is going to get into your skin’s molecules for repairing it and stimulating collagen, it’s hard to dismiss the idea. Well, that’s exactly what you get with the Amara Beauty Retinol Serum. Younger, firmer, and smoother looking skin!
Cell turnover receives encouragement. Discoloration starts to fade. And skin texture experiences an improvement. These are the kinds of favorable results you should look forward to.
The special formula is recommended by many dermatologists for anti-aging benefits too. After all, retinol is the primary ingredient. It has the strength to reduce your wrinkles, fine lines, and even pigmentation.
The cream also unclogs your pores and prevents breakouts. As for acne scars, once collagen gets stimulated, even they don’t stand a chance.
Apart from retinol, there’s vitamin E, organic jojoba oil, green tea, and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients moisturize your skin without causing any form of irritation. Speaking of irritation, the product doesn’t have any harsh chemicals, artificial colors/dyes/fragrances, or parabens.
It’s a hassle-free skin lightening cream for treating more than just hyperpigmentation.
5. Bremenn Research Labs Clinical Dark Spot Eraser
Coming face to face with the ultimate solution for hyperpigmentation is no easy goal to achieve. But brands like Bremenn Research Labs make it easier. Their Clinical Dark Spot Eraser is equipped with a powerful combination of ultra-effective compounds responsible for skin lightening.
The formula works on your existing dark spots while also addressing the visibility of future ones. You can use the cream on your face, hands, neck, and other parts of the body. Basically, wherever you have dark spots!
The best part about this product is that it not only corrects but also prevents. The cream is proven to show results in a matter of a few minutes. As for more noticeable and significant results, a reduction in the appearance of your dark spots is inevitable.
On top of that, your skin even becomes firmer, tighter, and more visibly lifted. Think of it as a magical beauty potion.
6. La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Dark Spot Cream Face Serum
What’s in here that helps with hyperpigmentation? The Pigmentclar Dark Spot Cream Face Serum by La Roche-Posay contains LHA and Phe-Resorcinol. Both are very effective when it comes to reducing dark spots and balancing skin tone.
The texture of the cream is lightweight, meaning it gets absorbed into the skin very easily and quickly. The product, just by the way, is dermatologist-tested, allergy-tested, and good for sensitive skin.
The list of ingredients includes salicylic acid, glycerin, ferulic acid, titanium oxide, and Gingko Biloba leaf extract. There’s a lot more in here that works toward eliminating skin issues like pigmentation, dark spots, and acne scars.
The serum comes from a brand highly recommended by dermatologists worldwide. Needless to say, it diminishes the visibility of the most stubborn dark spots. And while doing so, the cream also evens out and brightens your skin complexion.
7. Paula’s Choice Clinical Triple-Action Dark Spot Eraser
You have every reason to consider buying this Clinical Triple-Action Dark Spot Eraser. For one, the spot lightening formula contains a blend of glycolic acid and hydroquinone. The former exfoliates while the latter lightens. Tons of antioxidants are also added for clearing away discoloration and dark spots.
You should know that antioxidants are perfect for fighting visible signs of aging as well. So if you want a cream that offers anti-aging benefits too, you’ve got it.
Getting absorbed into the skin without leaving any residue is not a worry here. And so isn’t wanting to achieve a luminous skin complexion. Irrespective of whether you have oily or combination skin!
The glycolic acid fades hyperpigmentation, no doubt. But it also exfoliates your skin gently and smoothens your skin texture. Another very powerful yet gentle active ingredient is squalene. What this does is moisturize your skin and delivers all those anti-aging antioxidants.
It’s a non-irritating, fragrance-free, cruelty-free skin lightening cream for transforming your skin, no matter its type or your age.
8. Dermalogica Powerbright TRX Treatment Kit
The convenient travel-friendly kit by Dermalogica contains 3 treatment formulas. The first is a potent skin brightening serum, the second is a daytime brightening moisturizer, and the third is an overnight brightening cream.
Needless to say, all the 3 formulas combat pigmentation and uneven skin tone issues. The benefits include minimizing discoloration and brown spots, protection against potential pigmentation problems, clarifying patchy skin tone, and brightening the complexion.
The brand recommends using the skin brightening serum before the daytime brightening moisturizer for the most favorable results.
So if a kit is what you’re looking for, the right one is staring at you in the face just about now. Every cream included in here contributes to minimizing discoloration and brown spots associated with hyperpigmentation. And every cream is also paraben-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and vegan.
9. Dermalogica Pure Powerbright TRX C-12 Serum
Here’s another skin brightening serum by Dermalogica that’s free of gluten, parabens, and animal testing. The vegan formula consists of brown and red algae, phytic acid derived from rice, oligopeptides, and zinc glycinate. This exclusive blend regulates the formation of melanin to control and prevent hyperpigmentation.
The highly-potent, silky-rich treatment absorbs very quickly into the skin for optimizing efficacy. The imbalance of skin tone often accompanied by pigmentation is something that the serum helps in addressing.
As for its ability to minimize discoloration, brightening skin, and improving clarity; all of those benefits are very much a part of the picture. After all, the manufacturer is Dermalogica. It’s a very trusted brand known to offer the most effective, gentlest, and safest skincare products.
So it goes without saying that this particular TRX C-12 serum of theirs increases the luminosity of your skin by keeping hyperpigmentation at bay.
10. Eve Lom Brightening Cream
Boosting luminosity and correcting pigmentation is what this simple yet effective brightening cream does. Once your skin starts to look even-toned and radiant, you start to believe that even the most basic skincare products can produce significant results.
The hydra-cream here is an outcome of innovation in the beauty industry. It combines Dermapep brightening powers and active ingredient antioxidants for correcting hyperpigmentation. Such a blend also unifies and brightens your complexion.
There’s rose otto oil in here for increasing the level of hydration present within your skin. It even restores the natural structure of your skin while treating oxidative stress responsible for causing dark spots and premature aging.
The list of ingredients and benefits is not over yet. There’s allantoin as well for improving the moisture retention of your skin. And lastly, the inclusion of sodium hyaluronate is also hard to dismiss. It increases skin elasticity and hydration for lifting and toning.
Once again, the cream may look like a very simple skincare product. But the formula inside is enriched with such powerful yet gentle ingredients you’ll be quite surprised and satisfied with your purchase.
11. Eucerin Anti-Pigment Pigment Reducing Day Cream
Now here’s the first SPF-loaded skin lightening cream for hyperpigmentation. So you know that your cream is brightening and clearing your complexion while also protecting it from the sun. This anti-pigment formula is dermatologically proven for reducing dark spots as well as uneven skin tone.
Any possible effect or reaction transpired by hyperpigmentation is easily dealt with. Such powerful action is inevitable when the ingredients included are glycyrrhetinic acid and b-resorcinol. The first one supports the natural repair process carried out by your skin. And the latter works on hyperpigmentation.
UVA protection and high 30-level SPF prevents the formation of further pigmentation by protecting against sun damage. With regular application, you can expect your skin to look visibly brighter with a reduction in the most stubborn dark spots.
12. Eva Naturals Skin Lightening Cream
Getting rid of hyperpigmentation doesn’t necessarily have to be a tough battle. The same goes for age spots and UV skin damage. This skin lightening cream doesn’t contain harsh chemicals that tend to cause a ruckus in the long term. Instead, it safely fades all your dark spots and rejuvenates your complexion.
It’s a very gentle formula that combines the effectiveness of all the potent ingredients. These include licorice and bearberry. Both work together for lightening pigmentation and fading age spots. So your skin tone is bound to look smoother and more balanced.
What’s also included is vitamin B and coconut oil. These two natural ingredients have a very beneficial effect on dry, dull skin. They lock in moisture for softening your skin.
Moreover, there’s vitamin E for fighting free radicals and CoQ10 for boosting the production of healthy collagen.
You can apply it under your foundation and makeup since the cream works as an incredibly soothing moisturizer. It doesn’t even clog pores! Isn’t that the best news if you have acne-prone skin?
What is Skin Lightening or Bleaching?
Skin lightening creams provide skin bleaching carried out by an ingredient called hydroquinone. FDA recognizes this particular component as safe when used properly. Hydroquinone treats dark spots and dark skin irrespective of the factor or factors that cause the effect. Be it melasma, acne scars, or sun damage!
Lightening the skin and clearing the complexion is now no more impossible to achieve. Thanks to ingredients like hydroquinone. It has the ability to produce favorable results in a matter of a few months. At least in most cases!
But it goes without saying that using such skin lightening creams is a job to be carried out with care and caution. It’s important that you apply the cream only to the affected areas. And sometimes it takes as long as a whole year for the skincare product to show significant changes in your hyperpigmentation.
Treatment Methods/Ingredients that Fade Hyperpigmentation
It’s not uncommon for those who don’t get acne to experience hyperpigmentation. Pigmentation, in this case, comes in the form of dark spots, age spots, and sunspots. And more often than not, the causes are aging, hormones, and/or sun exposure.
But the good news here is that you can reverse these effects by using top-recommended skin lightening creams. And speaking of treatment, here are other treatment methods and ingredients that help in dealing with skin hyperpigmentation.
Sunscreen
You know you can avoid pigmentation easily by using sunscreen. When your skin is protected against the harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun, it’s less likely to darken. To be honest, even the best lightening cream or any other expensive skincare product doesn’t work if you neglect applying sunscreen daily.
Vitamin C
What is vitamin C packed with? It’s got plenty of antioxidants required for brightening the appearance of your skin. This includes getting rid of pesky marks. No wonder vitamin C is a common ingredient found in skin lightening creams for hyperpigmentation.
Vitamin C also contributes to smoothening the texture of your skin and fighting fine lines.
BHAs and AHAs
It’s not uncommon to come across face cleansers equipped with alpha-hydroxy acid and beta-hydroxy acid. The most common form of AHA for acne and hyperpigmentation is glycolic acid. As for BHA, it’s salicylic acid.
What both these skin acids do is exfoliate the surface of your skin gently to unclog pores. Clogged pores are often the culprit behind acne.
Those with sensitive or dry skin should consider using either salicylic or glycolic or both. They do a wonderful job when it comes to fading marks. So don’t underestimate their pigmentation-fighting power.
Spot Treatment
Targeting marks is a very effective method when you use a good concentrated formula. This formula should contain brightening ingredients like kojic acid, niacinamide, alpha arbutin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and licorice root extract.
Patches
Ever heard of glutathione skin lightening patches? Or other nightly patches that you apply over your dark spots. These deliver micro-currents deep into the skin, which reduce discoloration. And they do so by using niacinamides, peptides, and retinol.
The treatment method goes a long way when it comes to de-clogging pores and fading marks. After all, glutathione is known as a wonder drug for skin lightening in darker skin tones.
OTC Retinoid or Retinol
Retinol is incredibly effective at accelerating skin cell turnover. The ingredient penetrates the deepest layers of your skin and alters pigment production. That’s how you know it’s perfect for treating hyperpigmentation.
Over-the-counter retinol or retinoid diminishes dark spots that are well below the top surface of your skin.
Hydroquinone
Prescription hydroquinone has the ability to decrease melanin production in the skin. It’s a prescription drug because side effects can be a part of the experience too. Like skin irritation, sensitivity to sun exposure, and increased UV radiation exposure.
So you have enough reasons to use the ingredient with extra caution. However, many skin lightening creams contain hydroquinone. And you don’t require a prescription for these. Rest assured; they’re safe, gentle, and effective options.
Microdermabrasion
Gentle microdermabrasion works very well when it comes to buffing away your skin’s top layer to reveal the less pigmented, new layers underneath.
Salicylic Acid Peel
For speeding up the treatment of hyperpigmentation, another procedure that works against acne is salicylic acid peel. The quantity of this beta-hydroxy acid here is around 20% to 30%. In comparison to the 1-2 percent added to face cleansers, this seems like a huge amount.
Needless to say, it lifts the marks caused by inflammation by penetrating deep down into your oil glands. Since the percentage of salicylic acid is so high, a single peel once a month is recommended.
Lasers
When hyperpigmentation takes form in the skin’s second layer, the spots are not easy to eliminate. So at such times, the best remedy is to use energy and heat in the form of Q-Switch Laser to get rid of it.
Low energy and heat are employed and so is a longer wavelength. This means the treatment method is safe for every skin tone.
How to Lighten Skin Color Naturally at Home
The truth about skin lightening creams is that, although they’re effective, sometimes they take months to show drastic improvements. On the other hand, there are many popular home remedies that have the ability to lighten blemishes and skin tone in a matter of only a few days.
These plant-based methods minimize melanin production the most naturally. In light of the matter, here’s the recipe to a plant-based facial scrub, toner, and moisturizer for your morning skincare routine. All three make it a point to reduce pigmentation quicker than you can imagine.
Homemade Lemon Juice Scrub
For exfoliating dead and damaged skin cells, it’s important to pamper your skin’s deeper layers with vitamin C from lemons.
All you have to do is take half a lemon and squeeze the juice out it in a bowl. To this, add a tablespoon of either brown sugar or salt. You can bring in some coconut oil as well, again 1 tablespoon of that.
Now apply the mixture to the face and leave it be for 20-30 minutes. Just avoid the eye area. Then wash off using warm water.
It’s best to use this lemon juice scrub on all the hyperpigmented parts of the body. And that too on a daily basis if there’s no skin irritation.
Homemade Lemon Juice Toner
After the scrub, it’s time to apply the toner.
Take the other half of the lemon and squeeze out its juice in a bowl. Use a small cotton pad or ball for spreading this juice all over your face. Either that or just apply it on the pigmented spots. Then let it rest for 10-15 minutes and rinse off.
What you can also do instead is rub the other half lemon gently on your face. And for those with dry skin, mix a little bit of honey, yogurt, or milk.
Homemade Lemon Juice-Aloe Vera Moisturizer
Lemon contains vitamin C while aloe vera is packed with aloesin. Both ingredients have a favorable effect on melanin. So after using the homemade lemon juice scrub and toner, it’s important to apply the moisturizer.
To prepare it, use fresh aloe vera gel (1/2 tablespoon) or the bottled version. Combine it with juice from half a lemon in a bowl. Then add some sweetened almond oil. You should only add a drop if your skin type is oily.
Then gently massage the moisturizer into the skin. And if your skin is feeling too sticky or oily, then use a clean cold damp cotton pad or cloth to lightly blot the face. Don’t forget to add the finishing touch, which comes in the form of sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher).
Instructions to Follow When Using Skin Lightening Creams
Lightening agents can give rise to side effects if not used properly. It’s nothing to worry about, to be honest. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry, right? So here’s a routine that you can follow.
Before you apply the cream or serum on your entire face, why not run a patch test? Just to make sure there’s no negative reaction.
Use the face cream twice a day on the hyperpigmented areas. But not more than that as it might cause irritation or inflammation.
Make it a point to moisturize to prevent the onset of dryness that is often a part of using such skincare products.
When applying the skin lightening cream, don’t bring it close to your eyes and around your mouth. These parts have delicate skin that is quite likely to not react well to harsh chemicals.
And lastly, sunscreen is a must. Sun rays are no friends of the skin. So don’t skip sun protection, irrespective of whether or not you have hyperpigmentation.
The EndNote
When it comes to buying skin care products, there’s no one right answer. I mean a cream that works best for your friend might not necessarily produce the same favorable results in your case. So it’s very important to get to know the products before buying.
But you can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that I have reviewed skin lightening creams that don’t falter at treating hyperpigmentation. Dark spots may not be harmful or life-threatening, but they’re still unwanted.
In the end, just keep in mind that certain ingredients work better than the others at diminishing spots and clearing complexion. Some of them include hydroquinone, kojic acid, azelaic acid, etc. So make it a point to go through the list of ingredients just to be sure.
