For every woman out there, there’s nothing as disconcerting as having hyperpigmentation. You may try to hide it by layering up with makeup, but eventually, this gets tiring.
The issue may be hyperpigmentation, melasma, age spots, acne scars or an uneven skin tone. Luckily, there are many lightening products in the market with different working mechanisms.
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Choosing the Most Suitable Cream
There are so many different skin lightening products on the market. Choosing the best skin lightening cream is crucial. As such, you should look at what is out there and then make well-informed decisions. Understanding some of the side effects, such as dry skin is critical. If this occurs, you need to use concealer for dry skin, because regular concealer can overdry your skin.
The 15 of the Best Skin Lightening Creams
1. Murad Environmental Shield Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 30
Murad is a pretty popular skincare brand. The products of this brand are cruelty-free, always have clinically proven results.
This brightening Vitamin C moisturizer has natural Vitamin C that brightens your skin tone blurs all the blemishes and leaves your skin smooth. Over time this product evens the tone of your skin.
Also, this moisturizer has SPF 30 protection against the sun. If you struggle with skin hyperpigmentation you know, that sun can make things even worse, so it is important to protect your skin from the sun.
Another great ingredient of this cream is Ginko Biloba. It is a natural antioxidant that protects your skin from free radical damage.
Last but not least, this moisturizer is formulated without harmful ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, SLS, gluten, formaldehyde, mineral oil, and animal-derived ingredients.
2. Obagi Medical Nu-Derm Clear Fx Skin Brightening Cream
Obagi is a brand in which products are used by skin care professionals. Their products contain powerful active ingredients that do their job.
The main active ingredient of this brightening cream is arbutin. Arbutin is a well-known ingredient that brightens the skin and even the tone.
Also, this brightening cream contains ascorbic acid that also is a great brightening ingredient, and lactic acid that is a great exfoliator.
This brightening cream smooths your skin, minimizes signs of aging and hydrates your skin.
The only problem with this serum is that certain ingredients of this serum aren’t hypoallergic. It means that this cream might not be suitable for sensitive skin.
3. FILORGA MESO-MASK Smoothing Anti Aging Radiance Mask
FILORGA company makes high-quality skincare products that are clinically tested and show great results.
Even though this product is not a cream or moisturizer, it shows great results when it comes to fighting hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone. This is a mask that needs to be applied once a week and left for 15-30 minutes. This treatment contains a lot of powerful ingredients that make your skin brighter and even the tone of your skin.
Also, this mask illuminates your skin, minimizes signs of aging, and makes your skin more radiant and healthy-looking.
The key ingredients of this mask are elastin and collagen that smooths wrinkles. Rhamnose polysaccharide that reduces redness, brightens your skin, and boosts radiance. And last but not least, this mask contains hydrating urea that softens and nourishes your skin.
4. Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream
If you are interested in skincare, you probably know Sunday Riley brand. The products of this brand are high-quality and give great results.
This product a brightening enzyme cream that treats your skin. This cream has a light-weight gel formula that makes your skin glowing and hydrated.
The key ingredients of this water cream are hyaluronic acid, which is a natural hydrating agent that locks moisture into your skin, alpha arbutin that brightens your skin and minimizes discoloration.
Also, this cream contains Tamarind seed extract that is a great natural humectant and papain that exfoliates the surface of your skin and leaves it smooth and healthy-looking.
As the company says, after 4 weeks, your skin is going to be brighter, smoother, and younger!
And last but not least, you can use this product as a primer under your foundation!
5. Glo Skin Beauty Lightening Serum
This Glo Skin lightening serum is worth every penny. Why is it so good you will ask?
First of all, this lightening serum contains powerful active ingredients that fight hyperpigmentation. The main key ingredient of this serum is Hydroquinone 2% that is a great ingredient for minimizing hyperpigmentation.
Also, this serum contains melanin inhibitors that minimize the production of new dark spots. Mild exfoliators even your skin tone and speed up the production of new healthy skin cells.
The Glow company recommends using this serum 2-7 times a day as your nighttime skincare routine. If you want to use it during the day, we recommend to use it with SPF protection.
Another great this about this product is that it can be used for all skin types.
6. Clean Skincare Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream
If hyperpigmentation is a problem of your skin, you probably know that Vitamin C is an ingredient that you need to look for.
This Vitamin C cream has a gel consistency and does not leave your skin oily or sticky looking. Another key ingredient of this cream is Magnesium, which also is a great brightening ingredient.
Also, this gel-cream moisturizes your skin, minimizes fine lines and wrinkles, and gives you a healthy glow.
Another great thing about this moisturizer is that it can be used for all skin types, even for sensitive skin!
The ingredients of this cream are gentle for the skin. Also, this cream is a cruelty-free product.
7. EnaSkin Dark Spot Corrector Remover
This product of EnaSkin is a dark spot corrector that can be used for the face and body.
The formula of this product contains plenty of anti-hyperpigmentation ingredients such as 4-Butylresorcinol, Kojic Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, and Morinda Citrifolia extract. These ingredients not only brighten your skin but also exfoliates the surface of your skin, promote the synthesis of new skin cells, and smooths your skin.
This serum can be used for day and night. Also, it protects your skin from new dark spots and evens the tone of your skin.
This cream minimizes not only hyperpigmentation but is a powerful product to fight acne scars!
And last but not least, this cream is a cruelty-free, vegan, and gluten-free!
8. Noche Y Dia Vitamin C Cream – Daily Anti Aging Cream
Vitamin C is one of the most popular ingredients in skin lightening products and this cream contains a lot of it.
Since Vitamin C promotes the synthesis of collagen in your skin and the lack of collagen in your skin causes aging. This is why this cream is also a great anti-aging treatment.
Also, this serum contains natural oils such as avocado, sunflower, and carrot that are great natural moisturizers.
It is important to mention that this cream contains Vitamin C, E, and D. These vitamins not only nourish and moisturize your skin but also fight free radicals and protect your skin from damaging sun.
This product is cruelty-free, dermatologist-tested, vegan, hypoallergic, and sensitive skin-friendly.
9. Dark Spot Corrector by Olay
This color-correcting cream by Olay is great for those who have skin with hyperpigmentation and also struggles with dry skin.
As the company says, after 2 weeks, this cream makes your skin younger and after 8 weeks, this cream evens the tone of your skin and your dark spots are gone! Basically, this cream fades the look of dark spots, age spots, and sunspots.
The key ingredients of this cream are niacinamide, glycerin. Glycerin is a popular active ingredient in moisturizer because it gives the necessary moisture for your skin!
Also, you can use this cream as a primer before your foundation and as a night cream!
10. Dark Spot Corrector Remover Face and Body
This Active Bamboo brightening cream is a great, budget-friendly product that does its job perfectly!
This brightening cream contains great active ingredients such as Bamboo extract that makes your skin more radiant, glowing, and evens the tone of your skin. Also, this serum contains Aloe vera that is a powerful natural humectant!
This brightening cream contains a lot of natural organic ingredients such as jojoba, shea, melisa, lemon, and no harmful parabens or phthalates.
Also, this cream has Vitamin E that is a great antioxidant and fights the damage of free radicals.
This cream can be used for the face, neck, and arms!
11. LilyAna Naturals Retinol Cream for Face
The main active ingredient of this cream is 2,5% retinol. Retinol is one of the most powerful anti-aging ingredients. Also, retinol lifts, rejuvenates, and brightens the skin.
Also, this cream contains Vitamin A, which fights dryness of the skin. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that fights free radicals. Hyaluronic acid, Aloe vera, and Shea butter are great moisturizing ingredients that nourish and deliver hydration to your skin.
The texture of this cream is light and absorbs into the skin quickly and it can be used for day and night.
The formula of this cream is vegan, cruelty-free, and has no artificial fragrances, colors, parabens, SLS, phthalates, SLES, and gluten.
12. Admire my skin 2% Hydroquinone Dark Spot Corrector Remover For Face
As the name says, this cream will leave you admiring your skin. It contains vitamin C, kojic acid, azelaic acid, salicylic acid, and lactic acid peel.
It works by using the activities of micro-organisms to inhibit tyrosinase. The product works quite aggressively, and results are visible within seven days.
The salicylic acid clears the dead skin and soothes the skin by acting as an anti-inflammatory agent. The vitamin C acts as a strong antioxidant preventing the activation of melanogenesis.
Better yet, the cream provides fast relief for hyperpigmentation. And helps brighten and fade dark spots.
Darks spots caused by melasma visibly fade after a week of using the product. You, however, have to be careful not to use it excessively to avoid irritation and any other adverse side effects.
Use it alongside a good moisturizer and sunscreen to avoid irritation.
13. Pureauty Naturals Skin Lightening Serum with Kojic Acid
It is a dark spot corrector that uses tyrosinase inhibition mechanism. And is suitable for the face, neck, body, and bikini and can be used on all skin types.
Related: Best Epilators for Bikini
With this cream, you can expect visible results in about ten days.
The cream is quite aggressive, and on first application, you may feel a tingling sensation on your skin. It visibly reduces melasma, freckles and dark spots in a short time.
This is among the most suitable creams for removal of hyperpigmentation and prevention of new discoloration development. It will help retain or regain your youthful look with the inclusion of natural ingredients that soothes and smoothen the skin.
14. Porcelain Skin Whitening Serum
It contains 2% hydroquinone 97% natural ingredients. 80% of the customer trials showed that it took six weeks to see clear results.
The cream prevents future darkening and reduces the damage of the skin from sun exposure.
Even better, the botanical extracts provide vitamins and antioxidants that rejuvenate the skin.
Glycolic acid and vitamin C act as strong anti-oxidants preventing oxidation of pre-existing melanin and preventing the production of more melanin.
No artificial fragrance is added. Your skin texture will be visibly improved and this product also removes hyperpigmentation such as melasma.
However, it might be a bit harsh on the skin and should not be applied on very sensitive areas. By applying it, you may experience a burning sensation, but this usually goes away after a few days of consistent application.
15. Alpha Skincare Dual Action Skin Lightener
The main active ingredients are 2% hydroquinone and 10% glycolic AHA and vitamin E. The hydroquinone acts as a tyrosinase inhibitor preventing the production of melanin.
Vitamin E moisturizes and nourishes the skin giving it a radiant glow while the glycolic acid gets rid of wrinkles and fine lines.
It is one of the most effective lightening creams in the market. It has a pH level of 3.5 and is suitable for both dry and oily skin.
If you are looking for a product that diminishes hyperpigmentation caused by sun damage, age, and blemishes, then this is what you need.
Conclusion
For skin care products, you have to know which is the most suitable for your skin. What works for one person might go wrong for the next person. Therefore, before purchasing a product, make sure you read all the reviews and perform thorough research.
It is also important to know how each product works. The best skin lightening cream is the one that affects the natural melanin production. The most common agents used are known as competitive inhibitors of tyrosinase.
Quinone related compounds such as hydroquinone, micro-organisms related products such as kojic acid and azelaic acid, and flavonoid-like agents such as aloesin, hydroxistilbene derivatives, and licorice extracts- are some of the agents that are used for inhibition of tyrosinase.
Another mechanism is through the inhibition of melanosomal transfer. To lower skin pigmentation, these agents work by inhibiting the transfer of mature melanosomes into the keratinocytes.
Some agents in this category include protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR 2) inhibitors and niacinamide. Other working mechanisms are antioxidants and acceleration of epidermal turnover and desquamation.
Most products use the inhibition of tyrosinase and oxidation. These mechanisms have been proven to reduce hyperpigmentation without having extensive side effects. If you are not sure what product to use, you should consult a dermatologist who will advise you on the best product depending on your type of skin.
Each agent has different effects which may include:
- Inflammation of the skin and irritation which are characterized by redness and swelling
- Itchy and flaky skin
- Dry skin
- Excess use of the creams may lead to abnormal skin darkening
To avoid the negative side effects of lightening agents, you may follow the routines described below
- Before using the product on a daily basis, first, test it on a small part of your skin to make sure you do not have a negative reaction to the cream.
- Use the cream at most two times a day only on the affected area. A frequent application may cause inflammation or irritation.
- Ensure you adequately moisturize your skin to avoid the dryness that may be accompanied by the use of the products.
- While applying the cream, avoid the eye area and the area around your mouth. This part of the skin is quite delicate and may be damaged by harsh chemicals.
- Frequently use sunscreen for protection from harsh sun rays.
For any skincare product, consistency is key. It may take up to five weeks or less for visible results. Therefore, you have to be patient.
Joan S. Wilson is a lifelong makeup and skincare enthusiast. She used to work as a makeup artist for 5 years. Joan is always curious and wants to learn more when it comes to makeup and skincare. She tries her best to make other people’s skin health better. This is why Joan is so passionate about writing articles on beauty topics. She always looks for products that are high-quality, dermatologist-tested, and does that it says on the label. In every article, she shares her knowledge to make your life healthier and happier!