What Are Dark Spots on Face & How to Get Rid of Them

Though dark spots are not inherently bad, their appearance or visible development on skin is not always wanted. Dark spots on the face can vary in size, shape, and color, ranging from light brown to black. If you’re looking to fade the appearance of dark spots, there are various remedies, including dark spot correctors, to help reduce their appearance and promote a more even skin tone.

Women with dark skin, medium skin, and fair skin with dark spots on face

What Causes Dark Spots on the Face?

Dark spots and discoloration can make your complexion and skin tone appear uneven – but what causes them? Dark spots on the face can be caused by a variety of different things, but most often they’re associated with sun damage and skin aging.

Visible dark spots are most often caused by sun damage. Trauma to the skin, such as blisters or blemishes, may also result in visible dark spots or patches on the skin. In addition to visible dark spots appearing due to prolonged sun exposure, dark spots on face can also show up due to chronological skin aging and are sometimes referred to as age spots. Age spots are likely to show up later in life, but those with fair skin may start to see them much earlier. Although visible dark spots and age spots are usually harmless, talk to a dermatologist if you notice any changes, as recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society.

如何消除面部暗斑

Improving the appearance of visible dark spots isn’t something that happens overnight – they will likely fade over time with the right skincare and routine for your needs. The first step is to incorporate a proper dark spot corrector and gentle exfoliation into your skincare routine. This, plus consistency and patience are key in helping to diminish the appearance of dark spots on the face. Formulas with Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Glycolic Acid, Polyhydroxy Acids, and Retinol in particular are known to visibly reduce dark spot appearance.

For your first step after cleansing, use a daily exfoliating face essence, like our Clarifique Double Treatment Essence. Daily gentle exfoliation can help support your brightening routine by removing dead cells from the surface of the skin to reveal fresh, smooth skin underneath. The alcohol-free formula offers a complex of four exfoliating acids (Glycolic, Salicylic, Lactic, and Phytic Acids), plus Beech Bud extract to help improve radiance and skin tone evenness.

Next, layer on your dark spot correcting serum, like Clarifique Pro-Solution Serum, a brightening serum, or Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum, an anti-aging serum. Our brightening serum contains Niacinamide in the form of vitamin B3, plus 10% Polyhydroxy Acid, known to visibly brighten skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots, post-acne marks, and skin discoloration. Our anti-aging serum, Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum, uses a stabilized derivative of fast-working Vitamin C together with Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) to visibly reduce the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles, improves the look of volume loss, and leaves skin looking smooth and bright.

全新

Clarifique Double Treatment Essence（Clarifique 双重护理精华）

焕彩美颜、匀净肤色

仅有一个规格

5.0 液量盎司

原价格新价格 95.00 美元

Clarifique Pro-Solution Serum 精华

亮白肌肤、减少暗斑

仅有一个规格

1.0 液量盎司

原价格新价格 89.00 美元

Renergie H.C.F. Triple Serum（塑颜 H.C.F. 三合一精华液）

畅销品

Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum（塑颜 H.C.F. 三合一精华液）

丰润肌肤、减少暗斑

原价格新价格 75.00 美元

Lancome UV Expert Defense SPF 50+ Sunscreen and Clarifique Brightening Serum to correct dark spots on face

How to Prevent New Dark Spots from Forming

Regardless of what type of skin discoloration or dark spots you have, sunscreen is always necessary. Over-exposure to the sun’s rays and subsequent sun damage can prolong the intensity and darkness of any dark spots, and continued exposure to sunlight can ultimately leave dark spots looking more noticeable. Daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen, your dark spot corrector, plus a consistent skincare routine and patience can help.

Certain ingredients, like retinol and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), are commonly found in products targeted to help correct dark spots. These ingredients are highly effective, so much so that they can increase your skin's photosensitivity – meaning skin becomes more sensitive to the sun and sun damage while using these ingredients. This makes your daily sunscreen application even more important. To protect your skin and your progress, apply a broad-spectrum facial sunscreen like our UV Expert Defense SPF 50+ Primer & Moisturizer daily. It’s a sunscreen and makeup primer that hydrates, primes, and protects in one easy step. The oil-free sunscreen formula hydrates, smooths, and protects against sun and environmental skin damage, including the formation and exacerbation of dark spots on face (when used with other sun protection measures).