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Dark spots and uneven tone
Dark spots come from the sun, aging, and old pimples. Fading them takes daily sunscreen and patience: creams usually need daily use for weeks or months, and deeper spots can take much longer.
Ingredients that help
- Retinoids, such as retinol and adapalene
- Vitamin C
- Azelaic acid
- Glycolic acid
- Kojic acid
- Niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and arbutin are also widely used
What dermatologists recommend
- Wear a broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30 or higher sunscreen every day. It keeps new spots from forming, and spots can come back without it.
- Have a dermatologist look at a spot before you treat it. Some spots that appear with age aren't age spots, and skin cancer can look similar. See one for any spot that changes, itches, or bleeds.
- A tinted sunscreen with iron oxides also protects against visible light, which matters for dark spots on darker skin tones.
Sources: American Academy of Dermatology, “How to fade dark spots in darker skin tones”; American Academy of Dermatology, “What can get rid of age spots?”; American Academy of Dermatology, “How to care for your skin in your 60s and 70s”. General information, not medical advice.
Not pregnant? Our pregnancy ratings only matter if you're pregnant or trying to be. Retinoids are rated Avoid for pregnancy, but they're among the ingredients dermatologists recommend for this. Pregnant? Choose safe for pregnancy.
Products for dark spots and uneven tone
12,175 products rated Teen-friendly, most popular first. Picked because their key ingredients help with this; we can't see amounts, so check each product's page.
Kids: Use with careTeens: Teen-friendly
Arbutin (releases hydroquinone in skin): Arbutin. Can release small amounts of hydroquinone on the skin, and there's no human pregnancy data, so a 2022 review makes no recommendation yet (Putra et al. 2022, SCCS 2023).
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Chondrus Crispus, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Kousou Ekisu, Glucomannan, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Diazolidinyl Urea, Potassium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Mica, Ci 77891, PEG-10, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ci 77491, Polysorbate 60, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arbutin, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Gold, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Sodium Phosphate
Sensitive skin: fragrance, niacinamide Why?
- fragrance: Fragrance or parfum, and scent ingredients listed by name, such as linalool and limonene. The most common cause of skincare allergies; worth avoiding if you have eczema, rosacea, or very sensitive skin.
- niacinamide: A popular, well-tolerated ingredient that can cause redness or flushing for a few people, especially at high strengths.
These flags don't affect the pregnancy rating. They point out the ingredients most likely to make skincare sting, itch, or cause a rash. If your skin is sensitive, or one of them has bothered you before, you may want to skip the product or patch-test it first. Most people use them without a problem.
How we flag ingredientsKids: Use with careTeens: Teen-friendly
Water, Propylene Glycol, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Konjac Mannan, Glycerin, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fragrance, Mica, Ci 19140, Ci 16185, Potassium Chloride, Glyceryl Caprylate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Gold, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide
Sensitive skin: fragrance, niacinamide Why?
- fragrance: Fragrance or parfum, and scent ingredients listed by name, such as linalool and limonene. The most common cause of skincare allergies; worth avoiding if you have eczema, rosacea, or very sensitive skin.
- niacinamide: A popular, well-tolerated ingredient that can cause redness or flushing for a few people, especially at high strengths.
These flags don't affect the pregnancy rating. They point out the ingredients most likely to make skincare sting, itch, or cause a rash. If your skin is sensitive, or one of them has bothered you before, you may want to skip the product or patch-test it first. Most people use them without a problem.
How we flag ingredientsKids: Use with careTeens: Teen-friendly
Urea, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40, 2-Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Methylisothiazolinone, PEG-10, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Polysorbate 60, Disodium Phosphate, Golden, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Oligopeptide-1, Ethylhexylglycerin
Sensitive skin: fragrance, niacinamide Why?
- fragrance: Fragrance or parfum, and scent ingredients listed by name, such as linalool and limonene. The most common cause of skincare allergies; worth avoiding if you have eczema, rosacea, or very sensitive skin.
- niacinamide: A popular, well-tolerated ingredient that can cause redness or flushing for a few people, especially at high strengths.
These flags don't affect the pregnancy rating. They point out the ingredients most likely to make skincare sting, itch, or cause a rash. If your skin is sensitive, or one of them has bothered you before, you may want to skip the product or patch-test it first. Most people use them without a problem.
How we flag ingredientsKids: Use with careTeens: Teen-friendly
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Diazolidinyl Urea, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Polysorbate 60, Disodium Phosphate, PEG-10, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Phosphate
Sensitive skin: fragrance Why?
- fragrance: Fragrance or parfum, and scent ingredients listed by name, such as linalool and limonene. The most common cause of skincare allergies; worth avoiding if you have eczema, rosacea, or very sensitive skin.
These flags don't affect the pregnancy rating. They point out the ingredients most likely to make skincare sting, itch, or cause a rash. If your skin is sensitive, or one of them has bothered you before, you may want to skip the product or patch-test it first. Most people use them without a problem.
How we flag ingredientsKids: Gentle for kidsTeens: Teen-friendly
Aqua, Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Aqua, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Gluconate, Allantoin, Niacinamide, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), Aqua, Benzoic Acid, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid
Sensitive skin: niacinamide Why?
- niacinamide: A popular, well-tolerated ingredient that can cause redness or flushing for a few people, especially at high strengths.
These flags don't affect the pregnancy rating. They point out the ingredients most likely to make skincare sting, itch, or cause a rash. If your skin is sensitive, or one of them has bothered you before, you may want to skip the product or patch-test it first. Most people use them without a problem.
How we flag ingredientsKids: Use with careTeens: Teen-friendly
Aqua, Ester Of Ethyl Olivate, Olive Oil Methyl Ester, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetostearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Juice, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Juice, Limonia Acidissima (Thanaka) Wood Powder, Pachyrhizus Erosus (Bengkoang) Root Extract, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Juice, Maltodextrin, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Parfum
Sensitive skin: fragrance, niacinamide Why?
- fragrance: Fragrance or parfum, and scent ingredients listed by name, such as linalool and limonene. The most common cause of skincare allergies; worth avoiding if you have eczema, rosacea, or very sensitive skin.
- niacinamide: A popular, well-tolerated ingredient that can cause redness or flushing for a few people, especially at high strengths.
These flags don't affect the pregnancy rating. They point out the ingredients most likely to make skincare sting, itch, or cause a rash. If your skin is sensitive, or one of them has bothered you before, you may want to skip the product or patch-test it first. Most people use them without a problem.
How we flag ingredientsKids: Use with careTeens: Teen-friendly
Dm Water, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit-E), Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Aminomethyl Propanol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fragrance
Sensitive skin: fragrance, niacinamide Why?
- fragrance: Fragrance or parfum, and scent ingredients listed by name, such as linalool and limonene. The most common cause of skincare allergies; worth avoiding if you have eczema, rosacea, or very sensitive skin.
- niacinamide: A popular, well-tolerated ingredient that can cause redness or flushing for a few people, especially at high strengths.
These flags don't affect the pregnancy rating. They point out the ingredients most likely to make skincare sting, itch, or cause a rash. If your skin is sensitive, or one of them has bothered you before, you may want to skip the product or patch-test it first. Most people use them without a problem.
How we flag ingredients