What are Dark Spots?

A dark spot is an area where your skin has produced extra pigment in response to something that irritated, injured or stimulated it. The result is colour, not texture. Run a finger over a dark spot and you feel nothing at all. The surface is smooth. Only the shade has changed.

The pigment itself is melanin, and it is made by cells called melanocytes that sit in the lower layer of your epidermis. When something triggers those cells, whether that is UV light, a blemish, a razor or repeated rubbing, they respond by producing more melanin than that patch of skin actually needs. That excess pigment is what you see. If you want the full picture of how melanin works, how pigment cells behave, and how conditions like melasma, sunspots and freckles differ from one another, that is all covered in detail in our guide to what hyperpigmentation is. This page is about something more practical: where dark spots come from and what to do about them.

It is worth being precise about what a dark spot is not. It is not a scar. Scars involve a change to the structure of the skin itself, either a loss of tissue that leaves a pitted dent or an excess that leaves a raised bump. Dark spots have no structural component whatsoever. They are pure discolouration sitting in otherwise intact skin. If you press on the mark and notice it is indented, raised, or that the surface feels different from the skin beside it, you are dealing with texture rather than tone, and our guide to acne scars and post-blemish marks is the better place to start.

That distinction matters more than it might sound, because it changes what is realistic. Structural change is genuinely difficult to reverse with skincare alone. Pigment is a different proposition. Because a dark spot is a colour issue rather than a physical one, it responds genuinely well to topical skincare. Pigmented cells in the upper layers of skin naturally shed over time, and the right ingredients can both speed that process up and reduce how much new pigment is being made in the first place. That is why patience plus consistency works here in a way it often does not for other concerns.

There is one nuance worth knowing, because it explains why some spots fade in weeks and others take months. Pigment can sit at different depths. When it stays in the upper layers, the spot looks brown or tan and tends to clear reasonably quickly. When inflammation has been intense enough to disturb the boundary between the upper and lower layers, pigment can settle deeper, where it takes on a greyer, ashier cast and becomes considerably more stubborn. Surface-level pigment generally clears over a matter of months, while deeper pigment can persist for far longer. You cannot always tell by looking which one you have, but it does explain why two people following the same routine can see very different timelines. It is not a failure of the products. It is a difference in depth.

No. They are the same thing described in different words.

That is the honest answer, and it is worth giving it plainly because the internet rarely does. You will find articles that imply a meaningful clinical distinction between the two terms. There is not one. Both describe flat areas of skin that are darker than the tone surrounding them, caused by excess pigment, with no change to the texture of the skin.

What does differ is how people use the words, and that is a genuinely useful thing to understand. “Dark marks” is the phrase most people reach for when the discolouration was left behind by a spot or a breakout. It is the language of someone whose blemish cleared three weeks ago and left a brown shadow where it used to be. “Dark spots” gets used more broadly. It covers post-breakout marks, but it also covers sun-related spots, the patches that appear on the backs of hands over decades, and the discolouration that builds up under the arms from years of shaving.

The search intent behind both phrases is functionally identical. Someone typing “how to get rid of dark marks on my face” and someone typing “how to fade dark spots” want the same information and will benefit from the same routine. That is precisely why one guide covers both, rather than splitting hairs across two pages that would tell you the same thing.

Here is how the whole vocabulary maps out, so you can work out which guide you actually need:

If you take one thing from this section, make it this: stop worrying about which word is correct. Nobody is going to withhold the right advice because you called it a mark instead of a spot. Knowing what to call it matters less than knowing what caused it, because the cause is what decides your approach.

Almost every guide to pigmentation organises itself around biology. Epidermal versus dermal, melasma versus lentigines, and so on. That is genuinely useful if you are studying dermatology. It is considerably less useful if you are standing in front of a mirror trying to work out why the skin under your arms looks darker than it did two years ago.

So this section is organised by origin instead. Read through, and one of these will probably make you think “that is me”.

Sun exposure

This is the most common cause of dark spots overall, and the most persistent.

UV light tells your skin to make more pigment. That is not a malfunction, it is a protective response. Melanin absorbs and scatters UV radiation, so producing more of it is your skin’s way of shielding the cells underneath from damage. The problem is that this response is not evenly distributed, and it is cumulative. Repeat it across years and decades and the skin stops responding uniformly. Some areas overproduce. Those areas become visible spots.

Here is the part that matters most, and the reason SPF appears in every single section of this guide. UV does not only create new dark spots. It actively prevents existing ones from fading. It works in several directions at once: it stimulates pigment cells to produce more melanin, it darkens the pigment already sitting in your skin, and it can affect the lower layers of the epidermis in a way that lets pigment settle deeper, where it becomes much harder to shift.

Translate that into practical terms and the conclusion is uncomfortable but simple. If you are applying a serum every night and skipping sunscreen every morning, you are working against yourself. You are not slowing your progress. In many cases you are cancelling it entirely. Daily SPF is not the optional final step of a dark spot routine. It is the step that makes all the others possible. Our guide to what SPF is and how it works covers the detail.

Spots and breakouts

When a blemish becomes inflamed, the skin can leave pigment behind as it heals. This is what most people mean when they say dark marks, and it is the single most common reason people start looking for a dark spot routine in the first place.

The mechanism is straightforward enough. Inflammation releases a cascade of chemical messengers, and several of those messengers happen to instruct nearby pigment cells to ramp up production. The blemish is a short-term event. The pigment response outlasts it, often dramatically. It is entirely normal for the mark to remain visible for months after the spot itself has completely gone, which is why so many people feel like their skin has cleared and yet still does not look clear.

One important caveat. If what has been left behind is pitted, indented or raised rather than simply darker, that is textural change rather than pigment, and it needs a different approach. Our guide to acne scars and post-blemish marks covers that properly.

Shaving, waxing and ingrown hairs

This cause is enormously common and almost never covered well.

Hair removal is, by definition, a small repeated irritation to the skin. A blade dragging across the surface, wax lifting the top layer, tweezers pulling at a follicle. Each individual instance is minor. Done two or three times a week for years, the cumulative effect is a skin surface that is in a near-constant low-grade inflammatory state. And inflammation, as established above, leaves pigment.

Ingrown hairs make it considerably worse. Each ingrown is a small, genuinely inflamed bump, and each one leaves its own mark behind. Get several at once, repeatedly, in the same area, and you end up with generalised darkening rather than distinct individual spots.

This is why underarms, the bikini line, legs and the beard area are such common sites. It is not that the skin there is inherently prone to pigment. It is that those are the places most of us take a blade to most often.

There is a genuinely useful habit here, and it comes from our own guide to using glycolic acid on armpits: regular gentle exfoliation between shaves keeps the surface layer clear, so regrowing hairs have an easier path out. Fewer trapped hairs means fewer inflamed bumps, and fewer inflamed bumps means less pigment over time. You are addressing the cause rather than chasing the result.

Friction and heat

Tight waistbands. Bra straps. Backpack straps. Thighs that rub. A watch strap worn in the same position every day. Any patch of skin subjected to repeated mechanical rubbing can darken, and heat alone can drive the same response even without direct friction.

The mechanism is the same low-grade inflammatory loop as hair removal, just driven mechanically. Repeated rubbing is a sustained, mild inflammatory stimulus, which keeps pigment cells switched on. Because the trigger keeps repeating, the skin never gets a quiet period in which to clear what has accumulated. Chronic friction also prompts the skin to thicken slightly as a protective response, and that thickening comes with additional pigment.

This is the main cause of body and underarm dark spots, and the reason those areas often fail to respond to a routine designed for the face. You can apply the best brightening serum in the world to a patch of skin that is being rubbed by a seam for fourteen hours a day, and you will be disappointed. Sometimes the highest-impact change is a looser waistband.

Hormones

Hormonal changes, including pregnancy and hormonal contraception, can trigger larger symmetrical patches of pigment, usually across the cheeks, forehead and upper lip. These look different from ordinary dark spots. They are broader, less defined at the edges, and tend to appear on both sides of the face in a mirrored pattern.

That pattern has its own name and its own behaviour, and it responds differently to treatment than a post-breakout mark does. If this sounds like your skin, read our guide to what melasma is and how to treat it rather than following this page alone.

Age and cumulative UV

Spots that start appearing from your forties onward, typically on the face, hands and forearms, are usually not caused by age itself. They are decades of accumulated sun exposure finally becoming visible. The pigment response has been building quietly for years. At a certain point it crosses the threshold where you can see it.

This is worth saying clearly because of the assumption it corrects. Plenty of people believe dark spots are something that happens later in life, and therefore not worth thinking about yet. That is doubly wrong. Marks from breakouts, shaving and friction are extremely common from the teenage years onward, and the sun exposure driving the later spots is happening right now. The SPF you wear in your twenties is what determines the spots you are looking at in your fifties.

Picking

The most avoidable cause on this list.

When you pick at a blemish, you take an inflammatory event that was going to resolve in a few days and you deepen it significantly. You push inflammation further into the skin, you damage the surrounding tissue, and you extend the duration of the trigger. A spot that might have left nothing behind now leaves a mark that lasts months.

This is not a telling-off. Picking is an extremely common habit, frequently an unconscious one, and it is genuinely difficult to stop through willpower alone. The practical solution is to make the spot physically inaccessible. A hydrocolloid patch sits over the blemish, absorbs what is inside it, and puts a physical barrier between the spot and your fingers. Most people find that removing the opportunity works far better than trying to resist it.

Cause and location are closely linked, so it helps to look at dark spots by where they actually show up

Most guides treat dark spots as a single problem with a single answer. In practice, where a spot sits changes almost everything about how you should approach it: how thick the skin is, how much irritation it can handle, what caused it in the first place, and how long it will take to shift.

Dark spots on the face, cheeks and forehead

The cheeks and forehead take the most direct UV exposure of anywhere on the body. They also happen to be the most common site for post-breakout marks. That combination makes the face the highest-traffic area for dark spots by a wide margin.

The good news is that facial skin tolerates active ingredients better than almost anywhere else, and it is the area every skincare routine is designed around. Your core step is Tranexamic Acid Serum morning and night, because it works on the signalling that drives pigment production rather than just buffing the surface. Add 15% Vitamin C + EGF Serum in the morning for brightening plus antioxidant defence against the UV that keeps creating new spots. Then Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30, every single morning.

One caution, and it is the one people ignore most. The face is the most visible part of your body, which creates real pressure to do more. Resist it. Stacking five actives does not fade spots faster, it irritates skin, and irritation produces pigment. The most effective facial routine for dark spots is usually a small number of well-chosen products used consistently for long enough to work. For a deeper walkthrough, read how to get rid of dark spots on the face.

Dark spots around the mouth

The area around the mouth deserves its own approach because the skin here behaves differently. It is thinner, more mobile, and noticeably more reactive than the skin on your cheeks.

Common causes include friction, hair removal on the upper lip, irritation from lip products, and the constant movement of talking and eating. Because this skin is more delicate, the usual instinct of applying something stronger is precisely wrong. Gentler is better here, and going slowly will genuinely get you there faster, because the alternative is an irritation cycle that generates more pigment than you are clearing. Our guide to pigmentation around the mouth covers this area in full.

Dark spots on the body and back

Body dark spots are usually the legacy of body breakouts, or the result of friction from straps and clothing. The back, shoulders and chest are the most common sites, partly because they break out more than people expect and partly because they spend all day under fabric.

The advantage here is that body skin is substantially thicker than facial skin and tolerates exfoliation far better. The Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick is the practical recommendation: it applies directly to the area you want to work on, it stays on the skin rather than rinsing away, and there is no mess.

The caution is one almost everybody misses. Your back and chest still need SPF whenever they are exposed. A summer of uncovered shoulders will undo months of patient work.

Dark spots on underarms and bikini line

Start here, because this is the part that actually matters: darker underarms are extremely common, completely normal for most people, and not a hygiene issue.

That last point deserves emphasis. A significant proportion of the anxiety driving this particular search is the quiet worry that darker underarms mean something about cleanliness. They do not. They are the predictable consequence of shaving, waxing, friction from clothing, heat and ingrown hairs, all concentrated in one small, warm, frequently-groomed area of skin that also happens to fold in on itself. If you are dealing with this, you are in extremely ordinary company.

For product choice, here is the honest breakdown:

1. Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick, £15. 7% glycolic acid, 0.5% salicylic acid and 10% shea butter. Leave-on, targeted and mess-free. The strongest option for the appearance of discolouration and the best single pick for underarms. 
2. Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Wash, £12. 5% glycolic acid plus 5% lactic acid. It rinses off, so contact time is short and the exfoliation is milder. This is the gentlest entry point and the right starting place if your skin is sensitive or you shave frequently. 
3. Glycolic Acid Toner, £14. Cotton-pad application, and the format most associated with the underarm trend online. 

Now the honest framing. Glycolic acid brightens the look of the area and supports more even-looking skin. It does not bleach, whiten or erase anything. Visible change on discolouration takes 4 to 8 weeks or more. Anyone promising you a transformation in a fortnight is selling you something.

Do not apply glycolic acid to freshly shaved skin. Wait at least 8 hours after shaving, and overnight is better. Applying acid to skin you have just taken a blade to causes irritation, and irritation is exactly what triggers the pigmentation you are trying to improve. 

Also leave 10 to 15 minutes between applying your acid and applying deodorant or antiperspirant, so the two are not competing on freshly exfoliated skin.

There is a smarter way to sequence all of this, and it comes directly from our glycolic acid for armpits guide: use your glycolic acid the night before you shave rather than after. Exfoliated skin gives you a closer, cleaner shave, and you never end up putting acid on compromised skin. It solves both problems in one move.

If your skin tone is deeper, patch test first, start at one to two times per week, and build slowly from there. Over-use can worsen discolouration rather than improve it, which is the opposite of what you want.

Dark spots on hands

Hand spots are almost always cumulative UV. Hands sit on the steering wheel, rest on the desk by the window, and get comprehensively forgotten at the sunscreen stage. Most people apply SPF to their face, wash their hands an hour later, and never reapply.

The fix is unglamorous but effective: extend your Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30 to the backs of your hands every morning, and reapply after washing where you can.

An honest note to close on. Hand spots are often the slowest to shift of anywhere on the body, because they represent decades of accumulated exposure in skin that continues to get sun daily. Expect a longer timeline here, and treat prevention as the primary goal.

Wherever they are, the same small group of ingredients does the heavy lifting.

Pigment production is a chain of events, not a single one. A trigger occurs, a signal is sent, an enzyme gets switched on, pigment is manufactured, pigment is transferred into surrounding skin cells, and those cells eventually rise to the surface and shed. Different ingredients interrupt that chain at different points, which is why combining two of them often outperforms doubling up on one.

Tranexamic Acid 2%

Our hero for dark spots, and the ingredient we would pick if we could only pick one.

Tranexamic acid works upstream. Rather than removing pigment that has already been made, it interferes with the signalling pathway that tells pigment cells to overproduce in the first place, and it also helps limit the activity of tyrosinase, the key enzyme in melanin production. In practical terms, it turns down the instruction rather than cleaning up after it.

Its other great advantage is tolerance. It is exceptionally well tolerated across all skin types, including sensitive skin, which makes it a rare active you can use twice daily without building up slowly. It is also pregnancy-safe. £17 for 30ml, morning and night. Read more in our tranexamic acid ingredient guide, and for realistic expectations see how long tranexamic acid takes to work. 

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Vitamin C 15%

Vitamin C does two jobs at once, which is what makes it such an efficient morning step. It brightens the spots you already have, and it provides antioxidant defence against the UV-driven damage that creates new ones. Fading and prevention, in a single application.

Our formula uses Ascorbyl Glucoside, a stable derivative that converts to active vitamin C on the skin. That matters for two reasons: it is gentler than pure L-Ascorbic Acid, and it will not oxidise into a brown, ineffective liquid in the bottle three weeks after opening. 87% of users saw a visible improvement in brightness within 4 weeks. Pregnancy-safe, AM use, £16 for 30ml. More in our vitamin C guide, and on pairing it effectively in vitamin C and tranexamic acid for dark spots. 

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Niacinamide 10%

Niacinamide earns its place through a genuinely different mechanism: it reduces the transfer of pigment from the cells that make it into the surrounding skin cells where you actually see it. The pigment can be produced, but far less of it ends up visible.

It also calms inflammation, which matters enormously here, because inflammation is the upstream cause of most dark marks. That makes niacinamide especially valuable for marks left behind by breakouts, and for deeper skin tones where the inflammatory response drives pigment more strongly. Pregnancy-safe, AM and PM, £12 for 30ml. See our niacinamide guide and niacinamide for hyperpigmentation, dark spots and brightening. 

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Glycolic Acid 10%

Glycolic acid works at the opposite end of the chain from tranexamic acid. Rather than reducing production, it accelerates removal, loosening the bonds between surface skin cells so that pigmented ones shed faster.

The rules matter here. PM only, one to three times a week, never nightly. It is not suitable for sensitive skin. And SPF the following morning is genuinely non-negotiable, because freshly exfoliated skin is more vulnerable to exactly the UV that creates dark spots. £14 for 100ml. More detail in glycolic acid for hyperpigmentation. 

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Azelaic Acid 10%

The quiet specialist. Azelaic acid helps limit the activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme that drives melanin production, so it reduces pigment at the manufacturing stage. Crucially, it does this while calming rather than stripping.

That combination makes it an outstanding choice for sensitive or redness-prone skin, and for deeper skin tones, where an irritating routine can make pigmentation actively worse. It is clinically proven to minimise redness in 4 days. Pregnancy-safe, AM and PM, £16 for 30ml. Read our azelaic acid guide and azelaic acid for dark marks. 

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Retinol and Retinal

Retinoids speed up cell renewal, so pigmented cells cycle up and out faster. They are the long game of a dark spot routine, and they are particularly useful for long-standing spots.

If you are new to retinoids, start with Starter Retinol at £13 and build tolerance over 8 to 12 weeks before considering the more potent Advanced 0.2% Retinal Serum at £18. PM only, always. Not suitable during pregnancy, and if that applies to you, read our guide to pregnancy-safe skincare and build around tranexamic acid, niacinamide, azelaic acid and vitamin C instead. SPF the following morning is essential. More in our retinol guide.

Ingredients at a Glance

Understanding ingredients is one thing. Knowing what to actually do tonight is another. Before you start anything new, patch test it on a small area for a few days.

The Foundation Routine

If you are starting from scratch, start here. Four steps in the morning, three at night.

Morning:

1. Oat Cleansing Balm
2. Tranexamic Acid Serum
3. Omega Water Cream
4. Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30

Evening:

1. Oat Cleansing Balm
2. Tranexamic Acid Serum
3. Omega Water Cream

Stay on this for 4 to 6 weeks before adding anything else. That is not us being cautious for the sake of it. If you introduce four products at once and your skin reacts, you will have no idea which one caused it, and you will have to strip everything back and start again. Slower is genuinely faster.

The Full Routine

Once your skin is comfortable and consistent, this is what a complete dark spot routine looks like.

Morning

Evening

For the general principles of order and layering, our complete skincare guide covers the logic, and the skincare quiz will build you something personalised in a couple of minutes.

Dark Spots on the Body

Body skin is thicker and tolerates more. Use the Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick on affected areas one to two times a week to begin with, building up slowly only if your skin stays comfortable.

Never apply it to freshly shaved or broken skin. Wait at least 8 hours after shaving, and overnight is better. Leave 10 to 15 minutes before deodorant. And SPF anything that will be exposed.

INKEY Pro Tip: If you are fading dark spots and still getting breakouts, do both at once. You do not need to wait for your skin to clear before you start on the marks. Tranexamic Acid Serum and 10% Niacinamide Serum layer comfortably over a breakout routine. 

Two things decide whether this routine actually works for you: your skin tone, and whether you wear SPF.

Dark Spots Across Different Skin Tones

Deeper skin tones mark more readily, and those marks last longer. This is not a matter of skincare habits. It is biology, and understanding it changes what a sensible routine looks like.

Pigment cells in deeper skin tones are larger, more active at baseline, and more extensively branched, meaning they distribute pigment to a wider area of surrounding skin. When an inflammatory trigger arrives, whether that is a blemish, a razor or a rubbing waistband, those cells respond more strongly than they would in lighter skin. There is also a greater likelihood that pigment settles into deeper layers, where it is significantly harder to clear.

The practical consequence is the single most important piece of advice in this section: calming inflammation matters as much as targeting pigment. Prioritise niacinamide and azelaic acid. Go gently on exfoliation. Do not stack multiple actives at once. An aggressive routine does not accelerate results in deeper skin tones, it produces the irritation that creates more pigment. More is genuinely worse here.

Lighter skin tones tend to see a different pattern, weighted towards sun-related spots and general unevenness rather than intense post-inflammatory marks. Everyone gets dark spots. The distribution and the persistence differ.

Why SPF Is the Most Important Step

It is worth stating one more time, plainly. UV both creates dark spots and prevents existing ones from fading.

UVA passes through cloud and through glass. Your commute counts. The seat by the office window counts. An overcast Tuesday in November counts. This is why “I do not really go in the sun” is not the protection people think it is.

Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30 is broad-spectrum across UVA and UVB, and contains an 8% Hydration Trio of Polyglutamic Acid, Glycerin and Squalane, so it behaves like a skincare step rather than a chore. 97% of users said it looked invisible on their skin tone, which addresses the most common and most legitimate reason people skip sunscreen. £15 for 50ml. For the full detail, see our guide to what SPF is.

Myths Debunked

“Dark spot correctors bleach your skin.”
FALSE. The ingredients on this page do not lighten your natural skin tone. They reduce excess pigment in specific areas so those areas match the tone around them. Your baseline tone is unchanged.

“Lemon juice fades dark spots.”
FALSE. Lemon juice is highly acidic, unstable and can make skin more sensitive to sunlight, which risks darker spots rather than lighter ones. Use a formulated, stable vitamin C instead.

“You only get dark spots if you’re older.”
FALSE. Spots left by breakouts, shaving and friction are common from the teenage years onward. Age-related spots are a separate and later pattern.

“Scrubbing harder will shift them faster.”
FALSE. Physical scrubbing causes irritation, and irritation causes more pigment. Gentle chemical exfoliation used one to three times a week outperforms aggressive scrubbing every time.

“Darker skin doesn’t need SPF.”
FALSE. Every skin tone needs daily SPF. Deeper skin tones are more prone to pigment changes from UV, which makes SPF more important here, not less.

“If it hasn’t worked in two weeks, it isn’t working.”
FALSE. Visible brightness takes 2 to 4 weeks. Meaningful fading takes 6 to 12 weeks. Most people stop right before results appear.

Expert Tips from the INKEY Team

1. Best AM pairing for dark spots is Tranexamic Acid Serum followed by 15% Vitamin C + EGF Serum. They work through different mechanisms, so they complement each other rather than compete. 
2. If your skin is sensitive or redness-prone,start with tranexamic acid alone for two weeks, then add azelaic acid. Skip glycolic acid entirely until your barrier feels settled. 
3. If you are treating body and face together,keep the Body Stick for body areas only. Body-strength exfoliation does not belong on facial skin. 
4. If you have recently shaved or waxed, wait at least 8 hours before applying any acid to that area, and overnight is better. Better still, use your acid the night before you shave rather than after. You get a closer shave and you never put acid on compromised skin. Our glycolic acid for armpits guide covers the full sequence. 

Review at 8 weeks, not 8 days. Take a photo in the same light on day one, so you have something honest to compare against. Memory is a terrible judge of gradual change. 

Still not sure where to start? askINKEY will talk it through with you.

Here is exactly which products do which job.

Tranexamic Acid Serum - £17 / 30ml - Hero Product

Our most targeted formula for dark spots and uneven tone, working on the signal that drives excess pigment rather than the pigment itself.

• 2% Tranexamic Acid, 2% Acai Berry Extract, 2% Vitamin C derivative 
• Suitable for all skin types including sensitive 
• Pregnancy-safe 
• Use AM and PM 

Rated 4.3/5 from 327 reviews.

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15% Vitamin C + EGF Serum - £16 / 30ml

Brightening and antioxidant defence in one morning step, using a stable derivative that will not oxidise in the bottle.

• 15% Ascorbyl Glucoside, 1% EGF 
• 87% saw visible brightness improvement in 4 weeks 
• Pregnancy-safe 
• Use AM 

Rated 4.5/5 from 685 reviews.

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10% Niacinamide Serum - £12 / 30ml

Calms the inflammation that drives pigment, and reduces how much pigment reaches the surface.

• 10% Niacinamide, 1% Hyaluronic Acid 
• Pregnancy-safe 
• Use AM and PM 

Rated 4.5/5 from 739 reviews.

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10% Azelaic Acid Serum for Redness Relief - £16 / 30ml

The gentle specialist for skin that reacts badly to stronger actives.

• 10% Azelaic Acid, 0.3% Allantoin 
• Clinically proven to minimise redness in 4 days 
• Safe for sensitive and rosacea-prone skin 
• Pregnancy-safe 
• Use AM and PM 

Rated 4.3/5 from 467 reviews.

Shop 10% Azelaic Axid Serum

Glycolic Acid Toner - £14 / 100ml

Surface exfoliation to speed up how quickly pigmented cells shed.

• 10% Glycolic Acid, 5% Witch Hazel 
• PM only, one to three times per week 
• Not suitable for sensitive skin 

Rated 4.4/5 from 246 reviews.

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Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick - £15

Targeted body exfoliation with no mess, and the best single pick for underarms.

• 7% Glycolic Acid, 0.5% Salicylic Acid, 10% Shea Butter 
• Leave-on and targeted 
• For body, back, underarms and bikini line 
• Not for freshly shaved skin, wait 8 hours minimum 

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Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Wash - £12

• 5% Glycolic Acid plus 5% Lactic Acid 
• Rinse-off, making it the gentlest entry point for sensitive or frequently-shaved skin 

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Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30 - £15 / 50ml

The step that makes every other step work.

• Broad-spectrum UVA and UVB 
• 8% Hydration Trio of Polyglutamic Acid, Glycerin and Squalane 
• 97% of users said it looked invisible on their skin tone 

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Starter Retinol - £13 and Advanced 0.2% Retinal Serum - £18

Long-term renewal for long-standing spots. PM only. Avoid during pregnancy. Always SPF the following morning.

Shop Retinol Serums

Shop by Goal

• How to Get Rid of Dark Spots on Face - a focused walkthrough for facial dark spots specifically
• Azelaic Acid for Dark Marks - the gentle route for marks left behind by breakouts
• Vitamin C and Tranexamic Acid for Dark Spots - how to pair the two most effective brightening actives
• Niacinamide for Hyperpigmentation, Dark Spots and Brightening - why niacinamide belongs in almost every dark spot routine
• Glycolic Acid for Hyperpigmentation - exfoliation done properly, without the irritation
• Pigmentation Around the Mouth - for the thinner, more reactive skin around the lips
• Glycolic Acid for Armpits - the full underarm method, including shaving sequence
• What is Hyperpigmentation? - the complete science of melanin and pigment
• What are Acne Scars & Post-Blemish Marks? - for anything textural rather than purely colour
• 10 Most Common Skincare Concerns - the overview, if dark spots are one of several things on your list

Take Our Skincare Quiz → 

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Of all the things people want to change about their skin, dark spots are among the most responsive. That is not marketing optimism, it is a consequence of what they physically are. Pigment sits in skin that is otherwise structurally intact, and skin renews itself continuously. Give it the right ingredients, stop adding new triggers, and the colour genuinely does shift.

What defeats most people is not the products. It is the timeline. Dark spots fade slowly enough that you cannot see it happening day to day, which makes it extraordinarily easy to conclude that nothing is working and stop at week five, two or three weeks before the change would have become obvious. The most common reason a dark spot routine fails is that it was abandoned while it was still working.

So keep it small enough to actually maintain:

1. Tranexamic Acid Serum, morning and night 
2. Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30, every morning 
3. Add 10% Niacinamide Serum after two weeks 
4. Review at 8 weeks, not before 

Two products to begin with. A third once the first two are habit. That is a routine you will still be doing in March, and consistency is the entire game here.

One last thought worth holding onto. Every dark spot on your skin is a record of your skin doing its job. It responded to sun, to a blemish, to a razor, to friction, by producing pigment to protect itself. The mark is evidence of a protective response that simply overshot. There is nothing wrong with your skin. There is just some colour left over from work it already did, and it will clear, given the right support and enough time.

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