10 Best Products To Minimize Sun Spots— The Sun Is Your Ultimate Frenemy

“I recommend this cream for those new to retinol,” says Elyse Love, MD, New York City board-certified dermatologist. “It’s formulated with a technology that slowly releases the retinol overnight which decreases the chances of developing irritation.” You’ll want to start slow—three times a week—and apply a pea-sized amount all over your face at night as it will make your skin more sensitive to UV rays. If you see any peeling and minor irritation that means it’s working. “I saw a noticeable difference, it made my pores small and gave my skin a healthy glow, writes reviewer Sury L. “There is no over-powering scent and the cream glides on smoothly. No sticky residue. I absolutely love it.” One thing to know: if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding (or even thinking about getting pregnant) hold off on products with retinol. Always check with your doctor.

There is a ton of research touting Vitamin C as a kick-ass remedy for photoaging and hyperpigmentation. With this product, you don’t even have to give up your current skin care routine to reap Vitamin C benefits—this amazing powder is actually made to blend with your favorite toner, serum or moisturizer. Combine a dime-sized amount to whatever you normally use. Since Vitabrid C12 FACE Brightening Powder uses stabilized Vitamin C, it keeps working for 12 hours. So if you do a morning and night application, you’ve got a non-stop skin brightener that is sure to get rid of those pesky sun spots. Jennifer L. writes: “I have used VitabridC12 for about 6 months now and am on my 3rd bottle. My dark spots are getting lighter and lighter and my skin has become so smooth. I have changed the foundation color that I use to a lighter color because my skin has become brighter.”

“AHAs, specifically glycolic acid, can be helpful for evening skin tone,” says Love. That’s because it’s super absorbent: one study said that up to 27 percent goes directly into the skin. This friendly acid basically works by dissolving the very fine top layer of the skin with all the muck like sun spots and acne scars to reveal a smoother complexion. We love Herbivore’s rose-scented gel mask to undo damage from a day out in the sun. Packed with fruit-based AHAs, this mask makes skin glow almost immediately. Reviewer Whitney H. agrees: “I got this as a sample a while back and finally treated myself to it for my birthday this year. You see improvements instantly. My skin was glowing, no signs of redness, and my face felt extremely smooth after. I added this to my weekly skin care routine and now I can’t go without it.” Bonus: Herbivore donates $1 to The Trevor Project, a LGBTQIA+ organization for young people, for every jar sold in 2020.

We all know that the eye area is a tell-tale sign of aging—that’s why you want to pay special attention to fine lines and sun spots that start to creep up around your peepers. Aloe, a natural antioxidant, will do wonders for your skin, especially if it is a little puffy. While retinols and AHAs can make the delicate skin right around the eyes more sensitive, this eye cream will do the hard work of removing sun spots and pamper at the same time. Use it in the morning as an under eye primer to keep your concealer from creasing and at night so that it can do the work while you’re asleep.

A few drops of this serum might not look much, but this serum is mighty. According to science, the combination of Vitamin E-rich konjac root and ferulic acid makes Vitamin C work eight times stronger than a product that has only Vitamin C. This holy trinity of skin care ingredients is said to reduce chronic photodamage and could even be used to prevent skin cancer. Loyal customers swear by it. “I have been on a journey to treat my hyperpigmentation/acne scars and this product has helped me TREMENDOUSLY,” writes reviewer Zoey. “You guys, in a matter of maybe two weeks I have a more even and smoother skin appearance!!! I have always wanted to be the person who can wear bb creams/tinted moisturizers without being insecure about my discoloration and acne scars and I can finally do that.”

Retinol and AHAs will make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so you’ll want to apply face sunscreen every morning. We love this vegan formula because it will literally feel like clouds on your face. This mousse-like sunscreen glides on smoothly, and works just as well as expensive face specific sunscreens. It applies beautifully to both light and medium skin tones. You’ll want to use it at least 15 minutes before you go out, that way it absorbs properly to KO those UV rays. Should you decided to bring this reef-friendly sunscreen to the beach, it will withstand hours in the sun. “The first day on vaca I only put this on and was outside for 4+ hours and didn’t even get a slight tan, even after getting in the water,” writes one reviewer.

If UVA rays are a comic book villain, then collagen and elastin are the city it tries to destroy—basically, UVA rays beat the shit out of your skin. This moisturizer is your superhero. Its super powers are citric acid, a milder AHA, and Vitamin C that will help your face recover from sun spots.  “This product has been truly amazing for me,” writes Jude in her review. “Within a short time my colleagues were telling me that I looked “less tired.” [My skin] feels smoother, softer and certainly looks better. A big plus is that you don’t use a lot. A small amount goes a long way so the jar lasts for ages.

We love freckles—but sometimes, too much of a good thing is well, too much. To tone down spots (ha!), look to this 2% Hydroquinone face serum. Hydroquinone, a skin lightening agent, not only minimizes sun spots, it helps prevent them in the future by inhibiting melanin production. This serum also has glycolic acid, which is like the finishing touch, to make it the ultimate beauty splurge. Not only does it work to curb sun damage, you’ll also love it if you’re dealing with the brown patches of melasma (aka mask of pregnancy). “Murad does really help lighten my dark patches….which have consumed my whole face. It’s worth the $$$$,” says one reviewer.

Even with all these amazing sun spot banishing treatments, you will always (always!) need sunscreen and this best-selling CC cream provides SPF 50 and conceals stubborn sun spots. “This is better than anything I’ve used before,” writes one reviewer. “Light but with excellent, stay-put coverage that gives my skin a beautiful glow and even complexion.” We love that it comes in many skin tone shades and blends easily, thanks to moisturizing hyaluronic acid and hydrolyzed collagen. It doesn’t hurt that it’s chock full of antioxidants, like aloe, too. In a pinch, use it under eyes as a concealer to immediately look awake—even if you’re running on 4 hours of sleep.

While a beauty ritual is so worth it, sometimes we just don’t have time to figure out all the creams and serums. In this case, try drinking your skin care. You know that UVA rays break down collagen, that protein that makes your skin supple and plump, and this is a way to help replenish it. We mix this hydrolyzed collagen drink mix in the morning and sip all day. Each watermelon lemonade flavored packet (which tastes as good, if not better, than Crystal Light) is packed with 90mg of caffeine, making it a good replacement for your morning cup of coffee.