What are the vitamins for dark spots?Updated a year ago
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an underrated powerhouse of a vitamin for dark spots. In skincare, it’s more commonly referred to as retinol, but there are other types of retinoids including retinal, adapalene, and retinoic acid.
Vitamin A can help get rid of dark spots by speeding up the process of epidermal renewal.
It triggers receptors in the skin that regulate cell growth, ensuring healthier differentiation. This helps the skin shed pigmented skin while preventing continued melanin production.
Research suggests that over a short period, vitamin A surpasses vitamin C for fading dark spots, while vitamin C beats out vitamin A for reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
If you’d like to add a vitamin A serum for dark spots to your skincare routine, we’ve made our Enzyme-Active Retinol Serum to be as potent, effective, and gentle as possible. It’s made with retinal, with a powerful version of vitamin A that requires fewer conversions to impact the skin.
Research shows that its effects on reducing visible signs of photodamage such as dark spots are comparable to retinoic acid but with less risk of irritation, and our clients’ experience seems to match.
Vitamin C
The vast majority of skincare enthusiasts will tell you that vitamin C is the best vitamin for dark spots, thanks to its multi-pronged mechanism of action. It helps reduce the activity of tyrosinase, which is the enzyme that normally triggers melanin production.
As an antioxidant, vitamin C is a powerful protectant against further worsening of pigmentation and photodamage. It’s also promising as a remedy for other signs of photoaging, like dullness, fine lines, and wrinkles.
The actual research on humans showing that vitamin C can fade dark spots is relatively limited, or often has it paired with other active ingredients. This might be because of the difficulty of making vitamin C serums that work!
For a vitamin C serum to be effective, it has to contain vitamin C’s most bioavailable form: ascorbic acid. It must be made in a photostable, airtight container and with the right pH. We kept all of this in mind when creating the Vitamin C Superserum, a 10% ascorbic acid serum designed to protect the skin in the daytime and enhance the results of using vitamin A at night.
Vitamin B3
Next, the other must-have vitamin for dark spots is vitamin B3. You might be more familiar with it as niacinamide, one of the most popular skincare ingredients from the last five years. Niacinamide's skin benefits are plentiful and impressive: It has anti-aging, protective, soothing, oil-balancing, and moisturizing effects, just to name a few.
When it comes to pigmentation, studies show that vitamin B3 is effective at visibly reducing the severity of diffused discoloration, likely by preventing the transfer of melanin from melanocytes to skin cells.
Importantly, you don’t have to use a vitamin serum for dark spots: A moisturizer with niacinamide at a 5% concentration will work just as well, so you won’t have to get bogged down by single-ingredient serums. Research also shows that it works especially well in combination with retinoids.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a phenomenal antioxidant in skincare, although it’s not an ideal vitamin for dark spots. Also known as tocopherol, it works by protecting the skin from oxidative damage caused by pollution and the sun. Because it’s oil-soluble, it’s quite stable and easy to formulate with, it helps stabilize other vitamins, and it can impact components of the skin that vitamin C cannot.
It can reduce the extent of damage caused by sun exposure, and might even boost your sun protection methods (although it’s not as powerful as vitamin C). There’s minimal reason to believe it could help with dark spots on its own, but it’s a valuable addition to other formulas, such as moisturizers or serums.
Other ingredients for dark spots
Besides the vitamins for dark spots that we’ve already mentioned, there are plenty of other skincare ingredients worth using
- AHAs: By carefully removing the top layers of skin, alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic and lactic acid can facilitate faster skin renewal while clearing away pigmented skin.
- Azelaic acid: Azelaic acid is most popular for its soothing abilities. However, like vitamin C, azelaic acid can also inhibit tyrosinase, making it a phenomenal option for those with sensitive skin and pigmentation.
- Alpha-arbutin: This compound is related to the prescription skin-brightening medication hydroquinone. Researchers suggest that it works by inhibiting melanin production.
- Tranexamic acid: This exciting skincare ingredient is still fairly new so research is limited, but early evidence suggests it could help with both dark spots and red post-acne marks.
- Prescription hydroquinone: While certain side effects have made this prescription dark spot treatment controversial, it’s undeniable that hydroquinone is a fast-acting option. If you’ve not had success with other treatments, you can discuss this option with your doctor.