10 Best Age Spot Removers 2024 in the United States

Age spots on your face, hands, and neck, also known as “liver spots”, have a number of causes. They’re actually not all due to age! These spots are caused by something stimulating the pigment cells in your skin to produce melanin. Ultraviolet light from the sun is one thing that stimulates melanin production. There can also be hormonal causes for skin discoloration, such as during pregnancy, or menopause. And acne scars can also discolor the skin. Fortunately, there are a number of over-the-counter age spot removers, to help you restore an even skin tone.

In the MSN list of the top 10 age spot removers, you’ll see a number of different treatment options. There are whitening creams and serums that are suitable for many different skin types and tones. There are also whitening soaps that can even out skin color. And there are also “plasma pens” that you can buy, that also can remove dark spots. Some treatments are very gentle, while others are more aggressive and may cause some skin irritation. We’ll examine the options so that you can make an informed decision as to which age spot remover is best for you.

What Types of Age-Spot Removers Are There?

You’ll find that age-spot removers come in a number of forms:

• Skin whitening soap: These will contain the same ingredients that you’ll find in age-spot removing lotions and serums, such as antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E, compounds that inhibit melanin production, such as glutathione, and exfoliants that remove dead layers of skin, such as papaya extract. One such soap is the Renew Glutathione Skin Whitening Soap.

Renew Glutathione Skin Whitening Soap

• Creams and Lotions: A cream differs from a lotion in that creams are thicker and have less water than lotion. Creams will provide a barrier to your skin from losing moisture, so they’re more suited for people with dry skin. Lotions will be better for people with oily skin. The Pink Madison Age Spot Remover and Corrector Cream contains Vitamin E as an antioxidant to fight skin aging, and licorice extract, which brightens the skin and reverses the effects of sun exposure and hormonal changes that cause uneven skin tone. (Its main ingredient, hyaluronic acid, helps your skin retain its moisture.)

Pink Madison Age Spot Remover and Corrector Cream

• Serums: These are light, although very concentrated, formulas that can be water-based or oil-based. You only need to apply a few drops to your skin. They are typically easily absorbed into the skin by rubbing them in. One example in the MSN Top 10 Age Spot Removers is the Whitening Labs Dark Spot Corrector Brightening Serum.

Whitening Labs Dark Spot Corrector Brightening Serum

Most creams and lotions take weeks or even months to see any results. Another product, Dr. Murad’s Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum is supposed to reduce dark spots in as little as 14 days! It uses a proprietary antioxidant formula that they call “resorcinol”, as well as glycolic acid as an exfoliant.

Dr. Murad’s Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum

• Plasma Pens: There are clinics that use a carbon-dioxide laser to remove age spots. But there are also “plasma pens” that show some promise as well. They come with needles of varying thicknesses, to treat different size areas of your skin. It thermally disrupts your skin and stimulates it to produce new collagen. An example is the Hailicare Anti-Aging Laser Pen.

(Note: Dermatologists say to be very careful when using such a device. It heats an area of your skin, forming a scab. This scab can also cause scarring, which is significantly worse than dark spots!)

Hailicare Anti-Aging Laser Pen

• Chemical peels: There are also chemical peels that are intended for removing the top layer of the epidermis, and stimulating the skin to produce skin that is more uniform. They utilize either glycolic, salicylic, lactic, carbolic, or trichloroacetic acids to rejuvenate your skin. Dermatologists warn that OTC preparations should be more than 10% glycolic acid. This is because stronger preparations if used incorrectly can cause scarring and disfigurement.

What Ingredients Should I Look For When Selecting an Age-Spot Remover?

There are many age spot remover products, but there is some overlap in the active ingredients that they use. There are several strategies to reduce the severity of age spots:

• Antioxidants: Some age spot remover formulas use antioxidants that prevent your skin from premature aging, as well as reduce inflammation and repair the skin’s collagen and elastin. Examples include Vitamins C and E, niacinamide, peptides, and ceramides.

• Melanin inhibitors: Besides removing existing age spots, it’s also possible to block the formation of new age spots. There are ingredients that prevent or inhibit the skin from producing melanin. Look for ingredients such as arbutin, hydroquinone, Vitamin B3, and retinol. These slow the production of melanin.

• Whiteners: There are also agents that whiten the skin. Ingredients such as Vitamin C, retinol, hydroquinone, and AHA are all known skin whiteners.

• Exfoliators: Chemicals that remove the top layer of dead skin cells can also stimulate your skin to produce new cells that have a more uniform shade. These include glycolic, mandelic, kojic, salicylic, and hyaluronic acids in low concentrations.

How Can an Age Spot Remover Treatment Be More Successful?

• Perform a patch test first: It’s recommended to apply whitening cream, lotion, or serum to a small area at first, to make sure that you don’t have an adverse reaction to any of the ingredients. This is especially so when using a concentrated serum. When you’ve verified that the serum is safe, feel free to apply it to your face and neck. Once the serum sinks in, apply a skin moisturizer.

• Apply sunscreen with a high SPF: Experts recommend that you should apply sunscreen with an SPF (=Sun Protection Factor) rating of at least 30, as well as protection against UVA and UVB rays, to prevent sunburn and unwanted tanning. There is the scale of Fitzpatrick Skin Types, which categorizes skin color in 6 different grades, ranging from ivory or fair skin (Types 1 and 2) to dark brown (Type 6). Types 1 and 2 are the most sensitive to sun exposure. Therefore, a person with fair skin should use sunscreen regularly to prevent skin aging due to sun exposure.

• Choose the right treatment for your skin type: Acne can also cause your skin to discolor. So you don’t want products that are comedogenic (= cause blackheads, by blocking the pores). Clogged pores will cause your skin to break out in acne. Be sure to choose a treatment that suits your skin type:

  • - For dry skin: Use antioxidants such as niacinamide, peptides, ceramides. These lock in moisture and hydrate the skin.

  • - For oily skin: Avoid oily products, that contain things such as coconut oil. Instead, insist on products with salicylic acid, retinol, or hyaluronic acid, which regulate sebum production and reduce the oiliness of your skin. Also, aloe vera is excellent, in that it moisturizes and protects your skin, without adding any excess oils.

  • - For sensitive skin: Look for products that contain aloe vera, chamomile honey, green tea, and shea butter. These prevent your skin from drying out or aging prematurely.

Wrap Up

We studied the reasons for hyperpigmentation and why age spots form, and how effective age spot removers can help. Some of them have excellent results when applied over the course of a few months. Check out the MSN list of the top 10 age spot removers, as well as other skin care products on MSN. You’ll be able to find a product that suits your skin type, for a flawless complexion!