Dark spot remover without hydroquinone?

taylormillgirl

Last night I saw a commercial for the Proactiv Dark Spot Remover. The before & after photos looked awesome, so I checked the reviews on Amazon.

The good news: people say it works.

The bad news: people also say the active ingredient is a known carcinogen, which is already banned in Europe. 

I hate my age spots and the redness that lingers for 6 friggin' months after a breakout, but I don't hate that stuff enough to risk getting cancer.

Can anyone recommend a spot remover without hydroquinone that works? Home remedies are welcome, too. :-)

Thanks in advance!  

TX-Bride

I have heard Dior Snow line does not contain hydroquinone. You may want to check into that line.

Mortomo

Garnier has a product that is marketed to reduce spots.  I have been using it regularly for about a month and notice a little bit of fading of my age spots...my acne scars seem to be fading a little bit faster than the age spots.  Not a miracle cream by any means, but maybe over time.  It's vitamin C based.

krisim

I currently use Mandelic Acid (15%) from Garden of Wisdom and I also use lactic acid from Makeup Artists Choice.  I did a lot of research and it's cheaper to buy these ingredients seperately rather than to pay a lot of money for a cream that only has small amounts of active ingredients.

I have noticed quite a bit of lightening of my hyperpigmentation around my eyes!    I tried hydroquinone (prescription from my derm) and it didn't help me at all.

I have heard good things about Philosophy's line, but it's pricey!

taylormillgirl

Thanks for the recs, ladies. I'll check those out. :-)

alg576

For a super cheap home remedy, you can also use apple cider vinegar diluted 1:1 with water as a toner (you can increase the proportion of water if it's too harsh for your skin).  Works like a charm - my melasma and acne scars have faded noticeably over the last couple of months, it cost me just about nothing, I can adjust it to suit my skin, and no weird things that I can't pronounce going on my face.  I use it at night a few nights a week - if I used it every night, I'd probably see results faster, but my skin can be a bit sensitive so this works for me.  The vinegar smell goes away in a couple of minutes after you apply it (I use it like a regular toner and apply it with a cotton ball.)

RedRedWine2

I just started using Rose Hip Oil (I bought it at Whole Foods...cost about $10 for organic bottle). It's really rich in Vitamins C, A and E and has alot of great benefits. I've used it for about 2 weeks and noticed one of my scars has diminished a little (I think? Could be just wishful thinking though!) It's all natural (just oil from roses), so really...can't get better than that!

gemsinger

I use Origins line "Brighter by Nature". No harsh chemicals ALL botanicals used.

I have noted over 6 months of use a significant reduction of acne marks,scars and dark circles. Highly recommended! try buying on Ebay for better prices than Origins website, however they are not overpriced for the extreme quality of the products

samiamtoo

Could you please give me more info on the Mandelic Acid and lactic acid and how to use it?

AnswerBug

Hi TaylorMillGirl,

 The best product for me anyway was Skinceuticals Phyto+.  This stuff works wonders and there is no troublesome Hydroquinone.  I'm 50, but I look 40, they say... wink   Anyway I have light/medium skin and when I have a breakout the red spots left behind a frustrating but have the stuff on the market is poison or it doesn't work.  So I went on the same hunt as you and found the Skinceutical Phyto+ to be this best.  The formula is like green water.  It comes in a tube with a dropper.  I just put a few drops in the palm of my hand and then just use my clean finger to dab onthe nasty spots here and there.  I choose to use my clean ring finger to dab because if you use a Q-tip then the cotton on the tip absorbs to much of the precious formula and it doesn't transfer correctly and I want my supply to last and not be thrown out on a Q-tip, you know.  You will see, this stuff is not cheap, it's not expensive crazy expensive, but it's not cheap.  You can find it anywhere from $60.00 to $75.00 at Dermstore or Skinstore or Lovely Skin is the cheapest.  Hope this helps.  P.S.  Check out eBay, you might find a sample there.  Peace

Lisa