Best Freckle Removal Creams
Image | Product Name | Top Choices | Latest Pricing |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | 1. Meladerm Skin Lightening Whitening Bleaching Cream | Amazing Product | Meladerm's Website |
![]() | 2. Amaira Skin Lightening Serum | Our Favorite | Amaira's Website |
![]() | 3. Organys Skin Brightening Cream | Great Deal | Amazon |
Have you ever noticed little brown spots forming after spending too much time out in the sun? Perhaps darker patches developing on the face and arms? Although freckles can be inherited traits, they can also develop on their own after extreme sun exposure. The most common reason for this is due to not wearing enough protective sunscreen, or none at all. The sun’s harmful UV rays are very damaging to the skin, causing skin discoloration and tanning, thus, resulting in dark spots or patches forming on the dermis of the skin.
If you’re looking for ways to remove or fade these spots you’ve come to the right place. There are many effective fade creams on the current market that can diminish the appearance of these unwanted blemishes. These creams or serums are usually formulated with hydroquinone, alpha hydroxy, beta hydroxy acids, vitamin A/retinoids, and antioxidants, making the formula very useful for lightening darker pigments within the skin. Some may even include additional antioxidants such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and vitamin B3 to promote anti-aging, collagen production, and to boost the skin lightening properties of the product.
As you continue reading, you will understand how some of the ingredients in these products contribute to fading freckles, as well as additional ways to remove them, and some of our top picks of the best freckle removal creams of 2020. Let’s get started!
What are the Best Ingredients to Remove Freckles and Other Dark Spots?
There are many different ingredients used in popular skin lightening creams today. Some of which combine strong melanin inhibitors like hydroquinone with natural ingredients such as kojic acid or licorice root to formulate a product that will perform correctly depending on what its intended use is. In most cases, fade creams, and dark spot correctors only use small amounts of strong chemicals, while most stick to all-natural skin lightening ingredients like Vitamin C to correct dark blemishes. Natural elements are essential for treating moderate cases of dark pigmentation; this is because they are not overly powerful like chemicals and are gentle on the skin.
Kojic acid is an all-natural ingredient that is found in many natural skin lightening creams we use today. The acid itself is fermented from rice and fungus, allowing the element to have a longer shelf life compared to hydroquinone, which can go bad quickly when exposed to air. Because Kojic acid isn’t a harsh chemical agent, it slowly bleaches the skin at a slower rate until achieving a lighter complexion. Kojic acid would be ideal for those that have sensitive skin or mild cases of dark pigmentation such as freckles.
As an alternative, you may consider finding other products that contain mulberry, madder, arbutin, and bearberry to lighten or fade your skin naturally and effectively. Once absorbed and broken down, these ingredients perform like hydroquinone would, by breaking down melanin pigments in the skin to achieve a lighter complexion.
If you want to speed up the skin lightening process, you could consider combining a mild formulation of hydroquinone with a chemical peel such as salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acid. These acids act as an exfoliant for the skin to remove old or damaged skin cells, allowing the hydroquinone to penetrate quickly into the skin, thus speeding up the process of lighter pigmentation.
Other Effective Treatments to Remove Freckles
Apart from using lightening creams and serums to remove or fade the appearance of freckles, you can also resort to other methods. Here are just a few:
Laser IPL Treatments
This treatment involves the use of a precise laser of pulsating light beams to tackle dark blemishes or skin irregularities. After clinical trials were performed, it was determined that laser treatments were a success for more than 60% of the participants who underwent the procedure. However, there were some side effects from the laser, leaving some experiencing redness, swelling, itching, and peeling of the skin.
In terms of recovery, it can take up to two weeks to fully heal from a single treatment. In most cases, more treatments are required to ensure effective results.
Chemical Peel
Having a chemical peel performed by a certified dermatologist is another option to fade the appearance of unwanted freckles or sun spots. The doctor may opt to use glycolic acid or trichloroacetic acid to penetrate deeper into the skin, past the epidermis. This treatment is more invasive compared to an at-home exfoliating treatment and may cause redness, irritation, burning, and swelling. Typically, the recovery period is around the two-week mark to heal completely. Keep in mind, a daily care routine is required to ensure a smooth healing process.
Cryosurgery
Some dermatologists offer treatments known as cryosurgery, which is a surgery to remove large spots on the skin. This involves the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze or kill abnormal skin cells on the dermis. The recovery period is usually only a few days with no after-care required.
Topical Creams with Active Retinoid Compounds
If you are someone who suffers from acne, then you may be familiar with retinoids. Retinoids are a chemical compound derived from Vitamin A. Retinoids are used in skin lightening products to promote cell turn-over, stimulate collagen, and elastin production. Not only are retinoid creams excellent for treating forms of acne, but they also tackle dark blemishes and age spots. However, some creams with high amounts of retinoids can cause irritation and dryness.
Home Remedies for Freckle Removal
At-home remedies usually are not as effective as commercial fade creams or to a dermatologist performing the treatments. However, on the other hand, home remedies are much less expensive and can sometimes actually work!
By combining ingredients like Vitamin C, grapefruit juice, yogurt, and buttermilk, you can concoct a simple skin lightening agent that works. Ideally, you want to stay consistent with use, applying the substance regularly and leaving it on the skin for a minimum of 10 minutes before rinsing it off. Just remember, this isn’t a “quick fix” to fading dark spots and will take much longer to see anything noticeable.
Why Can the Removal of Freckles Take Longer?
We often see this question gets asked a lot and we have the answer for it. Freckles can take as little as a few weeks to as long as a few months to fade completely. The reason behind this is because of the UV damage that has occurred over the last few years that contributed to the slow development of these dark freckles known as sunspots. While fade creams work to prevent this from happening, they can’t undo the damage done quickly enough, resulting in an extended time to lighten the area.
Some common ingredients to speed the process up and remove unwanted dark spots are exfoliants such as alpha hydroxy acids. However, they too require time to work effectively. We recommend sticking with freckle removal creams or mild skin lighteners for at least a month. By that time, you should notice some visible results and a slight change in the color of the area that you applied the cream. If you’re not satisfied with a product you’re using, some companies may offer a “money-back guarantee.” Always check before purchasing a product to see if you can return it.
If you’re in a rush to achieve faster results, we advise meeting with a dermatologist to evaluate your skin and decide treatment options.
How to Use Hydroquinone Safely
Hydroquinone is very controversial skin lightening chemical that has been talked about over the years, with the main issue revolving around how products containing hydroquinone are manufactured, as opposed to the chemical itself.
In rare instances, there is a possibility to develop patches of darkened skin as a result of hydroquinone being overused. We recommend always testing a small amount of product that contains hydroquinone on the back of the hand first to see how the skin may react to it. If you don’t experience irritation after the “test application,” then it’s safe to use on larger areas. Some people may experience redness or itchiness when using hydroquinone, which usually goes away after applying for a short amount of time.
Don’t ever use hydroquinone near your mouth, nose, or eyes to avoid the risk of burning or irritation. We advise against using medicated products over the same area where hydroquinone is being dispersed. Be aware, combining benzoyl peroxide with hydroquinone can result in darkening of the skin.
Once the skin has been washed, cleansed, and dried, you can begin applying freckle removal creams. Use as directed on the package and always follow-up every treatment with a moisturizer or sunscreen.
Lastly, always keep hydroquinone stowed away inside an airtight container. Please pay attention to the expiration date as well, as the product itself can lose its effectiveness when past the expiration.
The Best Fade Creams to Remove Freckles
Amaira Skin Lightening Serum
This serum is wholly organic and commonly used for treating different forms of hyperpigmentation and discoloration. However, it doesn’t stop there. This skin lightening serum also tightens the skin and reduces the presence of visible scars, freckles, and other forms of discoloration.
The Amaira Skin Lightening Serum combines naturally active ingredients such as mulberry extract, orchid extract, and kojic acid to formulate this skin lightener.
We like this product because it is packed with rich ingredients to help tackle unflattering blemishes and boost the skin’s natural radiance. Another great bonus to this serum is that it can be used on all parts of the body and it is FDA approved!
You can find this skin lightening serum on Amaira’s Website.
Organys Skin Brightening Cream
The Organys Skin Brightening Creams is formulated with safe ingredients that won’t irritate or damage the skin. This cream does not contain fragrances, sulfates, gluten, or phthalates, making it safe to use on all skin types.
The main ingredients used to formulate the product are amino acids and yeast proteins. There are no traces of hydroquinone in the products ingredient list.
Made up of all-natural ingredients, this skin brightening cream contains vitamin E, arbutin, resveratrol, Mallow Extract, green tea, and additional botanical elements to help combat dark blemishes and freckles.
We especially love that there is a 45-day return policy if you don’t like the product.
Give it a try today!
You can find this product on Amazon.com.