Dark spots from sun damage, acne or other skin issues can feel like a concerning speed bump on the road to smooth, clear skin. The good news is that a few small changes in your skin care routine have the potential to make a noticeable difference in the appearance of dark spots on your face.

The key is picking the right products to use daily to help improve the look of dark spots while simultaneously making a few easy lifestyle changes to prevent further damage from happening in the future. Let’s dig into five simple ways that will help jumpstart your journey to brighter, more even skin:

• Use an exfoliating cleanser

• Avoid picking at your skin

• Help heal sores with a medicated balm

• Treat dark spots daily

• Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen

  1. Use an exfoliating cleanser to wash your face

“Exfoliation is essential for skin cell turnover and its ability to regenerate 'new' skin,” says LovelySkin CEO and board-certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “This leads to a more radiant complexion and a fresher look as well. It also seems that the actives in skin products can penetrate more effectively when paired with exfoliation.”

LovelySkin LUXE Clarifying Gel Cleanser was designed by Dr. Schlessinger to help gently exfoliate and cleanse the skin. It contains three effective exfoliators—salicylic acid, glycolic acid and afaLUXE™, a proprietary blend of amino-based filaggrin antioxidants, Dead Sea minerals and vitamin C—to help eliminate blemishes and stimulate healthy cell turnover.

Revision Skincare Brightening Facial Wash is another option for a gentle facial cleanser that exfoliates your skin with glycolic acid without overdrying. It also contains vitamin C and licorice to help promote a more even skin tone.

2. Avoid picking at your skin

We’ve all been there. You see a pimple, and you pick at it. Your skin is peeling from a sunburn, and you peel it off.

“I always tell my patients it is a no-win situation when you pick at your skin,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “Although it seems like the right thing to do, it can cause unnecessary damage to your skin that can lead to dark spots, scarring or infection.”

Instead of picking at your skin, try a skin renewal treatment that gently exfoliates your skin as it actively works to heal blemishes, such as LovelySkin Exfoliating Gel Mild 11%.

Formulated by Dr. Schlessinger, this gel contains 11% afaLUXE™ to help exfoliate and remove dull skin cells to promote healthy cell turnover. It is formulated at a low pH, which means it has a higher acid content that essentially acts as an at-home chemical peel to rejuvenate your skin. While it is a powerful and effective treatment, it’s also gentle enough to be used nightly.

3. Help heal sores on your skin with hydrocortisone

Does hydrocortisone help skin discoloration? It’s certainly one option to keep in your skin care toolkit to help prevent dark spots. As acne heals, you may begin to see a brown or red mark appear on your skin where the blemish once was.

“Hydrocortisone has anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe the redness and swelling that accompanies post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “It can also help minimize irritation from drying acne treatments.”

Created by Dr. Joel Schlessinger and his son, Dr. Daniel Schlessinger, FixMySkin 1% Hydrocortisone Healing Body Balm Unscented contains hydrocortisone to help treat inflammation and assist your skin’s healing process. The use of hydrocortisone in this formula is designed to deeply penetrate the skin to reduce inflammation while shea and cocoa butters come together to moisturize and soothe the skin.

FixMySkin is versatile for a wide range of issues, including eczema, psoriasis, allergic reactions, insect bites and poison ivy. Plus, it comes in a convenient stick applicator, making it easy to carry with you for a quick on-the-go application.

4. Treat your dark spots

Dark spots can linger for weeks (or months) before they start to fade. Skin lighteners contain active ingredients that are designed to reduce discoloration in the skin. So, finding a gentle formula that can treat your existing dark spots as well as prevent future dark spots from forming is important to help you achieve a clear complexion.

Available by prescription through an in-person visit to Schlessinger MD or online telemedicine consultation, skin care treatments with hydroquinone and tretinoin can help diminish dark spots. Obagi Nu-Derm Clear is a prescription dark spot corrector cream with 4% hydroquinone.

“Hydroquinone helps fade dark spots by inhibiting the production of melanin in the skin,” Dr. Joel Schlessinger says. “Obagi does also make an over-the-counter version called Nu-Derm Clear FX that features arbutin to help improve discoloration. Though my patients do see results more quickly with the prescription Nu-Derm because it is stronger, they are both good options.” Obagi also makes tretinoin skin creams in concentrations of 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.1%, which can be prescribed for dark spots as well as acne.

As far as over-the-counter options go, Jan Marini Luminate Face Lotion is a hydroquinone-free solution that’s specially formulated to help with creating a more even tone, fading dark spots and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. With a powerful combination of ingredients including alpha-arbutin, retinol and concentrated green tea extract, this formula helps inhibit melanin production and increase healthy cell turnover. This product is ideal for all skin types, and with regular use, you can achieve a brighter and healthier-looking complexion.

Dr. Schlessinger and his award-winning Schlessinger MD Skin Research Center conducted the clinical trials on this exceptional treatment product and patient results were truly impressive, including a noticeable minimizing of dark spots with regular use.

Another option is the Cyspera Intensive System, a three-step regimen created to help diminish the appearance of solar lentigo (dark spots from sun exposure), hyperpigmented scars and post-acne marks. This kit contains an all-over treatment that you apply to unwashed skin, a neutralizing foam cleanser and a brightening moisturizer. You can learn more about the unique combination of active ingredients that power the Cyspera system on the LovelySkin Blog.

Innovative anti-aging skin care line SkinMedica also offers a customizable line specifically to target dark spots called SkinMedica Even & Correct Collection. The key ingredient in this line is SkinMedica’s proprietary LTN Complex, which works to diminish discoloration at six different pathways with lotus sprout extract, tranexamic acid and niacinamide.

Use sunscreen

Wearing a high-quality broad-spectrum sunscreen plays an important role in the process to improve dark spots. In addition to helping prevent skin cancer, wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen also protects your skin from harmful UVA rays, which is why you see dark spots appear on your face after being out in the sun. “If you want to save yourself some time without having to worry about treating future dark spots caused by sun damage, be diligent about wearing your sunscreen now,” Dr. Schlessinger says.

Colorescience Total Protection No-Show Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 is a personal favorite of Dr. Schlessinger’s. This mineral sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays with 10% zinc oxide, and it has a sheer, lightweight texture that looks invisible on most skin tones.

Choosing a tinted facial sunscreen can help blur existing dark spots and other skin imperfections. TIZO 3 Age Defying Fusion Tinted Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40 has a sheer tint that can be worn alone or under makeup. It protects against both UVA and UVB rays with 8% titanium dioxide and 3.8% zinc oxide, and it dries to a matte finish.

Another option is to try a face sunscreen that pulls double duty with broad-spectrum UV protection and active ingredients that help diminish dark spots over time. SkinCeuticals Daily Brightening UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 30 helps fade discoloration with 1% tranexamic acid, 2% niacinamide and 0.3% phenylethyl resorcinol and provides broad-spectrum SPF 30 protection with a blend of chemical sunscreen ingredients (3% avobenzone, 5% homosalate, 5% octisalate and 7.2% octocrylene).

Looking for more options to help you achieve a brighter, more even complexion? You can explore dermatologist-recommended tips, tricks and products that you need on the LovelySkin Blog, including the seven best ingredients to help improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation.