The 10 Best Skin Lightening Creams for Hyperpigmentation (2020 Update)

Today, I’m going to discuss the best skin lightening cream for hyperpigmentation (spoiler: my top pick is Meladerm).

Hyperpigmentation, like dark spots, age spots, melasma, uneven tone, and acne marks, bothers many people as it’s both aesthetically undesirable and a visible sign of aging.

There are thousands of skincare products on the market that claim to treat hyperpigmentation, including chemical peels, vitamin C serums, and skin lightening creams.

In this post, I’ll cover the last category and present my top product recommendations based on the medical research and customer feedback. Let’s get started! ⭐

RELATED:

• The 10 Best Chemical Peels for Hyperpigmentation
• The 10 Best Vitamin C Serums for Hyperpigmentation

What Is The Best Skin Lightening Cream for Hyperpigmentation?

Here are the best skin lightening creams for hyperpigmentation:

1. Best Overall Cream: Meladerm by Civant Skin Care
2. Best Budget Cream: QRxLabs Whitening Cream
3. Best Glycolic Acid Cream: Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Glycolic Night Cream
4. Best Vitamin C Cream: Sunday Riley C.E.O. Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream
5. Best Retinol Cream: Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream
6. Best Hydroquinone Cream: Murad Rapid Age Spot & Pigment Lightening Serum
7. Best Dark Spot Corrector: Paula’s Choice Triple-Action Dark Spot Eraser 7% AHA Lotion
8. Best Spot Brightener: Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Targeted Spot Brightener
9. Best for Uneven Tone: Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector + Interrupter
10. Best for Redness: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment

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The 10 Best Skin Lightening Creams in 2020

1. Best Overall Cream: Meladerm by Civant Skin Care

Meladerm is my top pick because it’s an effective skincare product based on medical research, natural & plant-based ingredients, and over 20 years of industry experience.

RELATED:

• Meladerm Review

The product was first conceptualized in 1999 by a team of researchers at Civant Skin Care who wanted to create a product line specifically for hyperpigmentation.

After 4 years of research & development (including clinical trials), Meladerm was launched in 2003.

Meladerm has since become an international bestseller and received thousands of reviews from customers who said it helped fade dark spots, reduce melasma, and correct uneven skin tone.

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So why is Meladerm so popular? Here are a few reasons:

• It was one of the first skin lightening creams to exclude hydroquinone (I’ll talk about this later) and chose to focus on natural, plant-based ingredients instead
• It includes over 10+ skin brightening agents that are backed by medical research 🔬
• It uses a high-quality airless dispenser to keep these ingredients fresh and potent
• Finally, the company offers a 30-day money back guarantee

Now, before I discuss the ingredients, we need to address the “elephant in the room”: hydroquinone

• Hydroquinone has been used since the 1950s to treat pigmentation disorders like melasma and has had an excellent safety record for decades under dermatologist supervision (source: The Safety of Hydroquinone: A Dermatologist’s Response to the 2006 FDA Federal Register).
• In 2006, however, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced a proposed rule to ban over-the-counter (OTC) hydroquinone products (2% or lower), citing safety concerns over a potential link to cancer shown in some animal studies and reports of exogenous ochronosis (skin darkening) associated with prolonged use of hydroquinone in darker skinned people (source: The Federal Register, 2006).
• LA Times actually has a great article that summarizes the hydroquinone issue very clearly.
• As of today, the FDA has not finalized the proposed ban (likely due to inconclusive data).

While I don’t have time to discuss all the nuances of hydroquinone safety here, in a nutshell, it’s reasonably safe to use at low concentrations with adequate sun protection. Some dermatologists may advise you to “cycle on, cycle off” for 3 months at a time out of an abundance of caution.

For more information, check out my article on hydroquinone safety below:

• Is Hydroquinone Safe? A Complete Review of the Medical Data

Now, as you can imagine, many consumers started switching to non-hydroquinone alternatives as major news outlets featured headlines like “hydroquinone may cause cancer”.

(unfortunately, this is misleading as the data is inconclusive).

That’s why products like Meladerm quickly became a skincare staple for women who were previously using 2% over-the-counter or 4% prescription-grade hydroquinone creams.

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Moreover, Meladerm uses over 10+ skin brightening agents, most of which are plant-derived 🌿:

• Bearberry Extract (Beta Arbutin): extracted from the Uva Ursi plant, it is a natural derivative of hydroquinone that has demonstrated clinical efficacy for melasma patients in two studies (source: The Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology, 2018).
• Kojic Acid: a mushroom-based ingredient with antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase properties that helps boost the overall effectiveness of other ingredients in a skin lightening formula (sources: Cutis, 2010 and Indian Journal of Dermatology, 2013).
• Licorice Root Extract: studies show that licorice root contains two extracts: i) Glabridin, which was 16x more powerful than hydroquinone at inhibiting melanin in one study and ii) Liquiritin, which can help reduce uneven skin tone by distributing melanin more evenly (sources: Pigment Cell Research, 1998 and The Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology, 2018).

To learn more about the key ingredients, visit the official website or check out my full review.

Finally, the last thing that I noticed with Meladerm is that the company didn’t cut any corners when it comes to packaging design. Meladerm uses an airless dispenser that preserves the freshness and potency of the ingredients (which are sensitive to oxidation from air, light, and heat).

My Verdict: Meladerm is my top pick for a skin lightening cream to treat hyperpigmentation like dark spots, uneven tone, melasma, and post-acne marks. Instead of hydroquinone, Meladerm uses over 10+ skin brightening agents and an airless dispenser to keep them fresh and potent. 🤗

2. Best Budget Cream: QRxLabs Whitening Cream

QRxLabs Whitening Cream is my second pick because it’s a more affordable skin lightening cream that doesn’t compromise on product quality (it’s like a budget version of Meladerm).

You might know QRxLabs already if you’ve ever bought one of their bestselling chemical peels like the Glycolic Acid 30% Gel Peel or Glycolic Acid 20% Resurfacing Pads. Both are high-quality products that are featured in my full review of the best chemical peels for hyperpigmentation below:

RELATED:

• The 10 Best Chemical Peels for Hyperpigmentation

QRxLabs Whitening Cream is designed to fade hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanin synthesis through a combination of proven skin lightening agents:

• 2.0% Alpha Arbutin: a chemically modified version of beta arbutin that is even more powerful at reducing melanin production according to one clinical study (source: Civant Skin Care). An independent study showed that alpha arbutin reduced melanin production by 60% in a human skin model compared to controls (source: Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2004).
• 1.0% Kojic Acid: a mushroom-derived ingredient with antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase properties that helps boost the overall effectiveness of other ingredients in a skin lightening formula (sources: Cutis, 2010 and Indian Journal of Dermatology, 2013).
• Licorice Root Extract: studies show that licorice root contains two extracts: i) Glabridin, which was 16x more powerful than hydroquinone at inhibiting melanin in one study and ii) Liquiritin, which can help reduce uneven skin tone by distributing melanin more evenly (sources: Pigment Cell Research, 1998 and The Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology, 2018).

(all of these ingredients are found in Meladerm as well)

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I like that the ingredient list is super simple (13 in total) and uses organic coconut oil as the base.

Finally, customer reviews have been moderately positive with some who noticed fewer dark spots and more even tone while others did not see any results or complained about the product size.

It’s important to note that treating hyperpigmentation requires a ton of patience as your skin cells only turnover about once every 30 days (source: Epidermis and Its Renewal by Stem Cells).

My Verdict: QRxLabs Whitening Cream is my second pick as it’s a cheaper version of Meladerm that includes some (not all) of the same ingredients and does not compromise on product quality.

Special Coupon: Save more when you shop more at QRxLabs. Use promo code COMBO3 to save 10% on purchases of 3 products and promo code COMBO4 to save 15% on 4 products. 🤑

3. Best Glycolic Acid Cream: Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Glycolic Night Cream

Glycolic acid is a powerful alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps remove your dead skin cells and promote faster cell turnover, allowing your skin to reveal its natural brightness and smoothness! (source: A Practical Approach to Chemical Peels, 2018)

The Caudalie Brightening Glycolic Night Cream features Glycolic Acid and Papaya Extract for gentle exfoliation and cell renewal, while Viniferine (a.k.a. ε-viniferin or grapevine sap extract) helps brighten your dark spots and correct uneven skin tone (source: Caudalie and Google Patents).

RELATED:

• Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum Review

Viniferine (ε-viniferin) is a promising skincare ingredient discovered by Professor Joseph Vercauteren at the University of Montpellier in France. His extensive research into grape extracts and collaboration with Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas led to the creation of Caudalie in 1993. 🍇

Caudalie claims that ε-viniferin is 62 times more effective than traditional vitamin C for clearing up dark spots and for skin brightening purposes (source: Caudalie).

However, this claim requires further context and clarification. 🔬

A 2014 study led by Professor Vercauteren did indeed find that trans-ε-viniferin was 62x more effective than Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) at inhibiting melanin synthesis in mushroom tyrosinase (source: A Huge PVDF Adsorption Difference Between Resveratrol and ε-Viniferin Allows to Quantitatively Purify Them and to Assess Their Anti-Tyrosinase Property, 2014).

But this doesn’t mean that ε-viniferin is better or worse than conventional brightening ingredients because we simply don’t know how well it performs in real life (i.e. randomized clinical trials).

Nonetheless, it’s a very promising skincare ingredient that, judging by the positive reception of Caudalie products (many of which include Viniferine), is most likely an effective one, too! 🙂

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The Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Glycolic Night Cream can help you:

• Diminish the appearance of dark spots and blemishes
• Reduce uneven skin tone and increase overall radiance
• Smooth out skin texture and decrease pore sizes
• Hydrate and nourish the skin for a healthy-looking complexion

In terms of clinical results, Caudalie cites the following from a 56-day study with 21 volunteers:

• 100% visible results after the first night (this isn’t much of a statement, just a marketing line; one night is obviously not enough and you have to measure “how much” of a result)
• 90% found their dark spots were corrected (in other words, 19 out of 21 women were “satisfied” with their results. This does not mean their dark spots magically vanished though!)

Finally, here’s what some people had to say about the product:

• “I am a licensed esthetician. I was introduced to this product at the salon I am currently working at. I’m absolutely amazed by the results from this night cream. My skin hasn’t been this bright and glowing in years. My skin is very sensitive but you would never know…”
• “I am amazed by the fact how glowing my skin has been looking since I started using this night cream! It has a nice rich texture and a light scent to it. It never made my skin break out or anything but makes skin feel hydrated. I feel my pigmentation has gone down…”

My Verdict: The Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Glycolic Night Cream is an excellent addition to a family of grape-inspired products, featuring Glycolic Acid, Viniferine, and Papaya Extract, that helps diminish your dark spots, correct uneven skin tone, and promote a healthier glow. 🍇

4. Best Vitamin C Cream: Sunday Riley C.E.O. Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream

Vitamin C is one of the best skin brighteners and also provides substantial benefits for your skin, including antioxidant protection from free radical damage and increased collagen production (source: The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health, 2017).

RELATED:

• The 10 Best Vitamin C Serums for Hyperpigmentation

If you’re looking for a good vitamin C cream, the Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rich Hydration Cream is one of the most popular ones right now with 5% THD Ascorbate (a stable oil-based vitamin C derivative).

This level of vitamin C can help correct uneven tone and improve your skin’s overall radiance. 🤗

The key ingredients include:

• Exopolysaccharides: to protect your skin from pollution damage
• Lime Pearl: a natural source of AHAs for gentle exfoliation
• Bisabolol (Chamomile Flower): to soothe and calm sensitive skin

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One drawback of this product is there’s many types of alcohol present, including Alcohol Denat., which is known to be drying and potentially damaging to your skin (source: Paula’s Choice).

The overall formulation is also a bit too complicated for my liking with a total of 48 ingredients. (compare that with only 13 ingredients in QRxLabs Whitening Cream).

The Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rich Hydration Cream is perfect for those with dry to normal skin as it provides a ton of hydration for more supple and nourished-looking skin. People with more oily skin, however, said the product felt too greasy and sat on the skin surface rather than being absorbed.

My Verdict: The Sunday Riley C.E.O. is an excellent vitamin C cream to help brighten dark spots and correct uneven tone with 5% THD Ascorbate and a nourishing formula of flower/fruit waxes.

5. Best Retinol Cream: Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

The Drunk Elephant brand has massively exploded since its founding in 2012 by Tiffany Masterson. Mega hits like C Firma Day Serum and T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial dominate Sephora’s bestsellers list.

But did you know that Drunk Elephant also has a lesser-known A-Passioni™ Retinol Cream?

The “A” stands for Vitamin A (Retinol) and “Passioni” refers to another ingredient, Passionfruit Oil.

Retinol is a part of the Retinoid family which has been used since the 1940s for many skin conditions, including acne (such as Accutane), wrinkles and fine lines, uneven skin tone, and sun damage (source: Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2016).

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The A-Passioni Retinol Cream, in particular, combines the exfoliating benefits of Vitamin A (Retinol) with the hydrating properties of Vitamin F (Linoleic Acid) and a nourishing complex of Passionfruit, Apricot, Jojoba, and Marula Seed Oils, to reduce redness and irritation associated with retinol use.

In addition, Drunk Elephant included a peptide trio (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, and Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12) to boost the formula’s anti-aging and skin-firming benefits.

Like all Drunk Elephant products, the A-Passioni is free of essential oils, silicones, and fragrances.

Finally, customer reviews have been extremely positive, with some seeing smoother and clearer skin after a few weeks with reduced dark spots and post-acne marks. Others, however, found that the product was too strong for them and caused skin irritation.

My Verdict: Drunk Elephant is a massively successful clean beauty brand that’s taken a new twist on Vitamin A with its A-Passioni Retinol Cream loaded with skin boosting extracts and healthy oils.

6. Best Hydroquinone Cream: Murad Rapid Age Spot & Pigment Lightening Serum

For decades, hydroquinone has been the “gold standard” for treating hyperpigmentation and it remains a popular option at both over-the-counter levels (2.0%) and prescription levels (4.0%).

Hydroquinone is effective at resolving hyperpigmentary skin conditions like melasma, age spots, uneven tone, and sun damage, and has an excellent safety record across multiple decades (sources: Hyperpigmentation Therapy: A Review, 2014 and The Safety of Hydroquinone, 2006).

RELATED:

• Is Hydroquinone Safe? A Complete Review of the Medical Data

As I discussed previously (under Meladerm), there’s been some controversy over hydroquinone after the FDA published a proposed rule to ban over-the-counter hydroquinone products in 2006 (source: The Federal Register, 2006).

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However, some dermatologists responded to the FDA with counterarguments on hydroquinone:

• It has a strong safety record (no documented cases of malignancy across 40-50 years)
• The data on carcinogenicity (cancer) is inconclusive and based on animal studies only
• The most adverse side effects like exogenous ochronosis (skin darkening) were linked to unsupervised use of OTC products and/or use of unapproved formulations (in South Africa, hydroquinone products actually used to contain mercury before 1986!)

(sources: The Safety of Hydroquinone: A Dermatologist’s Response to the 2006 FDA Federal Register and The Safety of Hydroquinone, 2006)

Long story short, hydroquinone is extremely effective and has been used safely for decades. 👍

But it’s important to choose the right hydroquinone product (if you’re buying over-the-counter) and use it in accordance with medical guidelines or under a dermatologist’s supervision.

My top recommendation here is the Murad Rapid Age Spot & Pigment Lightening Serum.

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This is a 2% hydroquinone product created by dermatologist Dr. Howard Murad that does not require a doctor’s prescription (or an expensive appointment).

It also includes Glycolic Acid to help hydroquinone penetrate your skin better and Hexapeptide-2 to improve uneven skin tone and assist in reducing excess pigmentation (source: Murad). 🤗

There’s also Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Amino Acids, and Aloe Vera in the formula. On the other hand, I don’t like that there’s Alcohol Denatured (drying and potentially irritating) and Fragrance included.

Finally, customer feedback has been excellent, with ~2,500+ ratings on Ulta Beauty and Sephora. Comments included: fewer dark spots, more even skin tone, and less noticeable acne scars.

However, more critical reviews said this product did not improve their skin or caused a reaction.

My Verdict: Hydroquinone is a powerful treatment for hyperpigmentation (especially for melasma) and should not be feared, but respected, for its ability to fade dark spots and correct uneven tone. My top recommendation is Murad Rapid Age Spot & Pigment Lightening Serum which uses 2% Hydroquinone along with Glycolic Acid and Hexapeptide-2 to help brighten your complexion.

7. Best Brightener: Paula’s Choice Triple-Action Dark Spot Eraser 7% AHA Lotion

If you’re looking for a hydroquinone cream (or a more affordable hydroquinone product), I highly recommend taking a look at Paula’s Choice Triple-Action Dark Spot Eraser (only $29 for 1.0 oz 🤑).

This skin brightening lotion features the maximum level of over-the-counter 2% Hydroquinone along with 7% Glycolic Acid and antioxidants including Rosehip Oil and Vitamin E.

These ingredients work very much synergistically to remove dead skin cells, promote cell turnover, normalize melanin production (to keep dark spots at bay), and improve skin radiance & evenness.

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As we’ve discussed in this article, hydroquinone is perfectly safe for your skin, given decades of prescribed usage under dermatologist supervision without any reports of malignancy (cancer).

RELATED:

• Is Hydroquinone Safe? A Complete Review of the Medical Data

Since this product contains high levels of both hydroquinone and glycolic acid, make sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen as your skin will become more sensitive to sun exposure. ☀️

Finally, customer reviews have been very good, with reports of diminished age spots and brown spots, and cleared up dark spots and post-acne marks. Others said it helped with melasma, discoloration, and improved general signs of aging like dull, blotchy, and uneven skin tone.

My Verdict: Paula’s Choice is a high-quality brand with a more affordable hydroquinone cream that combines 2% Hydroquinone, 7% Glycolic Acid, and Antioxidants to fade your dark spots!

9. Best for Uneven Tone: Clinique Even Better Clinical Radical Dark Spot Corrector + Interrupter

The new Clinique Even Better Clinical Radical Dark Spot Corrector + Interrupter is actually an update of the Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector + Interrupter (dual chamber design), which was itself an upgrade of the OG Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector (single chamber design).

Feeling confused yet? 😵

Don’t worry, here’s what you need to know about this popular dark spot corrector.

RELATED:

• Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector Review

First off, this product actually contains two different serums:

1. CL-302 Complex: to correct dark spots
2. Interrupter Complex: to prevent dark spots

(these were previously housed in separate containers, but now they’re combined into one)

The CL-302 Complex is just a fancy marketing term used to describe the following ingredients:

• Dianella Ensifolia: a plant native to Southeast Asia that was discovered by researchers at Clinique Laboratories to have powerful antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase properties, showing even better results than 4% hydroquinone (source: Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010).
• Ascorbyl Glucoside: a vitamin C derivative that helps reduce hyperpigmentation and fight free radical damage (source: Stability, Transdermal Penetration, and Cutaneous Effects of Ascorbic Acid and Its Derivatives, 2012).
• Acetyl Glucosamine: increases production of hyaluronic acid and deactivates tyrosinase to treat hyperpigmentation (source: Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2006).
• Yeast Extract: breaks up clusters of melanin pigments into and reduces melanin production and melanosome transfer (source: Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 2015).
• Salicylic Acid: a beta hydroxy acid used to exfoliate dead skin cells and unclog pores

As you can see, CL-302 Complex contains a powerful combination of skin brightening agents that (surprisingly) hasn’t changed much since the release of the original Clinique Dark Spot Corrector.

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The Interrupter Complex contains a prevention formula that helps “interrupt” dark spots, kind of like how Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift in 2009… just a lot less cringy. It contains:

• Gyokuro Extract: a Japanese green tea cultivated in a special way. It contains high levels of Umami (antioxidant) along with Caffeine and Theanine (source: Clinique).
• Mulberry Root & Licorice Root Extract: additional plant-based skin lightening agents (both are found in the ingredient list of Meladerm as well)
• Rice Bran Extract: prevents future dark spots via antioxidant protection against free radicals

Finally, customer reviews have been very promising (although more limited in number). Some said it helped brighten dark spots, sun spots, and acne scars, and improved their skin tone, while others were disappointed that it didn’t work and only made their skin feel softer.

My Verdict: Clinique Radical Dark Spot Corrector + Interrupter helps smooth out uneven skin tone, reduce dark spots and age spots, and prevent future signs of hyperpigmentation. It’s a little pricey but comes packed with a proprietary blend of plant-based skin lightening agents.

Pro Tip: for fans of the original formula, you can still buy it today on Clinique’s official website.

10. Best for Redness: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment

Did you know that hyperpigmentation isn’t the only form of skin discoloration?

That’s right! There’s actually another skin condition called post-inflammatory erythema (redness).

This is particularly common in fairer-skinned individuals and includes skin redness, red spots, and the “tomato” face syndrome 🍅 (okay, I made that one up, but you get the point).

Researchers developed the term, post-inflammatory erythema (PIE), to describe the skin redness that plagued many patients long after their battle with inflammatory acne. According to the researchers, PIE is caused by damaged capillaries (small blood vessels) near the skin surface (source: Easy as PIE, 2013).

Effective treatments for PIE remain unclear, although the researchers of the same paper noted that laser resurfacing (specifically pulsed-dye laser) showed good results in two clinical cases.

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For mild cases of PIE, I recommend giving the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream a shot.

This K-Beauty product by South Korean dermatologist Dr. Sung Jae Jung is designed specifically to neutralize redness and protect your skin from environmental damage, using a combination of:

• Centella Asiatica (Tiger Grass): also called Indian Pennywort, this plant is found in Asia and contains the compounds madecassoside, madecassic acid, asiaticoside, and asiatic acid, which have wound healing properties and helps reduce inflammation levels in your skin (source: Centella Asiatica in Cosmetology, 2013).
• Herb Complex: restores skin strength with Houttuynia Cordata and Resurrection Plant
• Mineral Solution: repairs fatigued skin with sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium
• Raspberry Leaf Extract: high in antioxidants and helps soothe skin inflammation

Dr. Jart+ also provided a sample before/after photo which shows reduced redness (YMMV):

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Finally, customer reviews have been very positive on both Dr. Jart+ and Sephora, with many saying this product was a “holy grail” for their redness problems and helped with color correction.

My Verdict: If you struggle with constant redness (PIE), the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream is a great product to try out before considering more expensive treatments like laser resurfacing.