Meladerm Reviews 2024

Welcome to my comprehensive review of the bestselling skin lightening cream, Meladerm!

If you're reading my post right now, I'll bet you've already visited the official Meladerm website, skimmed through customer reviews on Amazon (which, by the way, does not sell Meladerm), and perhaps glossed through a few websites before landing on mine.

But now you're on the fence about whether Meladerm is the real deal or just overpriced moisturizer (I mean, is it really $58 for a 1.7 oz bottle?)

Can Meladerm really improve your hyperpigmentation, including dark spots, age spots, melasma, post-acne marks, and uneven skin tone?

That is the key question of this Meladerm review.

But before I begin, I'd also like to tell you how our approach is different from other websites.

We don't just regurgitate the same information from the company; rather, we put products under the magnifying glass and investigate their effectiveness based on medical research.

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Meladerm

$62.00

For best results, Meladerm is a potent skin lightening cream with natural ingredients and no hydroquinone.

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Meladerm Review

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Formulated without hydroquinone, Meladerm is a plant-based skin lightening cream featuring over 10 active skin brightening ingredients developed from 20+ years of clinical research.

What Is Meladerm?

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Meladerm is a bestselling skin lightening cream with an extensive list of plant-based ingredients, including many well-known brightening agents like kojic acid and alpha arbutin.

The product is manufactured by Civant Skin Care, a company that was founded in 1999 to create a dedicated skincare line for treating hyperpigmentation. Meladerm was subsequently released in 2003 after four years of research and development, including clinical trials and laboratory studies.

Most notably (and especially at the time of its release), Meladerm does not include hydroquinone, a popular ingredient used in many over-the-counter and prescription-grade skin lightening creams.

You may have heard of hydroquinone already, as it's the key ingredient in many skin lighteners (like this one by Admire My Skin) and dark spot correctors (like this one by Murad).

However, hydroquinone is a controversial ingredient because:

• On the one hand, it's proven to be very effective for hyperpigmentation and has been prescribed by dermatologists for skin conditions like melasma since the 1950s.
• On the other hand, there's concern that hydroquinone may be linked to cancer based on preliminary evidence from animal studies. In addition, a few cases of exogenous ochronosis (skin darkening) have been reported in individuals with a history of hydroquinone usage.
• For these reasons, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) proposed to ban over-the-counter 2% hydroquinone products back in 2006 (the final decision is still pending).

By the way, if you'd like to learn more about hydroquinone or you're considering a product with hydroquinone, I've written a full guide to help you understand the potential risks.

And now, back to Meladerm.

With this context, we can see that Civant Skin Care was very much ahead of the industry when it decided to exclude hydroquinone and instead focus on natural, plant-based ingredients.

In my opinion, this is the main reason for the product's continued success in the past 20 years.

In addition, the company pays a lot of attention to its manufacturing process & packaging design:

• It states that, "light and air can easily deteriorate substances like kojic acid [while] other ingredients must be carefully stored in vacuum desiccators to preserve their shelf life."
• That's why Civant uses airless dispensers that push product out using a vacuum & piston rather than conventional pump & straw models that push air into the container to force product out (which would accelerate oxidation or "spoilage" of the sensitive ingredients).

Furthermore, the company claims that it takes "great effort to micronize and filter all active ingredients and extracts for superior efficiency" and uses "proper carriers and liposomes to ensure that the active ingredients are absorbed deeply into the skin". (source: Civant Skin Care)

In other words, Civant Skin Care really knows what they're doing: combining medical research with manufacturing best practices to create an effective skincare product.

Finally, Meladerm is only available through the official website (not at Amazon or Walmart).

In truth, I think Civant does this to maintain control over their product distribution and prevent potential resellers from undercutting them. In practice, however, the official website has the best price ($50 for 1 bottle, $80 for 2 bottles) plus a 30-day money back guarantee.

What Makes Meladerm Unique?

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No Hydroquinone

As I mentioned in the previous section, the main difference between Meladerm and your typical drugstore skin lightening cream is the notable absence of hydroquinone as the active ingredient.

In 2006, the US FDA proposed to ban over-the-counter 2% hydroquinone products, citing multiple concerns including a potential link to cancer and reports of adverse side effects (skin darkening).

However, this proposal has not yet been finalized so you can still obtain 2% hydroquinone creams without a prescription in the United States, although it has been moved to prescription-only in other countries including the European Union, Japan, and Australia.

Plant-Based Ingredients

Instead of hydroquinone, Meladerm uses a mixture of natural ingredients and plant-based extracts.

These include over 10+ skin brightening & skin whitening agents:

• Bearberry Extract (Beta Arbutin)
• Emblica Fruit Extract
• Kojic Acid
• Lemon Extract
• Licorice Root Extract
• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
• Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C)
• White Mulberry Root Extract
• Alpha Arbutin
• GigaWhite™
• SymWhite®
• Sepiwhite™

Each ingredient was chosen for its skin lightening properties as demonstrated in clinical studies.

I'll discuss each one in more detail under the "Meladerm Ingredients" section.

Commitment to Clinical Research

Remember when I said that Civant Skin Care was founded in 1999 to create a dedicated skincare line for hyperpigmentation? It wasn't until four years later, in 2003, that Meladerm was released.

Now, four years is a long time. Enough to finish a college degree or complete a presidential term.

It's entirely possible that the Civant team experimented with hundreds of different formulas during those initial years before they were satisfied with the final product.

In a world where companies are razor-focused on short-term results, it's nice to find one that takes the slower but longer-term approach to building its business: by first creating an excellent product.

High-Quality Airless Dispenser

Most skincare ingredients have a "best before" date and just as a sliced apple browns over time, these ingredients will slowly oxidize (or "spoil") and lose their effectiveness.

An airless dispenser is one way to counteract this natural oxidation process by preventing air from entering the container. Another important step is blocking light exposure (artificial or sunlight) which may cause some ingredients to become unstable (such as Vitamin C).

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Civant uses an airless dispenser and an opaque container to protect the sensitive ingredients from air and light exposure. This means you'll get effective formulations with every pump.

You can do your part by storing Meladerm (and all your skincare products) in a cool, dark area to reduce heat exposure which can denature proteins and render active ingredients useless.

Who Should Use Meladerm?

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Meladerm is designed to reduce the appearance of your hyperpigmentation, including dark spots, age spots (liver spots), melasma, sun damage, post-acne marks, and uneven skin tone. It can also be used to brighten your overall complexion and improve areas of blotchy or patchy skin.

However, Meladerm is not what you would call a "skin whitener". It does not whiten the skin as some fairness products do (such as CaroWhite).

Remember, most fairness products use hydroquinone to "shut down" melanin production in order to artificially lighten your skin's natural color.

Meladerm, on the other hand, is what you would call a "skin brightener". What it does is slow down melanin production only from overactive melanocytes that are producing way too much, thereby fading away unwanted dark spots, age spots, melasma, post-acne marks, and uneven skin tone.

Dark Spots

Dark spots can be caused by a whole myriad of reasons. Sometimes they show up out of the blue, while other times they are left behind by a really bad pimple or a lifetime of sun exposure.

Age Spots

As the name suggests, age spots become more common as we get older and are caused by both accumulated sun damage and the natural aging process. Also known as sun spots or liver spots.

Melasma

Often called the "mask of pregnancy", melasma is a skin condition that plagues many women for years after childbirth (it's also triggered by birth control, sun damage, and certain medications).

Melasma is characterized by patches of discoloration on the forehead, cheeks, nose, and upper lips.

Post-Acne Marks

Sometimes called "acne scars" (which is inaccurate, as acne scars mean damaged skin texture), post-acne marks are left behind after a pimple has healed. These types of dark spots are caused by excess melanin deposits that form during the body's immune response to inflammatory acne.

Uneven Skin Tone

When your skin produces an unequal distribution of melanin, the result is a blotchy appearance known as uneven skin tone. Sun exposure, hormones, and stress are all likely contributors.

How Does Meladerm Work?

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In short, Meladerm works by restricting melanin production by overactive melanocytes in your skin.

Hence the name Meladerm (mela comes from Ancient Greek meaning "black" or "dark").

Here's what you need to know about the "mela" family:

• Melanin: this important pigment is responsible for your skin color and helps protect your body from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, such as UVA and UVB rays from sun exposure. Think of melanin as your body's natural form of sunscreen (it's why we get "tan" from sunbathing).
• Melanocytes: these specialized cells produce melanin and are found in the bottom layer of the epidermis. The melanin pigments are packaged into melanosomes and then transferred to keratinocytes (normal skin cells) to provide UV protection and help prevent skin cancer.
• Melanosomes: these specialized cell organelles are the "factories", "warehouses", and "trucks" that produce, store, and transport melanin from melanocytes to keratinocytes.

The key cause of hyperpigmentation is excessive melanin production by overactive melanocytes.

Meladerm aims to solve this problem by inhibiting the chemical process through which melanin is created in the first place. This process involves an enzyme called tyrosinase which oxidizes the amino acid tyrosine to produce melanin (don't worry, this won't be on the test!).

By using ingredients that can deactivate the tyrosinase enzyme (also called anti-tyrosinase agents), Meladerm is able to control and reduce the level of melanin production, which is why dark spots will gradually clear up and your overall complexion will look brighter over time.

These ingredients include well-known tyrosinase inhibitors like vitamin C, kojic acid, and beta arbutin. Speaking of, let's now take a deeper look at the active ingredients in Meladerm.

Meladerm Ingredients

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Meladerm contains over 10+ active ingredients:

1. Bearberry Extract (Beta-Arbutin)
2. Emblica Fruit Extract
3. Kojic Acid
4. Citric Acid (Lemon Extract)
5. Licorice Root Extract
6. Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
7. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C)
8. White Mulberry Root Extract
9. Alpha Arbutin
10. GigaWhite™
11. SymWhite®
12. Sepiwhite™

You can find the full ingredient list here.

Below, I've analyzed each ingredient to evaluate its effectiveness for fading dark spots.

1. Bearberry Extract (Beta-Arbutin)

Bearberry extract is derived from the Uva Ursi plant (which means "bear's grape" in Latin) and contains a natural derivative of hydroquinone called beta-arbutin (or just arbutin).

Research has shown that arbutin has anti-tyrosinase properties in laboratory tests. This extract has also demonstrated clinical efficacy in the treatment of melasma patients in two separate studies (The Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology, 2018).

However, the authors of the studies note that further research is required.

2. Emblica Fruit Extract

Emblica fruit extract is derived from the Indian gooseberry plant (Phyllanthus emblica). It may provide significant brightening benefits at moderate concentrations.

Two studies have been published on emblica fruit extract; however, both examine its effect in combination with other extracts like licorice root or kojic acid (rather than stand-alone treatment).

These studies concluded that formulations of emblica fruit extract with licorice root and belides, or with kojic acid and glycolic acid, proved to be equally as effective as 2% and 4% hydroquinone, respectively (Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia, 2010 and Cutis, 2010).

3. Kojic Acid

Kojic acid is a natural ingredient derived from mushrooms and is a powerful tyrosinase inhibitor.

In addition to being used as a skin brightener, kojic acid is also used to prevent food spoilage thanks to its antioxidant properties.

Clinical results, however, have been mixed:

• One study found that a cream with 0.75% kojic acid and 2.5% vitamin C was less effective than 4% hydroquinone for melasma treatment (Indian Journal of Dermatology, 2013)
• Another study found that a formulation of kojic acid, emblic fruit extract, and glycolic acid was equally as effective as 4% hydroquinone for facial dyschromia (Cutis, 2010)
• A third study found that 1% kojic acid combined with 2% hydroquinone produced the best results, compared to stand-alone formulas (Indian Journal of Dermatology, 2013)

4. Citric Acid (Lemon Juice)

Lemon juice contains small amounts of vitamin C, citric acid, and niacinamide. However, you should not use raw lemon juice on your face at home due to the low levels of active ingredients (about 0.04% vitamin C, 5% citric acid, and 0.0001% niacinamide) and potential skin irritation.

In Meladerm, lemon juice is most likely being used for its high citric acid content. Citric acid is used to exfoliate your skin (it's an alpha hydroxy acid) and lower the pH of skincare products.

5. Licorice Root Extract

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) contains two extracts that may help improve hyperpigmentation:

• The main extract is glabridin. Researchers have shown that glabridin is 16x more powerful than hydroquinone in lab experiments! (Pigment Cell Research, 1998)
• The second one is liquiritin. This reduces uneven skin tone by distributing melanin more evenly (The Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology, 2018).

6. Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

Niacinamide is an active form of vitamin B3 found in yeast and root vegetables. It works a bit differently from traditional skin brightening agents that inhibit the tyrosinase enzyme.

Niacinamide works by preventing melanosomes (the "warehouses" that store melanin) from being transferred to keratinocytes (normal skin cells) by melanocytes (cells that produce melanin). This means less melanin reaches the surface of your skin, resulting in fewer dark spots and patches.

Studies on niacinamide have shown strong clinical results for the treatment of hyperpigmentation (The Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology, 2018).

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7. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C)

Vitamin C is a powerhouse ingredient in skincare and for good reason (Nutrients, 2017):

• It exhibits anti-tyrosinase properties (which means it reduces melanin production)
• It is an anti-oxidant and free radical scavenger (which means it prevents free radical damage such as UV radiation from sun exposure)
• It promotes collagen production (which helps smooth out wrinkles and "fill in" indented scars)

8. White Mulberry Root Extract

This ingredient is derived from dried mulberry leaves and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.

One study found that 75% mulberry extract provided significant improvement in melasma patients compared to a placebo (Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011).

9. Alpha-Arbutin

Alpha-arbutin is a chemically modified version of beta-arbutin that is even more powerful as demonstrated in lab experiments (Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2004).

In a company-sponsored study, women were more satisfied with the results using alpha-arbutin compared to beta arbutin for fading age spots.

10. GigaWhite™

Gigawhite is a blend of 7 organically grown Swiss alpine plants. It was the result of testing hundreds of plant species for their tyrosinase inhibiting properties.

Studies show that Gigawhite produces a significant skin brightening effect.

11. SymWhite®

SymWhite is an antioxidant derived from the bark of pine trees. It's used for skin brightening but without the side effects of harsh ingredients.

Studies suggest that SymWhite is as equally as effective as kojic acid.

12. Sepiwhite™

Sepiwhite is derived from phenylalanine, an essential amino acid. According to the manufacturer, this compound inhibits melanin synthesis from the hypothalamus.

Studies show that a significant reduction in hyperpigmentation may occur after 8 weeks.

Meladerm Reviews

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Overall, Meladerm reviews have been generally positive:

• Many users noticed gradual improvements in dark spots and melasma over 3-12 months
• Many users said Meladerm helped them achieve brighter and more even skin tone
• Most people said Meladerm had a smooth consistency like a moisturizer or lotion
• Some users experienced side effects including dryness, redness, and irritation
• Other users did not notice significant results for their hyperpigmentation, particularly in comparison to prescription-grade 4% hydroquinone creams
• Almost all users recommend buying Meladerm from the official website instead of third-party Amazon sellers (official website has the lowest price and a 30-day money-back guarantee)

"Works for melasma!!!"

"Great for any kind of scar..."

"Best pigment corrector I have ever used!"

Video Review by Dermatologist Dr. Davin Lim

Meladerm Before and After

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Here are some sample before and after pictures:

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Meladerm Side Effects

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Meladerm is not without its side effects, which may include:

• Irritation
• Redness
• Peeling
• Allergies (for some people)
• Slight darkening in the first few days
• Increased sun sensitivity

Make sure to apply a broad spectrum sunscreen (SPF 50+) during the course of your treatment. It's also a good idea to do a patch test on your arm or back of the neck first.

Where to Buy Meladerm

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Currently, Meladerm is only sold on the official Civant Skin Care website.

Unfortunately, it's not available at retailers like Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, or CVS.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Is Meladerm safe?

Yes, Meladerm is safe for your skin. Unlike some skin bleaching products, Meladerm does not include hydroquinone, mercury, steroids, or harsh chemicals.

How long does Meladerm take to work?

Initial results are usually seen within 2-4 weeks with full results after 2-3 months of regular use.

As with any skincare product, your mileage may vary (YMMV).

If you don't see any results, you should contact the company for a full refund within 30 days.

How long does a bottle of Meladerm last?

The 1.7 oz (50 mL) bottle should last about 7 weeks if used for treating your entire face. It dispenses about 1 mL per pump (50 pumps for the entire bottle).

Can Meladerm be used by pregnant women or nursing mothers?

The safety of Meladerm for pregnant women and nursing mothers has not yet been established. The company advises waiting until after pregnancy or nursing to use Meladerm.

Is Meladerm vegan? Is there any animal testing?

Yes, all Meladerm products are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. The company is also part of the PETA Beauty without Bunnies program.

Where should I store it?

For long-term storage (over 1 year), keep it in a fridge to preserve ingredient potency. During usage, keep the product in a cool and dry place.

Where is Meladerm manufactured?

Meladerm is manufactured in the United States in an FDA registered facility.

Is it available outside the US?

Yes, international shipping is available to almost every country. Additional shipping fees will apply.

Is there a money back guarantee?

Yes, the company offers a 30 day money back guarantee for new customers. This is a full refund less shipping costs and they require the product to be returned.

The Bottom-Line

I hope you enjoyed my Meladerm review!

I recommend Meladerm as an alternative to traditional skin bleaching creams with hydroquinone for fighting off dark spots, age spots, melasma, post-acne marks, and uneven skin tone.

It's an effective product with an extensive plant-based ingredient list backed by a reputable manufacturer with over 20 years of experience and thousands of satisfied customers.

But don't forget that time and consistency are just as important! It may take many months of regular and consistent usage before you see the full results for your skin.

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