Clinique's New Serum Is A Massive Breakthrough For Dark Spots

Dark spots are an equal opportunity offender, showing up no matter a person’s age, gender, skin type and ethnicity. Whether they appear following an acne breakout, sun exposure or as a result of the aging process, these clusters of melanated cells are often stubborn hitchhikers that stick around way longer than anyone has patience for.

Hyperpigmentation, like dark spots, is one of the top five concerns dermatologists treat in the United States¹. It also clocks in as one of top five concerns for groups with deeper pigmented skin types, such as African Americans and Latinas².

That’s why Clinique souped up its iconic spot corrector to unveil a fourth-generation iteration: Meet the Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Clearing Serum. It’s turbo charged all the properties that made it a hero product, and added on some new bells and whistles that really push it into MVP territory. Best of all, it’s appropriate for all skin types and tones: it works well on pale and dark skin tones alike, and is safe for all skin types.

First, by tackling surface-level exfoliation, the serum helps remove dulling dead skin cells atop the epidermis, revealing fresher cells underneath. By helping to speed up the rate at which melanated skin cells turn over, skin looks clearer, more even. Salicylic acid, the gold-standard beta-hydroxy acid is one of the ingredients responsible for this turnover.

A less-known fact about skin discoloration like dark spots is that it can be triggered by irritation in the skin. To account for that, the serum is formulated with two powerful actives to fight irritation. Glycyrrhetinic acid, a derivative of licorice, acts as a potent anti-irritant and helps calm skin by visibly reducing skin irritation that could trigger dark spots, and gyokuro, a green tea that’s hand-harvested in Japan, lends the product additional anti-irritant properties.

The third factor in successful spot correction is to fight them directly with powerful actives. The serum does that with a proprietary brightening molecule that has been bioengineered to mimic the botanical dianella ensifolia, found to have powerful brightening benefits. It works to visibly reduce dark spots.

And lastly, we get another top shelf ingredient for brightening: vitamin C. There’s a double shot of C in two gentle but powerful forms, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbyl glucoside—brightening antioxidants that help lead to a more even looking complexion.

With this cocktail of ingredients to slough, brighten and help prevent, this serum is a pigmentation all-rounder. In clinical studies, it showed a visible improvement of dark spots in both deeper and lighter skin tones.

Best of all, it goes on like a lightweight layer that can be sandwiched into an existing skincare routine without much hassle. Slather a sunscreen on for daytime, and as much hydration as your skin needs in the p.m., and it’s literally a complete regimen in itself. In addition to being fragrance-free, it’s also non-comedogenic so as not to clog pores, and is safe for sensitive skin.

This serum is doing the most, in the simplest way possible.