Popping a pimple is incredibly satisfying. But, having to stare at the acne scar left behind is irritating to say the least. Fortunately, the results of your actions don’t have to last forever. There are products that help fade acne scars from your otherwise flawless skin.
“There are various treatment options available for acne scars, including topical creams as well as procedures like laser therapy, chemical peels, and microneedling,” board certified dermatologist, Faranak Kamangar, told 21Ninety.
If you have a medium to deep skin complexion, you should avoid products that have large amounts of hydroquinone in them.
“Hydroquinone needs to be used with caution in patients with darker skin tones, because it can cause hypopigmentation,” board certified dermatologist David Li, MD, MBA, told 21Ninety.
What Is Best for Fading Acne Scars?
Even though laser treatments, chemical peels, and microneedling fade acne scars, they can be costly procedures – and irritating to sensitive skin types. Over-the-counter creams and serums are an effective treatment method when it comes to fading acne scars.
“My take is that anything over the counter can work well so long as it has an evidence-based ingredient, including retinols, kojic acid, differin, and AHA/BHA,” Dr. Li said.
If your skin is sensitive to retinols, azelaic acid, tranexamic acid, and the aforementioned kojic acid are “safe and less irritating” options to try according to Dr. Kamangar.
No matter what serums or exfoliants you decide to reach for, a tinted sunscreen is essential in fading acne scars. “
For patients with medium to deep skin tones, we need to also add in a tinted sunscreen with iron oxide to protect against hyperpigmentation from the visible light spectrum,” Dr. Li mentioned.
The combination of sun protection and a treatment (serum or exfoliant) will help you to fade your acne scars within about eight months.
- Best Azelaic Acid: Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster
- Best Dermatologist-Recommended Serum: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
- Best Kojic Acid Serum: Seoul Ceuticals Kojic Acid Serum
- Best Retinol: RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Night Capsules
- Best Tinted Sunscreen: Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation
- Best Tranexamic Acid: Naturium Tranexamic Acid Brightening Face Serum
Best Azelaic Acid
Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster
Dr. Kamangar suggests reaching for azelaic acid if you are sensitive to retinol. The Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is a lightweight oil-free product that you can add to your moisturizer or serum to help you fade your acne scars. The booster also has 0.5% salicylic acid in it to help smooth your skin too.
Best Dermatologist-Recommended Serum
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
Dr. Kamanger specifically named the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic as one to try. The fast-absorbing serum contains a combination of L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), alpha tocopherol (vitamin E), and ferulic acid. Together it helps to fade your scars while protecting your skin from environmental damage.
Best Kojic Acid Serum
Seoul Ceuticals Kojic Acid Serum
Seoul Ceuticals’ Kojic Acid Serum contains the star ingredient that was recommended by both dermatologists. It’s an unscented vegan serum that evens your skin tone while minimizing visual signs of scarring and sun damage. It also contains glycolic acid which is an AHA. So, you’re getting the previously mentioned benefits along with a gentle exfoliation in one product.
Best Retinol
RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Night Capsules
Dr. Li noted that RoC’s line of retinol is an over-the-counter option to reach for. The Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Night Capsules are potent little individually encapsulated treatment pods with a well-protected combination of retinol and ceramides. That way, you’re getting a highly concentrated dose with every use.
Best Tinted Sunscreen
Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation
Both dermatologists said that tinted sunscreen is the way to go when you need to fade acne scars since the iron oxides provide more protection from the sun than a non-tinted product. Tower 28 Beauty’s SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation is a reef-safe fragrance-free SPF that dries down to a natural finish. More importantly, it comes in 17 shades.
Best Tranexamic Acid
Naturium Tranexamic Acid Brightening Face Serum
Tranexamic acid is another ingredient Dr. Kamangar suggested trying. Naturium’s Tranexamic Acid Brightening Face Serum is a fragrance-free vegan serum that helps fade acne scars. This product also contains kojic acid to boost its efficacy in evening out your skin tone.
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