Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus+ Sub-D/Neck for skin with dark spots
Dmae
Niacinamide
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Glycerin
High
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for skin with dark spots; a few sunscreens fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dark spots: hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Excellent for your normal skin, this formula leverages niacinamide and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate to effectively address pigmentation concerns and provide antioxidant protection. These ingredients work synergistically to brighten your complexion and support overall skin health.
- The inclusion of ethylhexyl methoxycrylene offers robust UV protection, further enhancing the product's benefits for maintaining even skin tone.
- Safety is well-managed, with bisabolol providing soothing properties and an absence of harsh or irritating ingredients, ensuring a gentle experience for your normal skin.
How to apply
- Use this moisturizing sunscreen AM daily to protect your normal skin and fight dark spots.
- Apply this product as the final step of your morning routine after your moisturizer.
- Gently spread a coin-sized amount evenly over your face, avoiding rough rubbing.
- Apply this product on clean, dry skin for the best coverage and protection.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and reapply every two hours when outdoors.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 2.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users frequently report visible improvements in skin texture and firmness along the jawline and neck, describing the skin as smoother and more hydrated. A significant number of reviewers consistently complain about a strong, unpleasant scent often compared to pickles or fish, and some experience issues with the product pilling under makeup.
Highlights
Unpleasant smell Mostly Mentioned
- “smells like pickles”
- “fishy odor”
- “scent is unbearable”
- “funky chemical smell”
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “crepiness is gone”
- “skin feels smoother”
- “softens neck lines”
- “texture is refined”
Visibly tightens and firms Often Mentioned
- “jawline looks more defined”
- “helped with sagging skin”
- “tightened my turkey neck”
- “noticed firmness in weeks”
Hydrating formula Sometimes Noted
- “very moisturizing”
- “skin feels hydrated”
- “plumps the skin”
- “great for dry neck”
Lightweight and absorbent Sometimes Noted
- “absorbs quickly”
- “not greasy”
- “lightweight consistency”
- “sinks right in”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “too expensive”
- “pricey for the amount”
- “not worth the money”
- “cost is prohibitive”
Caused irritation Rarely Noted
- “broke my neck out”
- “caused red rash”
- “skin felt burning”
- “itchy reaction”
Pilling or flaking Rarely Noted
- “rolls off skin”
- “flakes when touched”
- “pills under makeup”
- “residue rubs off”
Sources: lovi.care, perriconemd.com, nordstrom.com, macys.com, ulta.com, dermstore.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Perricone MD Sub-D/Neck a great fit for skin with dark spots?
This product is a great fit for skin with dark spots because it uses niacinamide and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate to brighten dark spots and protect against the sun. These ingredients help fade uneven color while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for skin with dark spots?
This cream is a great fit for skin with dark spots because it includes niacinamide and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, which help brighten your complexion and fade pigment intensity. Niacinamide significantly decreases hyperpigmentation by suppressing pigment transfer, while tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate targets photoaging and dark spots with daily use.
What does DMAE do for skin with dark spots?
DMAE does not target dark spots, as it is mainly used to help firm aging skin and smooth the look of fine lines. Skin with dark spots needs brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide to help fade discoloration and even out skin tone.
What does Niacinamide do for skin with dark spots?
Niacinamide helps fade dark spots and uneven pigmentation by slowing down the transfer of pigment in the skin. It is generally well tolerated and may improve overall skin brightness with consistent use.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This cream goes in the morning routine as a moisturizer and sunscreen after your hydrating toner. It helps brighten your complexion and maintain an even skin tone while providing robust UV protection.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream in your morning routine before your sunscreen, but you should apply your retinol at night instead. Using this product during the day helps brighten dark spots with ingredients like niacinamide and vitamin C while protecting your skin from UV rays.
How often should I use this cream?
This moisturizing spf is a great fit to use daily in your morning routine. Using it regularly helps brighten your complexion, fade dark spots, and protect your skin from the sun.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This cream is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores, as it avoids harsh or irritating ingredients and features a gentle formula well-suited for your skin. It does not contain active ingredients that speed up cell turnover, so it will not cause purging.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).
What the research says
Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Daily application of 3% DMAE facial gel for 16 weeks safely and efficaciously mitigates forehead lines and periorbital fine wrinkles, improves lip shape and fullness and overall aging skin appearance, and increases skin firmness compared to placebo.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2005A gel containing 3% 2-dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) increased skin firmness, demonstrated by increased shear wave velocity in 30 volunteers compared to a formulation without DMAE.
Skin Research and Technology, 2002A DMAE-based formulation increased dermal and collagen fiber thickness in hairless mice and enhanced stratum corneum water content in human forearm skin compared to control formulations, without significantly modifying mechanical properties.
Die Pharmazie, 2009Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001
Ingredients
Water, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyester-8, Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Thioctic Acid, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Bisabolol, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Mannitol, Benzyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Isohexadecane, Polysilicone-11, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Aluminum Hydroxide
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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