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St. Ives Renewing Collagen & Elastin Moisturizer for skin with dark spots

Average

  • AverageNormal Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for skin with dark spots; other moisturizers fit it 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

  • Offers moderate moisturizing for your normal skin due to glycerin and hydrolyzed collagen, which hydrate and improve elasticity, but these ingredients do not address your main goal of pigmentation.
  • The formula provides general skincare benefits suitable for normal skin, but lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target hyperpigmentation.
  • The product is safe for your normal skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh or prohibited ingredients.

How to apply

  • Could be used as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
  • Apply this moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your morning SPF.
  • Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing it too hard so it absorbs nicely.
  • For the best moisture, you can apply it when your skin is slightly damp. This helps your skin stay soft and happy.
  • Remember to avoid the eye area when applying. Always do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.6Overall rating based on 22.8k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this moisturizer is widely praised as a budget-friendly "holy grail" for softening skin and smoothing fine lines without feeling heavy or greasy. While it is marketed for renewing skin with collagen and elastin, users with very dry or sensitive skin sometimes find the hydration insufficient or the fragrance irritating, though it remains a favorite for those seeking a lightweight, daily glow.

Highlights

  • Great value Mostly Mentioned
    • “huge tub lasts forever”
    • “unbeatable price for the amount”
    • “great bang for your buck”
    • “economical daily moisturizer”
  • Soft and smooth Mostly Mentioned
    • “makes my skin feel so soft”
    • “leaves skin silky smooth”
    • “texture feels plumper”
    • “softens rough patches”
  • Lightweight feel Often Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly”
    • “no greasy film”
    • “lightweight under foundation”
    • “doesn't clog pores”
  • Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
    • “smells fresh and clean”
    • “light pleasant scent”
    • “love the classic smell”
    • “scent isn't overpowering”
  • Jar packaging Sometimes Noted
    • “wish it had a pump”
    • “hate dipping fingers in”
    • “unsanitary jar packaging”
    • “prefer a squeeze tube”
  • Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “caused small bumps”
    • “broke me out in T-zone”
    • “clogged my pores”
    • “woke up with whiteheads”
  • Fragrance irritation Rarely Noted
    • “scent is too strong”
    • “fragrance irritated my eyes”
    • “caused redness due to perfume”
    • “wish it was fragrance-free”
  • Not for dry skin Rarely Noted
    • “not moisturizing enough for winter”
    • “skin felt dry an hour later”
    • “need to reapply often”
    • “too light for dry patches”

Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, walmart.com, influenster.com, youtube.com, reddit.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does St. Ives Collagen & Elastin work for skin with dark spots?

This moisturizer provides moderate hydration and helps improve skin elasticity, but it is only an average fit because it lacks brightening ingredients to target dark spots. A product of this type needs effective brightening ingredients and vitamins that align with pigmentation goals while continuing to provide gentle hydration for normal skin.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Dermatology Practical & Conceptual, 2022

Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for skin with dark spots?

This cream does not contain the key brightening ingredients needed to fade dark spots, even though glycerin and hydrolyzed collagen help keep skin hydrated and soft. A moisturizing treatment for skin with dark spots needs targeted brightening ingredients and soothing vitamins to handle dark spots while keeping skin smooth and healthy.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Dermatology Practical & Conceptual, 2022

What does Collagen do for skin with dark spots?

Collagen helps reduce skin pigmentation and calm redness when used regularly. It is unlikely to cause irritation and supports an even, smooth skin tone.

Dermatology and Therapy, 2022

What does Hydrolyzed Elastin do for skin with dark spots?

Hydrolyzed elastin helps keep skin soft and smooth, but it does not directly fade or treat dark spots. To effectively target dark spots, skin of this type needs brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide alongside moisturizers.

Where does it go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?

This moisturizer goes near the end of your morning and evening routines, right before sunscreen in the morning. While it hydrates well, skin with dark spots needs products that contain specialized brightening ingredients to effectively target pigmentation.

Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cream alongside retinol, applying the retinol first and following with this moisturizer to help keep your skin comfortable and hydrated. This type of product works well for basic hydration alongside active treatments, but skin with dark spots needs added brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide to truly fade dark spots.

Cutis, 2006

How often should I use it?

You can use this moisturizer daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. This helps keep normal skin soft and hydrated while ensuring a safe and gentle application.

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 clog pores or cause breakouts for skin with dark spots, as it has a safe profile for normal skin, though some reviewers have occasionally reported breakouts. To truly fade dark spots, a product of this type needs targeted brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide.

Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?

You can safely use this moisturizing treatment on your body and around your eyes. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and gentle emollients to care for the thin skin around the eyes and larger areas of the body.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, linalool, hexyl cinnamal, coumarin, and geraniol). Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.

What the research says

  • A 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, 2017
  • Both oral and topical collagen supplements help delay the skin aging process by improving moisture, elasticity, and hydration, with no differences arising between the two types of collagen.

    Dermatology Practical & Conceptual, 2022
  • The use of cosmetic products containing collagen or its peptides improves the general condition of the skin, reduces wrinkle depth, improves hydration and density, reduces transepithelial water loss, and delays the aging process, while oral bioactive collagen peptides also reduce nail breakage.

    Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 2024
  • Topical application of TAC/Collagen postbiotics gel improved skin moisture score and inflammation index, and reduced porphyrins and brown spots in 20 volunteers with acne vulgaris.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
  • Topical collagen tripeptide application improved skin wrinkles, elasticity, and density while reducing advanced glycated end products in 22 Asian women over 4 weeks.

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022
  • Marine collagen extracted from Greenland halibut skin showed a non-cytotoxic effect on fibroblast cells and provided a slight skin hydration effect when incorporated into cosmetic hydrogel formulations at dosages of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% in 23 healthy volunteers.

    Marine Drugs, 2023
  • Topical application of a 0.1% copper-zinc malonate-containing cream significantly enhanced elastin biosynthesis and induced elastic fibre regeneration in photoaged facial skin of 21 female patients after 6 weeks of treatment compared to baseline.

    Experimental Dermatology, 2009
  • A betaine-based deep eutectic solvent successfully enhanced the transdermal delivery of elastin peptide, which improved skin barrier repair, reduced melanin secretion and deposition, and stimulated the secretion of procollagen I and elastin.

    Biomaterials Advances, 2024
  • Bioactive recombinant humanized elastin (RHE) gel effectively restores skin elasticity, reverses UV-induced damage and oxidative stress, and promotes extracellular matrix remodeling in zebrafish and aged mice models compared to commercial vitamin E and recombinant humanized collagen gels.

    Materials Today. Bio, 2025
  • The 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, 2020
  • Ten 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
  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

Why other moisturizers fit skin with dark spots better

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum Mineral Oil, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Parfum, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Geraniol, Sorbitol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Primula Veris Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract Sunflower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Viola Tricolor Extract, Yellow 5 Ci 19140, Red 4 Ci 14700, Red 33 Ci 17200, Blue 1 Ci 42090

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.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.