47 Skin Serum for skin with dark spots
Silver Chitoderm
Azelaic Acid
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for skin with dark spots; other serums 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 treatment for your normal skin due to the presence of azelaic acid, which helps reduce blemishes and provides mild keratolytic action.
- Glycerin and caprylic capric triglyceride offer general hydration benefits for your normal skin, but the formula lacks specialized ingredients to address your main goal of pigmentation.
- The product is safe for your normal skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this serum as part of your PM routine starting 3x/week and build up to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toning, but before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute for it to absorb.
- Apply the serum on dry skin to help fade pigmentation effectively.
- Avoid the eye area and always use SPF 30+ during the day.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 6.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly effective for clearing active breakouts and fading acne scars without causing dryness. Thousands of users report significant improvements in acne and redness, with many experiencing their clearest skin. A smaller number of users found it ineffective for hormonal acne or saw no visible changes. The product is also noted for its hydrating properties and pleasant texture, though some find it expensive for the size and a few sensitive-skinned individuals experienced irritation from the scent.
Highlights
Clears breakouts Mostly Mentioned
- “cleared spots in four days”
- “stopped flare-ups completely”
- “reduced inflammation overnight”
- “clearest skin in 10 years”
Fades scarring Often Mentioned
- “scars are fading fast”
- “dramatically faded red pigmentation”
- “helped with appearance of marks”
- “skin tone is much more even”
Hydrating, non-drying Often Mentioned
- “leaves skin hydrated and glowy”
- “doesn't dry out my skin”
- “skin feels soft and plump”
- “moisturizing enough to skip cream”
Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
- “smells like chocolate orange”
- “absorbs quickly”
- “feels luxurious”
- “nice base under makeup”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “very pricey for the size”
- “trial size lasted only three days”
- “expensive but works”
- “bottle runs out quickly”
Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
- “made no difference at all”
- “didn't work for my son”
- “waste of money”
- “saw no change after a month”
Irritation/scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is too strong”
- “caused irritation”
- “contains too many fruit oils”
- “stung my sensitive skin”
Subscription issues Rarely Noted
- “mistakenly signed up for subscription”
- “cleanser arrived broken”
- “hard to cancel”
- “delivery took too long”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, trustpilot.com, amazon.co.uk, 47skin.com, womenshealthmag.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does 47 SKIN Serum work for skin with dark spots?
This serum works moderately well for your skin, providing basic hydration and mild blemish care through azelaic acid and glycerin, though it lacks specialized ingredients for dark spots. Skin with dark spots needs products featuring effective antioxidants, niacinamide, propolis, and soothing ingredients to properly fade dark spots without irritation.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2024Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for skin with dark spots?
Azelaic acid makes this serum a fit for skin with dark spots because it helps reduce blemishes and dark spots. This serum needs antioxidants, soothing ingredients, and specific components like niacinamide and propolis to properly address dark spots.
What does Silver Chitoderm do for skin with dark spots?
Silver Chitoderm helps calm dark spots by providing antioxidant effects that may reduce excess pigment in the skin. Because it uses advanced nanoparticle delivery, it works to target uneven areas more effectively than traditional methods.
What does Azelaic Acid do for skin with dark spots?
Azelaic acid helps fade dark spots and uneven skin tone by slowing down the overactive pigment production in your skin cells. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may gradually clear up stubborn marks left behind by breakouts or sun exposure.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2024Archives of Dermatological Research, 1990
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. A product for dark spots needs targeted brightening ingredients like vitamin C, retinoids, or niacinamide to effectively fade discoloration.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol, applying the serum first and following with your retinol once it absorbs. This product is unlikely to irritate your skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients, but a product for dark spots also needs targeted brightening ingredients to properly fade discoloration.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. A product for dark spots needs targeted brightening ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide, or alpha arbutin to effectively fade dark spots.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on skin with dark spots because it is free of harsh ingredients and has a safe profile for normal skin. However, since it lacks specialized brightening ingredients, a product for this skin needs targeted melanin-fading ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide to effectively treat dark spots.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Azelaic acid nanocrystal hydrogel 10% achieved a higher success rate and greater lesion reduction than azelaic acid cream 20% in patients with mild to moderate facial acne.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Application of 15% azelaic acid gel significantly reduced post-inflammatory erythema and hyperpigmentation, decreased hemoglobin and melanin content, improved quality of life, and contributed to acne improvement in patients with mild to moderate acne compared to placebo.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2024A 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, 2017Topical application of a dermocosmetic containing Myrtus communis extract and azelaic acid reduced acne relapses and helped maintain remission compared to a light moisturizing cream in adult females in the acne maintenance phase over 16 weeks.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2023Topical administration of 20% azelaic acid cream and 5% tranexamic acid solution comparably improved acne-related postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in patients with acne vulgaris, while tranexamic acid demonstrated a significantly better safety profile at week 4.
Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2023Azelaic acid 15% gel showed comparable efficacy to adapalene 0.1% gel in reducing lesions, severity, and Dermatology Life Quality Index in women with adult acne, with significantly lower dryness and scaling, and demonstrated superiority during maintenance compared to no further treatment.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2015The 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, 2001Niacinamide/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, 2012Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007
Why other serums fit skin with dark spots better
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, 2002Treatment with 14% ferulic acid and 12% l-ascorbic acid significantly reduced pigmentation and erythema while improving hydration and elasticity in 20 women with photoaged skin, with neither acid proving definitively more effective overall though ascorbic acid showed slightly greater skin lightening.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Silver Chitoderm, Azelaic Acid
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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