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Simple-focused skincare routine for skin with dark spots

A routine for skin with dark spots built around Simple products, complemented by other brands where they fit better, for complete care.

Cleansers and toners with niacinamide and BHA help balance and brighten uneven skin tone. Serums and moisturizers with niacinamide, vitamin C, and glycolic acid fade dark spots and sun spots.

The morning routine prepares the skin for the day by cleaning off the night, hydrating, and protecting with sunscreen as its last step. The evening routine removes sunscreen, makeup, and the day's oil, then treats hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone while the skin rests away from the sun. The weekly routine takes the place of the evening routine once a week to add deeper steps like exfoliation and masks for hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2014Frontiers in Medicine, 2025

Products are rated for the concerns frequently associated with dark spots: hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. For a routine based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.

Morning

Step 1Cleanser

Cleansers with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid help improve skin barrier function and hydration while cleansing away impurities, while cleansers with centella asiatica and licorice root extract help address pigmentation concerns. These cleansers are used every morning and every evening, and once a week in place of the evening routine.

Best cleansers for skin with dark spots

Step 2Hydrating Toner

The hydrating toner step is used every morning. Hydrating toners with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and panthenol help deeply hydrate dry skin, while centella asiatica extract and madecassoside help calm it.

Best toners for skin with dark spots

Step 3Moisturizer

Moisturizers with niacinamide, ascorbic acid, and arbutin help brighten dark spots and even out your complexion, while formulas with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides keep your skin soft and hydrated. These products are used every morning and every evening, and also once a week in place of the evening routine.

Best moisturizers and moisturizing serums for skin with dark spots

Evening

Step 1Pre-Cleanser

Makeup removers and cleansers with Centella Asiatica extract and licorice root extract help remove makeup and sunscreen while soothing skin and addressing dark spots. This step is used every evening and once a week, in place of the evening routine.

Step 2Cleanser

Cleansers with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid help improve skin barrier function and hydration while cleansing away impurities, while cleansers with centella asiatica and licorice root extract help address pigmentation concerns. These cleansers are used every morning and every evening, and once a week in place of the evening routine.

Best cleansers for skin with dark spots

Step 3Cleansing Toner

Cleansing toners with lactic acid and glycolic acid help brighten dark spots and even out skin tone. Cleansing toners with salicylic acid and niacinamide help clear pores and fade sun spots, and they are used every evening.

Best toners for skin with dark spots

Step 4Serum or Treatment

Serums with niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and vitamin C help fade dark spots and even out skin tone. These treatments are used every evening and once a week, in place of the evening routine.

Best serums and treatments for skin with dark spots

Step 5Moisturizer

Moisturizers with niacinamide, ascorbic acid, and arbutin help brighten dark spots and even out your complexion, while formulas with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides keep your skin soft and hydrated. These products are used every morning and every evening, and also once a week in place of the evening routine.

Best moisturizers and moisturizing serums for skin with dark spots

Once a week

Step 1Pre-Cleanser

Makeup removers and cleansers with Centella Asiatica extract and licorice root extract help remove makeup and sunscreen while soothing skin and addressing dark spots. This step is used every evening and once a week, in place of the evening routine.

Step 2Cleanser

Cleansers with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid help improve skin barrier function and hydration while cleansing away impurities, while cleansers with centella asiatica and licorice root extract help address pigmentation concerns. These cleansers are used every morning and every evening, and once a week in place of the evening routine.

Best cleansers for skin with dark spots

Step 3Enzyme Powder

This weekly evening step with enzyme powders and papain helps digest dull surface cells to reveal brighter skin and an even tone. Exfoliating steps with salicylic acid and vitamin C clear out dark spots and sun spots.

Step 4Nourishing Mask

This nourishing mask step is used once a week in place of the evening routine. Masks and treatments with niacinamide and ascorbic acid help brighten the complexion and address pigmentation concerns, while formulas with hyaluronic acid and centella asiatica extract provide exceptional hydration and soothing benefits.

Step 5Serum or Treatment

Serums with niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and vitamin C help fade dark spots and even out skin tone. These treatments are used every evening and once a week, in place of the evening routine.

Best serums and treatments for skin with dark spots

Step 6Moisturizer

Moisturizers with niacinamide, ascorbic acid, and arbutin help brighten dark spots and even out your complexion, while formulas with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides keep your skin soft and hydrated. These products are used every morning and every evening, and also once a week in place of the evening routine.

Best moisturizers and moisturizing serums for skin with dark spots

Research behind this routine

Behind this routine

Lovi builds every routine from each product's 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.

Get a routine for your skin

Scan your face, and Lovi builds a morning, evening, and weekly routine around your skin and goals.