Whether you’re dealing with post-breakout scarring or experiencing sun spots after vacay, the dark spots often feel as though they’re here to stay. While they *can* eventually fade on their own, it’s typically a long process — we’re talking months, if not years. That’s where a dark spot corrector can come in handy. But not any dark spot corrector will do. 

Our new Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum is a vitamin C serum that’s elevated with a trifecta of key ingredients that take its ability to fade dark spots and even skin tone to the next level. The strategic combo of actives allow it to target the hyperpigmentation on multiple levels, tackling the dark spot, patch or uneven skin tone gently, effectively, and — most importantly — fast. Here’s how we made that happen.

It prevents certain cells from sending messages

Let’s start this with a quick science lesson: When sunlight hits your skin, the cells on the surface of your skin start to sound the alarm. They do this via plasminogen, a little messenger that initiates everything from inflammation and skin peeling to increased tyrosinase activity (tyrosinase being the enzyme that triggers the production of melanin). And it’s not just sunlight; any disruption detected on the skin’s surface, including a breakout or environmental pollution, can kick off this domino effect.

All to say: Stopping this can go a long way, which is exactly what tranexamic acid does as a hero ingredient in the Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum. Tranexamic acid keeps that plasminogen from binding to your skin cells, and then gets in the way of those skin cells interacting with pigment cells. No messenger? No dark spots. That’s what makes tranexamic acid such a powerful ingredient for treating dark spots, uneven skin tone, and beyond.

It blocks the pigment production process

If, despite the tranexamic acid, your skin cells have managed to get the message through, indicating some sort of disruption at the skin’s surface, there’s no need to worry — this is vitamin C’s time to shine. Vitamin C (an ingredient you might already know and love) inhibits that tyrosinase enzyme we mentioned earlier. And if the tyrosinase can’t do its thing, then melanin can’t be produced.

That makes it kind of a big deal, which is why you’ll find not one, not two, but five forms of vitamin C in the Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum. The oil-soluble version is stable, gentle, and better able to penetrate the lipid barrier (since oil accepts oil). The four water-soluble versions, on the other hand, are encapsulated in oil layers, which works to a) penetrate the lipid barrier and b) create a time-release effect as those oil layers slowly shed. It’s also paired with ferulic acid and vitamin E, which have a synergistic effect to increase its stability and promote peak efficacy.

It stops dark spots from forming or getting darker

Even better than fading dark spots? Stopping them from forming in the first place. That’s where sunscreen is essential — as are antioxidants. These antioxidants run interference on the skin’s surface, putting free radicals (which cause the initial disruption) out of commission. Without those free radicals, there’s no pigment production process to begin with.

That’s why guava is the fruit headlining this particular formula. Guava has four times as much vitamin C as an orange, along with other antioxidants, including beta-carotene and lycopene. These minimize the possibility of developing dark spots, even if you’re prone to them.

Bottom line: This trio is key to getting rid of dark spots fast. And if that is indeed your end game, don’t stop there. Instead, try pairing it with a gentle exfoliant, such as our Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner or Watermelon Glow Hyaluronic Clay Facial, as the chemical and physical exfoliants within can help slough off the dead, pigmented skin too. Then, be sure to apply (and reapply) sunscreen throughout the day.

Keep reading about the best ways to tackle dark spots:

• Skin Inflammation: The Good, the Bad, & Everything In Between
• Vitamin C: 7 Things Everyone Needs to Know
• How To Layer Vitamin C With Your Acids