The kojic acid products to reduce hyperpigmentation, according to dermatologists
It’s a go-to ingredient for fading dark spots and evening out skin tone.
SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense
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$115.00
Best spot treatment
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$68.00
The best kojic acid products can vary in concentration and supplementary ingredients. The experts we spoke to recommended considering the following factors when shopping:
My acne-prone skin is especially prone to hyperpigmentation, so I’ve used this product to fade dark spots that appear after breakouts. (Dr. Gabriela Soza, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, also uses this in her own routine for her combination-acne-prone skin.) It has 1% kojic acid, 5% niacinamide, and 3% tranexamic acid to help fade dark spots, red marks and brown patches, and may also be helpful for melasma, according to the brand. Plus, it’s fragrance-free.
This exfoliating serum targets uneven skin tone by pairing tyrosinase inhibitors with a chemical exfoliant. The combination of kojic acid, 10% glycolic acid and tranexamic acid “act synergistically for brightening skin overall and lightening dark spots,” says Castilla, who notes that it’s a relatively gentle formulation. (Since it exfoliates skin, follow it with sunscreen in the mornings.)
Discoloration doesn’t always appear the same across skin tones — it can appear red in those with fair skin and purple or brown in those with deeper skin. This serum addresses both with a combination of alpha arbutin, kojic acid and niacinamide, as well as the addition of diglucosyl gallic acid, which minimizes skin redness, according to the brand. Since air and light can break down active ingredients, the product is divided in two separate cartridges, so you get a fresh (and therefore potent) formula halfway through using it. It has a 4.4-star average rating from over 600 reviews at Sephora.
While blood vessels under the eyes can contribute to dark circles, so can hyperpigmentation in skin. These under-eye patches address both with a combination of caffeine, which helps boost microcirculation, and niacinamide and kojic acid for brightening. “They fit comfortably under my eyes and don’t move around at all, which is a complaint I’ve had with other eye masks I’ve tried,” says NBC Select associate social media editor Caitlin Cusack. “They instantly brighten my skin and I can tell they’ve reduced puffiness and dark circles after just one wear.”
The ingredient list for this serum reads like a greatest hits of brightening ingredients: it has niacinamide working alongside a complex of glycolic acid, tranexamic acid, kojic acid and licorice root extract. These interfere with multiple steps of the pigment-production process, therefore fading hyperpigmentation while still being gentle on the skin barrier, according to the brand. It has a 4.6-star average rating from over 400 reviews at Target.
Designed with all skin tones (and ethnicities) in mind, this serum has niacinamide and centella asiatica (also known as cica) to soothe skin, while the blend of azelaic and kojic acids works to even out tone, according to the brand. It does have a sulfur-like scent, but that’s not a dealbreaker: “Even though the smell is strong, the product works so well that I don’t even notice it anymore,” says NBC Select associate SEO reporter Ashley Morris.
This is also a favorite of NBC Select editorial intern Kalohe Danbara. “It’s so frustrating when a breakout has healed but you are left with a noticeable dark spot,” says Danbara. “Using this serum as a spot treatment helps speed up the process of clearing up dark spots after a breakout.”
This solid cleanser doubles as a face mask and exfoliator to address uneven skin tone and dark spots. Like other formulas on this list, it uses a combination of kojic acid, niacinamide and azelaic acid (another tyrosinase inhibitor that helps with both acne and hyperpigmentation). It comes with a sponge, which you can dampen and use to lather the bar into a foam.
This toner takes skin-brightening to the next level by pairing kojic acid with vitamin C — yet another tyrosinase inhibitor — as well as bearberry extract, a plant-based alternative to hydroquinone that’s much gentler on skin, according to the brand. It has a 4.7-star average rating from over 500 reviews at Versed.
This is the most budget-friendly and versatile product on our list. In addition to kojic acid, it has tranexamic acid and niacinamide (both skin brightening actives that help lighten dark spots), as well as olive oil to moisturize your skin. You can use the fragrance-free bar, which has a 4.4-star average rating from over 800 reviews on Amazon, on both your face and body.
This dark spot serum helps fight hyperpigmentation with a blend of kojic acid, vitamin C and tranexamic acid. It’s hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and noncomedogenic making it a safe option for those with sensitive skin. It has a 4.3-star average rating from over 800 reviews at Sephora.
Kojic acid works best when you pair it with other, similar ingredients. To that end, “look for the inclusion of niacinamide, tranexamic acid and azelaic acid, which can function synergistically to achieve your intended results,” says Castilla. It also works well alongside vitamin C “to enhance skin brightening abilities and treat dark spots and even out skin tone,” says cosmetic chemist Ginger King.
Tranexamic acid, azelaic acid and vitamin C all function as tyrosinase inhibitors, meaning that, as with kojic acid, they prevent the formation of an enzyme that’s critical for the pigment-production process. Niacinamide, meanwhile, works by preventing melanosome transfer — in other words, it keeps newly formed melanin from reaching the surface of the skin.
Manufacturers will also commonly pair kojic acid with chemical exfoliants, such as alpha hydroxy acids (which include lactic and glycolic acids). These “can drive better penetration into skin and give faster results,” says King. By combining all of the above ingredients, you can target pigment production at multiple levels to prevent excess melanin from forming and creating dark spots.
Next, consider the type of product you’re using. Ideally, “choose a product that sits on the skin such as a serum or a cream instead of a wash-off product,” says Castilla, who notes that kojic acid needs time to penetrate skin and reach its intended target (the layer of skin where pigment is produced).
A cream or liquid solution is often your best bet, too, says Dr. Chris Adigun, a board-certified dermatologist in Chapel Hill, NC. “I typically recommend patients to choose the formulation that they are best able to adhere to, for example, if they prefer a cream or a solution, both of these are available with kojic acid,” she says.
Finally, consider the concentration. “Typically, over-the-counter concentrations of kojic acid are 1 to 2%,” says Castilla. “People with sensitive skin should keep in mind, higher concentrations are likely to be more irritating.”
The primary role of kojic acid in skin is to brighten and even out tone by fading dark spots and other forms of discoloration. What sets it apart from its similarity to hydroquinone, a much more potent brightening ingredient that’s categorized as a bleaching agent and commonly offered for hyperpigmentation, says Dr. Melanie Palm, a board-certified dermatologist from San Diego, CA. Hydroquinone can be irritating and is off-limits during pregnancy, so kojic acid serves a gentler, safer alternative.
That said, kojic acid can also be combined with hydroquinone to make the latter easier to tolerate. Since hydroquinone can cause inflammation and even thin the top layer of skin, combining it with kojic acid, significantly lessens its irritation and thinning effects, says Adigun.
Anyone can benefit from kojic acid, but especially those “interested in evening out their skin tone, improving age spots or addressing signs of chronic sun damage,” says Palm. And unless you have an allergy to it, there’s no downside to using kojic acid, either. “It has an excellent tolerability profile, so patients with sensitive skin are able to use it,” says Adigun. However, kojic acid can make skin more sensitive to sun damage, so it’s important to follow kojic acid with regular sunscreen application — which is a good idea if you’re dealing with hyperpigmentation, anyway.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I'm a freelance beauty writer and editor who has been covering beauty and health for more than a decade, including topics like curl types and vitamin E. For this article, I spoke to three dermatologists and a cosmetic chemist to narrow down the best kojic acid products to shop, and highlighted their recommendations about what to consider when shopping.
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