Not every dark spot serum works the same way, and that is the fun part. Caudalie Vinoperfect uses a patented vine sap viniferine and is sold as a vitamin C alternative. Topicals Faded combines tranexamic acid, niacinamide and azelaic acid in one serum for spots and post-breakout marks. EADEM Milk Marvel is a weightless milky serum with niacinamide and encapsulated vitamin C, and the brand says it fades spots in 14 days. The other EADEM, The Mark, is a small concentrate with 5% tranexamic acid, alpha arbutin and kojic acid that you dab on one spot at a time.

innisfree Rapid Vitamin C adds green tea enzymes that gently exfoliate. The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Hyperpigmentation Treatment is a nighttime gel. Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum has rice bran water and alpha arbutin for dullness, and The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + Hyaluronic Acid is the plainest one here, no fragrance, no extras.

Pairing tip: use one brightening serum in the morning and keep any acid or tranexamic formula for night, so you are never stacking everything on the same cheek.

What I would skip: layering three of these at once because the shelf looks pretty. Pick one, give it a month, then decide.

Dark spots come back with sun, so this grid matters as much as any serum. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum is an SPF 50+ sunscreen serum with collagen peptide, and the brand calls it lightweight. Beauty of Joseon Day Dew is a water-resistant SPF 50 the brand says leaves no white cast. innisfree Invisible Barrier is an SPF 47 serum with green tea and hyaluronic acid. Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen is the invisible gel that doubles as a primer, and it is fragrance free. ISDIN Fusion Water Magic is an SPF 40 liquid the brand calls acne-safe.

Two of these speak to spots directly. Paula's Choice 5% Vitamin C Sheer Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 brings vitamin C into the sunscreen step, and Caudalie Vinosun Protect is a mineral SPF 50 with niacinamide and viniferine that the brand says reduces the look of dark spots. Tatcha The Milky Sunscreen is an SPF 50+ with ectoin and Okinawa aloe for a milky, disappearing finish.

How to wear it: two fingers of sunscreen for face and neck, every morning, and again at midday if you are outside.

What I would skip: a sunscreen that feels tacky on your skin, however good it sounds. You will stop wearing it, and then the serum has nothing to protect.

Here is how I would put it together. Mornings: a gentle cleanser, one brightening serum, then sunscreen, always. Evenings: cleanse, then the stronger dark spot serum, and moisturizer if your skin needs it. If you want the La Roche-Posay Mela B3 serum as your anchor, add the Mela B3 SPF 30 moisturizer or one of the sunscreens above on top, and keep everything else simple. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what is working. Dark spots fade slowly, so take a photo in the same light once a month instead of checking the mirror every day. If your skin is sensitive or you are unsure about an active, a dermatologist can tell you more than a product page can.