7 Under-$25 Ways To Fade Dark Spots — Without A Trip To The Dermatologist

Nobody asks to end up with hyperpigmentation, but plenty of people find themselves dealing with it anyway. The story is always the same: An uninvited pimple, bug bite, or patch of eczema sets up shop on your skin, way overstays its welcome, and leaves behind a mottled mess of post-inflammatory dark spots.

You can easily lose hours and rack up debt on chemical peels, trips to the dermatologist, and fancy pigment-fading creams in the name of spot-free skin. But while most of those methods are effective (and pro-approved), they aren't the end-all-be-all for treating the condition. "Products containing hydroquinone, tranexamic acid, kojic acid, and arbutin all help to treat hyperpigmentation," says Corey L. Hartman, MD, a dermatologist at Skin Wellness Center in Alabama. "Glycolic and salicylic acid also increase exfoliation and help to treat the acne that can lead to hyperpigmentation."

The good news for people sticking to their 2020 budgets (and taking skin care seriously as we social-distance)? Drugstore shelves are packed with products containing these powerful ingredients. Ahead, seven ways to clear dark spots — without destroying your bank account.