The $72 Serum That Finally Helped Fade My Acne Scars

When it comes to products that claim to “fade,” “brighten,” or reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and acne scars, I can’t help but remain a skeptic. As a beauty writer who’s dealt with acne for over a decade, I’ve seen and slathered it all; from OTC topicals at the drugstore to very expensive peels from fancy brands, advanced dermatologist treatments, and even a famous 3-step system backed by a celeb who shall remain anonymous. You name it, I’ve tried it on my quest for clearer skin. While I've finally gotten a handle on my complexion, one primary issue I'm currently dealing with is the hyperpigmentation left from breakouts past. After hearing about Murad's new Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum boasting everything from very impressive clinical to customer reviewers and staggering before & after photos, you could say my interest was more than piqued. Join me below as I test and chronicle everything there is to know about Murad's new product — including why the $72 serum ultimately earned a permanent spot in my skincare routine.

A common issue with brightening serums is that they can be a little, well, intense. Murad's serum is packed with ingredients like tranexamic and glycolic acids, but you wouldn't know it by how gentle it feels. It dispenses as a clear gel and doesn't have a noticeable scent. Best of all, it felt like a skin-loving treat – no tingling or burning whatsoever. For these reasons, I started using it before bed and then worked my way up to both morning and night use.

After a month, I'm already — and this is not an #ad — blown away from the results. In addition to generally waking up my skin, the darkest bits of hyperpigmentation are now (by my standards) pretty much NBD. On the left pic, I'm wearing some makeup but my skin is still on display; on the right, I'm barefaced – and my darkest marks have faded quite a bit. (Apparently, I only take selfies with my pup now.) While I couldn't be happier with my skin after finishing one bottle of the wonder potion, here's the not-so-amazing scoop: it retails for $72, but hear me out – through all my acne ups and downs, I've only seen results like this with significantly pricier treatments like lasers and professional facials. Plus, it lasted me about two months with twice-daily use.

While this has become a beloved addition to my skin-care arsenal — and a worthy investment, IMO — I'll absolutely continue my hunt for (preferably more affordable) products that help kindly show acne the door. Watch this space!

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