Freckles are a peculiar skin condition because those that have freckles usually want to get rid of them, and those that don’t have freckles want them. It’s true, just look at the Snapchat filters that put freckles on your face, as well as the products you can use to draw fake freckles onto your face. But what can you do if you want to get rid of freckles for good? There is an overwhelming amount of information—and misinformation—on the internet about how to get rid of freckles. Some freckle removal treatments include creams, serums, chemical peels, and even lasers. To help you find the best freckle removal treatment, we’ve put together the 6 best ways to get rid of freckles for good.
7 best ways to get rid of freckles
1. Use lightening products
If you’re looking for a freckle removal cream or serum, you should start by looking for ingredients that are known to brighten the skin and help fade dark spots like freckles. These ingredients include hydroquinone, retinoids, alpha arbutin, ALA, and more.
Hydroquinone is considered to be the gold standard of skin brightening treatments. However, hydroquinone cannot be used long term because of the risk of exogenous ochronosis, a paradoxical hyperpigmentation of the skin.
Retinoids help to fade dark spots like freckles by increasing the rate of cell turnover. While retinoids are known to be effective, they also can cause side effects such as skin redness, irritation, stinging, and peeling.
Alpha arbutin is a glycosylated hydroquinone that can be extracted from several different plant extracts, such as bearberry and mulberry root extracts. Alpha arbutin has the ability to inactivate tyrosinase. Tyrosinase is a key enzyme involved in the synthesis of melanin, the pigment that gives skin color. Therefore, by inhibiting tyrosinase, alpha arbutin may be able to reduce abnormal pigmentation (like freckles and age spots) associated with aging and exposure to UV light.
Our top pick is Formulyst Dark Spot Cream. It’s prescribed and custom compounded. And its powerful enough to treat freckles.
If you prefer a natural alternative, we recommend Carrot & Stick The Multi Active Radiance Serum.
3. Exfoliate to get rid of freckles
One of the easiest ways to lighten freckles is to exfoliate on a regular basis. Exfoliation is defined as “the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of your skin”, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. There are two types of exfoliation: physical and chemical. Physical exfoliation, also referred to as mechanical exfoliation, utilizes an abrasive substance to scrub away dead skin cells through motion. Chemical exfoliation utilizes chemical agents to break up dead skin cells, allowing them to be washed away more easily.
Using a chemical exfoliant, such as an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), is recommended to get rid of freckles on the face. AHAs include glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, and citric acid. These ingredients exfoliate the skin by targeting corneocytes (dead skin cells that make up the top layers of skin) in a process called corneocyte desquamation. By enhancing their breakdown and increasing the separation of skin cells, the rate of cell turnover is increased. Ultimately, this helps to fade dark spots like freckles and promote brighter skin. We recommend Carrot & Stick The Micro Polish Exfoliator.
Try an at peel
An effective way to get rid of freckles on the face is to visit your dermatologist’s office for a chemical peel. There are several different types of chemical peels. Mild peels often include a combination of AHAs and BHAs (i.e. salicylic acid). Medium peels use trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in concentrations ranging between 25% and 50%. Deep peels use high concentrations of TCA or phenol to strip away more layers of skin. While chemical peels can permanently get rid of freckles, they come with many drawbacks. As the name implies, a chemical peel causes the skin to literally peel off, along with redness, stinging, numbness, and burning of the skin. Chemical peels also increase your sensitivity to sunlight, so it’s imperative to wear sunscreen every day for months after the peel to prevent serious damage.
Our top picks are Carrot & Stick Pigmentation w/ Micro Peel or Formulyst The Spot Peel.
Get a laser treatment
Similar to chemical peels, laser treatments are an effective way to get rid of freckles. There are many different lasers that can be used on freckles, but one of the most common is known as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). IPL lasers target deep discolored UV damaged hyperpigmented areas by using light-based energy pulse to target blood vessels, as well as to lift and remove dark pigmented areas from the skin. Once again, a laser treatment means making a trip to the dermatologist’s office and will require some time for recovery. Some of the side effects of an IPL treatment include redness, peeling, and swelling of the skin for a few days after the treatment.
Use sunscreen to prevent new freckles
First things first: It’s imperative to use sun protection every day if you’re trying to get rid of freckles. Why? Well, all of your efforts to get rid of freckles will be pointless if you’re not protecting your skin from the sun. Wearing a broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen on all sun-exposed skin daily is the easiest way you can prevent the future development of freckles. We recommend Carrot & Stick The Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30.
What are freckles?
Freckles are flat, brown marks that appear on a person’s skin. They are a type of hyperpigmentation, which is the darkening of an area of skin due to an excess or irregular production of melanin. Melanin is a term that refers to a group of pigments produced by cells called melanocytes in the lower level of the epidermis. There are three main types of melanin: eumelanin, pheomelanin, and neuromelanin. In humans, eumelanin is the most abundant, and along with pheomelanin, it is the pigment that determines the color of skin and hair.
What causes freckles?
Like most traits, freckles are a result of genetic factors combined with environmental factors, particularly sun exposure. When skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays for a prolonged period of time, specific triggers send signals to melanin sites which activate the enzyme tyrosinase. Then, tyrosinase stimulates skin cells called melanocytes to produce excess melanin creating dark pigment. The over production of melanin disperses upward in clumps that appear as freckles and dark spots on the surface of the skin. This process is also what causes the skin to visibly tan. Melanin is said to be the skin’s natural defense mechanism against sun damage because it can effectively absorb light and dissipate over 99.9% of absorbed UV radiation. So if you’ve ever wondered what causes freckles to suddenly appear, you now know it’s from the sun. That’s why it’s so important to wear sunscreen daily.
In sum
Now that you know how to get rid of freckles for good, you’re probably wondering wear to start. Like we mentioned above, it’s best to start with a prescribed solution. Our top pick is Formulyst Dark Spot Cream. It’s prescribed and custom compounded. And its powerful enough to treat freckles.
