We all know the story. You wake up one day, take a look in the mirror, and notice these dark spots on your skin that you swear were not there the night before. These grayish or brown spots on the skin go by many names. You may have heard them called age spots, sun spots, skin spots, or liver spots. Technically speaking, these are called solar lentigines. What we care about, though, is that we would rather them not be there!

These dark spots are caused by the sun. Despite being called age spots and liver spots, they are unrelated to both of those. However, as we age, we continue having more and more time for sun exposure and need to take care of our skin to keep it from aging. Sun exposure does a lot to age our skin. Check out our post on taking care of your skin in the sun.

So, you notice age spots, now what? Thankfully, there are things that you can do about it. First, I highly recommend visiting your dermatologist to make sure that they are actually age spots. After that, you have options on whether you want to treat your age spots through a dermatologist or using over-the-counter methods to treat them at home.

In terms of skin creams, dermatologists use the same things that you can get over-the-counter, but at a higher strength. Their other methods include light therapy, chemical peels, laser therapy, chemical spot treatments, and microdermabrasion.

If you choose over-the-counter methods, you have a ton of options in terms of brands, sizes, price range, etc. so you can choose the best option for you. You’ll want to look for creams with hydroquinone (HQ), kojic acid, arbutin and/or retinol. These act as skin lighteners to help with your age spots and can be beneficial additions to your skin care routine.

Stay tuned for our top picks of creams for age spots!

If you’re looking for an all-around system to combat aging and have healthier, younger looking skin, don’t forget to check out our review of the Ageless Body System!