Fading dark spots safely
Uneven tone usually traces back to excess melanin triggered by something specific: sun exposure, post-inflammatory marks left behind by acne, or hormonal melasma. Identifying the trigger matters, because melasma in particular tends to return when the underlying cause is untreated, and it is easily made worse by heat and light as well as by aggressive products.
Safety deserves real attention in this category. Unregulated imported creams have repeatedly been found to contain mercury or undeclared steroids, both of which cause lasting damage. Stick to well-known ingredients that work gradually, such as vitamin C, niacinamide, azelaic acid, kojic acid and alpha arbutin. And every one of them is wasted effort without daily sunscreen, because unprotected sun exposure re-triggers the pigment faster than any product fades it.