Even & Correct Dark Spot Cream

SkinMedica

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The SkinMedica Even & Correct Dark Spot Cream is a treatment. Our analysis of its 48 ingredients (39 low-risk) rates it Excellent (94/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and sensitive skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Treatments
Ingredients
48
Low-risk
39
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 9/13
Good for dry skin
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate Cetyl Palmitate Squalane Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Caprylyl Glycol Glycerin Dimethicone Cyclopentasiloxane Kojic Dipalmitate
Caution for dry skin
Dimethicone Crosspolymer Stearalkonium Hectorite Xanthan Gum Glycerin Hydrated Silica Laureth-23 Sodium Hydroxide Isoceteth-10 Polysorbate 20 Silica Sodium Surfactin Tranexamic Acid Trideceth-6 Phosphate
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 2/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Retinol Tranexamic Acid
Sensitive Skin 9/7
Good for sensitive skin
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate Glycerin Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Phenylethyl Resorcinol Dimethicone Sodium Bisulfite Tocopheryl Acetate Allantoin BHT
Caution for sensitive skin
Cetyl Palmitate Aminomethyl Propanediol Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Glycerin Phenoxyethanol BHT Retinol

Ingredients list

48 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All48 Skin Conditioning34 Viscosity Controlling8 Hair Conditioning7 Emollient7 Solvent7 Skin Protecting7 Emulsifying6 Fragrance6
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
3
A
Cyclopentasiloxane
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent)
Silicone
Silicone
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
A
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Increasingagent Nonaqueous, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
A
Niacinamide
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
Tranexamic Acid
(Cosmetic Astringent, Skin Conditioning)
4
B
Glycolic Acid
(Exfoliant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
3
A
PEG-10 Dimethicone
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
1
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
3
A
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
(Emulsifying)
3
4
Kojic Dipalmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
1
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
(Antioxidant)
1
Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
9
A
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
(Chelating Agent)
1
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
(Flavoring Agent, Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
1
Ceramide NP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
Bisabolol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Soothing)
1
Dunaliella Salina Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Allantoin
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
3
B
Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
B
Cetyl Palmitate
(Fragrance, Emollient, Masking, Skin Conditioning)
3
B
Laureth-23
(Cleansing, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
1
A
Squalane
(Emollient, Hair Conditioning, Refatting, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
1,2-Hexanediol
(Solvent)
3
B
Isoceteth-10
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
3
A
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Silicone
Silicone
1
A
Aminomethyl Propanediol
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
1
A
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Viscosity Controlling)
1
3
Titanium Dioxide
(Cosmetic Colorant, Opacifying, Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber)
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
1
Propanediol
(Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
3
A
Sodium Bisulfite
(Antioxidant, Hair Waving Or Straightening, Reducing, Preservative)
1
A
Hydrated Silica
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Oral Care Agent, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
(Skin Protecting)
1
A
Stearalkonium Hectorite
(Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
6
A
BHT
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Masking)
Sodium Surfactin
(Cleansing, Emulsifying, Gel Forming, Surfactant)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
1
A
Propylene Carbonate
(Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
2
A
Silica
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling)
Trideceth-6 Phosphate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)

My Ingredient Notes

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Key ingredients

Cyclopentasiloxane
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Protecting
Tranexamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glycolic Acid
Exfoliant

Benefits

Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Good for sensitive skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains silicone
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinol — higher EWG
May not suit dry skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion stabilising, Hair fixing
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingHair fixingSuspending agent - nonsurfactantViscosity increasingagent - nonaqueousViscosity controlling
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientMaskingPerfumingSkin conditioningSolvent
Niacinamide
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSmoothing
Tranexamic Acid
Cosmetic astringent, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Cosmetic astringentSkin conditioning
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 AntioxidantSkin conditioning
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Emulsifying
Kojic Dipalmitate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3–4 Skin conditioningEmollient
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antioxidant
Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Chelating agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Chelating agent
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Flavoring agent, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Flavoring agentSkin conditioningHumectant
Ceramide NP
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
+ 21 more — see the full ingredients list above
Cyclopentasiloxane
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningEmollientSolvent Silicone
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Glycolic Acid
Exfoliant, Ph adjuster
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B ExfoliantPh adjusterBuffering agent Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Retinol
Skin conditioning
Potentially a skin irritantRead moreShow less
EWG 9 CIR A Skin conditioning Bad for Sensitive Skin
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Allantoin
Skin conditioning, Skin protecting
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningSkin protectingSoothing Good for Oily SkinGood for Sensitive Skin
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Laureth-23
Cleansing, Emulsifying
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B CleansingEmulsifyingSurfactant Bad for Oily Skin
Dimethicone
Antifoaming agent, Skin protecting
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Antifoaming agentSkin protectingEmollientSkin conditioning Silicone
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic colorant, Opacifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–3 Cosmetic colorantOpacifyingSunscreen agentUv absorber Good for Sensitive Skin
BHT
Antioxidant, Fragrance
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 6 CIR A AntioxidantFragranceMasking
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Apply after toner and before moisturiser — thinnest to thickest.
  • 2 Morning only: Apply as the last step of your AM routine, after moisturiser, and reapply every ~2 hours of sun exposure.
  • 3 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinol)

Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.

Retinol

Vitamin C (ascorbic) 5–20%

L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Niacinamide 2–5% (up to 10%)

Most research uses 2–5%; some formulas go to 10%. Very high levels can cause flushing in sensitive skin.

Niacinamide

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Glycolic Acid

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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