If you have struggled from zits before or are currently going through one, then you’ll definitely be able to relate to this post. As someone with an oily skin that is prone to pimples and blemishes, I’ve had my fair share of horrible breakouts and dark spots, especially when I was a teenager. At this age, my skin is still not completely out of the woods, LOL. It’s very hormonal, which means I’d get those pesky painful zits from time to time, and the annoying part is that they’d turn into dark spots. And by dark spots, I mean, really really dark. It would take several weeks before they’d completely disappear, and on top of that, they’re really a challenge to get rid of. Also, they’re kind of embarrassing to have especially if they’re on the prominent areas of the face that for sure everyone could notice and see. Oh, the horror of talking to someone or going somewhere glam and all you could see are the eyes of some folks focused on the annoying UFOs on your face. Yes, those things can make us self-conscious, for real.

The best thing to hide the zits is obviously, to use a very good full-coverage concealer, but that can sort of make your makeup look weird, especially if you pack it on your zits and they would look like several shades brighter than your foundation, LOL. Or, your zits could crack through the concealer and they’ll look even weirder. OMG, I know the feeling, believe me. Been there, done that. I even did the whole “cover your zits with your hands or handkerchief thing”, or the “just keep your head down, ok?” tactic, hahaha! Anyway, I’ve heard about these dark spot brightening dots lately and I wanted to try them asap. I feel like I’ve been waiting for these products my whole life and I can’t wait to put them to test.

The items featured for this review are the two that’s been out recently at Sephora and have been receiving a lot of buzz from reviews and ads.

Peace Out Microneedling Dark Spot Brightening Dots (12 Microneedling Dots: $28) – This is the first dark spot brightening dot that caught my attention. It’s meant to simulate the microneedling technique with its textured pointy tips that can help lighten the dark spots, redness, or dullness of the skin. Its ingredients are Niacinamide, Licorice Extract, and Tranexamic Acid. It’s also free from sulfates, parabens, hydroquinone, triclosan, SLS, etc, and it’s ideal for any skin type. You can place the dot, with its pointy/textured-side down, and gently press it on the dark spot. It is advisable to use it overnight or at least for a minimum of six hours twice a week for at least two consecutive weeks to get better results.

Dr. Jart+ Focuspot Dark Spot Micro Tip Patch (6 patches: $18) – This is also another brightening dot in which the pointy/textured tips melt into the skin for a microneedling effect that sort of help in targeting the dark spot. Its main ingredients are Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. It also suits any skin type. Like the Peace Out Brightening Dots above, this Dr. Jart+ Focuspot is also free from SLS, parabens, formaldehyde, triclosan, etc. Using this is also pretty much the same as Peace Out’s, where you press the dot with its pointy tips down on the dark spot right after cleansing your face, and you use it every other day. It is required to use this for at least two hours, or overnight for a maximum effect.

My Two Cents.

Application-wise and appearance-wise, they’re pretty much the same.  There is no question to their adhesiveness because they do stick on the skin unless your put creams or oils prior to applying this. But their ingredients do matter, as well as their effectiveness on my skin. At the time of my test of these products, I’ve been nursing several dark spots on my face, specifically on my chin. I had horrible several breakouts a few weeks before that and I applied the Peace Out Microneedling Dot on my most prominent dark spot, while the Dr. Jart+ Focuspot was applied to a less horrible dark spot that is just beside the prominent one. I applied them both overnight and the following day, I noticed my less prominent dark spot (treated with Dr. Jart+ Focuspot) to be almost gone, while the more obvious and more prominent dark spot (the one with Peace Out) was still there. I continued testing, and I find that the Dr. Jart+ Focuspot works quite well, at least on my skin, even if I don’t use it every other day as advised. I tested it on my most prominent dark spot (the one with Peace Out) and it did help to lessen its pigment, though still not completely. Whereas the Peace Out Microneedling Dark Spot didn’t really do much for me. I think it must be the ingredients of the Dr. Jart+ that seem to work better (Vitamin C, etc.) because we all know that the way to help brighten the dark spot is to apply Retinol or Vitamin C on it.

I feel like these brightening dark spots are great for emergency use only, especially if you need to go somewhere special or important and has to lessen the dark spots asap. Although I still think these dots won’t make much of a difference if used within a short period of time, or especially if your dark spots are really stubborn. It also doesn’t help that they’re pricey for just a few dots. For me, at least, during my test, I had several dark spots so I had to use them a lot. I literally could just get a one-week use of them, and I still feel like I needed more in order to at least lessens the dark pigments. I still suggest that we’re probably better off using a scar gel, or a cream or serum with some Vitamin C or Retinol in it as these usually work over time and will mostly be cost-effective as well. If you’re going to be using these dots, then be prepared to buy more of them. With that being said, if I have to buy these again, I would probably buy the Dr. Jart+ Focuspot because it’s a bit cheaper than the Peace Out (at least, per pack), and it works better because it has slightly better ingredients.

Have you tried these before? Which one’s your fave?

The Peace Out Microneedling Dark Spot and the Dr. Jart+ Focuspot are currently available at Sephora