Meladerm Review

When searching online for skin brightening and tone correcting products online, how do you know which products are truly effective? One of the most popular skincare products you will find is Meladerm 1.7 oz. Civant skin care. Meladerm is a facial cream created for lightening dark spots, evening skin tone, reducing scars, and correcting melasma.

The skincare industry alone is projected to have a $200 billion value by 2026. There’s a reason people spend so much time and money on face creams and makeup. There is nothing like clear, glowing skin to give you a confidence boost. Makeup can only do so much to cover up acne scars and uneven skin, and let’s face it – sometimes you might want to go to the gym or the pool without worrying about your foundation melting away. A quick Reddit search reveals several polls asking people what they are most self-conscious of. The number one answer in most polls was “skin problems”. No wonder skincare is such an enormous industry.

Ingredients

Before going out and committing to spending money on a product, we wanted to give an unbiased Meladerm skin lightening cream review. While reviews from consumers online are great guidance, they aren’t always detailed and don’t usually look closely at the individual ingredients, safety labels, or scientific studies. Nobody wants to cover their skin in a mystery cream. It’s important to look through an active ingredient list and explore whether they are helpful, harmful, or just fancy sounding filler ingredients. Meladerm ingredients listed on their website include:

  1. Bear Berry extract
  2. Emblica fruit extract
  3. Kojic Acid
  4. Lemon Extract
  5. Licorice Fruit Extract
  6. Vitamin B3
  7. Vitamin C
  8. Mulberry Extract
  9. Alpha Arbutin
  10. Azelaic Acid
  11. Sepiwhite
  12. Symwhite

So, what exactly do all of these ingredients do for your skin? Many of them work by blocking a naturally occurring enzyme called tyrosine. Tyrosine is one of the biggest contributors in our bodies to the creation of melanin. Melanin is what makes the skin darker and is responsible for beach tans, dark spots, and melasma. Kojic acid, mulberry extract, Arbutin, Bear berry extract, and licorice extract are all tyrosine inhibitors, key ingredients for keeping your skin free of spots and hyperpigmentation. These plants do more than just inhibit melanin though. Here are some of the added benefits.

Kojic Acid

Kojic Acid is a byproduct of various kinds of fungi. Originating from Japan, it comes mostly from soy sauce and rice wine. It is used as a food preservative and has some antimicrobial properties, making it the perfect ingredient for lightening age spots and scars.

Mulberry Extract

Mulberry is a tree native to Asia with fruit that looks similar to a blackberry. It has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries to fight inflammation and slow the growth of cancer cells. It also has some heart-healthy benefits like reducing cholesterol, controlling blood sugar, and lowering blood pressure.

Alpha Arbutin

Arbutin comes from the bearberry, the flower of a hardy shrub that grows in North America, Asia, and Europe. Alpha arbutin is particularly good at reducing the appearance of scars, especially those purplish scars that can last long after the offending zit is gone. It is used as an antibiotic and historically has been used to treat urinary tract infections when eaten. Because of its antibiotic properties, it can prevent acne in the first place too.

Licorice Fruit Extract

Licorice root extract, originally from southern Europe, is often used for skin brightening, to treat atopic dermatitis, mouth sores, improve liver function, and treat eczema.

Azelaic Acid

Tyrosine is not the only chemical that contributes to skin changes. Age spots also appear because of oxidation. Oxidation is the reaction that occurs when oxygen and metal compounds like iron are exposed to each other. This is the reason an apple changes color after you cut it, or iron starts to rust. Since our bodies have iron and are exposed to oxygen all the time, The same theory can be applied to your skin. Emblica fruit extract and Symwhite both contain powerful antioxidants that can keep skin tone even and bright. In fact, emblica fruit is one of the best sources of antioxidants in the world. Symwhite’s main ingredient comes from scotch pine bark.

Like most of the Meladerm ingredients, Azelaic Acid is used to inhibit tyrosine. It also has another useful feature – it’s a powerful antibiotic. Azelaic Acid is said to work as well as salicylic acid for fighting acne, but is much gentler, making it an excellent choice for those with sensitive skin.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, a well-known antioxidant, has been shown to reduce UV-induced pigmentation. This means that it works particularly well for reducing sunspots. Vitamin C is commonly found in products used for correcting uneven skin. As a bonus, it can also boost production of collagen and elastin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

Lemon Extract

Lemon extract is a very mild bleaching agent. Have you ever seen someone applying lemon to their hair before their beach vacation to create highlights? In much the same way, lemon extract applied to the face can have a skin lightening effect. However, this does not mean you should spray lemon juice all over your face and lay in the sun. The amount of lemon extract used in any skin brightening product is small. Pure lemon juice can irritate the skin and leave you looking red and blotchy.

Vitamin B3

Multiple studies have shown that vitamin B-3 decreases hyperpigmentation. It also helps with inflammation and will soothe skin that’s affected by eczema, acne, and dermatitis.

Sepiwhite

The Sepiwhite is a product designed by a company called Seppic. They are a French company specializing in chemical products aimed at improving health and wellness. A quick review of their company shows that they create safe and effective products worldwide, so you can feel good about their Sepiwhite in the ingredient list. One of the main ingredients in Sepiwhite is Phenylalanine, an amino acid often prescribed by physicians to treat vitiligo, a condition that causes patchy white spots to appear on the skin.

Additional Features

Although not an ingredient, Meladerm has another unique feature. Its packaging uses an airless pump to dispense the cream. According to the Civant website, this keeps the cream from mixing with air while it sits in the bottle, keeping the ingredients potent and fresh. It is also a cruelty-free product, which means it was developed without being tested on animals first – a factor that is important to many people.

Judging by just the skincare ingredients, Meladerm has a great recipe for control of uneven skin, dark/age spots, post acne marks, and correcting skin tone. However, we still need to answer the question, is Meladerm worth buying?

Cost comparison

Meladerm prices are pretty comparable to other big-name brands out there. In addition, there are discounts available for purchasing two bottles at a time. Civant also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee through their website, making the purchase relatively risk free when deciding which product to spend your money on.

Store Price Price/Ounce Google Rating
Meladerm 1.7oz $58 $34 4.8/5
Neutrogena tone repair 1.7oz $56 $32 4.1/5
L’Oreal Dark Spot Corrector 1oz $24.99 $19.2 3.9/5
Clinique Dark Spot Corrector 1.7oz $85 $50 4.3/5

Compared to Meladerm, skin lightening/whitening/bleaching cream prices vary widely. Meladerm cream is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive, but they do have the best reviews. One might expect lower reviews for the cheapest product, but even when compared to the Clinique Dark Spot Corrector which is about 50% more expensive, the Meladerm reviews win out.

For most people, $58 for 1.7oz of face cream is a lot to spend, but reviewers say that each bottle lasts just under two months when applied religiously each morning and night. It does not take much cream, about half a pump per application should do. As an additional potential cost-savings, Civant offers free shipping on orders over $100, about what you would spend on 2 bottles of Meladerm. CVS, Walgreens, and other drugstores do not carry Meladerm, so shipping cost is something to consider. Alternative treatments like laser therapy and chemical peels can cost thousands of dollars.

Meladerm cream side effects and safety

Possible side effects:

  • Sensitivity
  • Redness
  • Itching
  • Edema
  • Allergic reactions

Meladerm side effects are usually mild if they happen at all, and Civant states in their website that they prioritize safety for their customers. All their products are backed by science and sterilized before use. If you use Meladerm for hyperpigmentation or other skin problems, you can also rest easy knowing that their product is vegan and free from hydroquinone, steroids, and mercury.

Mercury is allowable as a preservative in small amounts, but ,mercury poisoning has been reported in some skin products. Hydroquinone used to be a popular skin lightening ingredient and is still used in some skin creams sold today. However, the FDA made a statement in April 2022 discouraging the use of hydroquinone and issued warning letters to 12 companies using the ingredient that did not meet criteria to be sold over the counter. Hydroquinone was reported to have caused serious side effects including rashes, swelling, and skin discoloration that may be permanent.

Meladerm specifically avoids these harmful products, and although it is not FDA approved, there are no specific warnings or safety concerns with any of its listed ingredients. Although an official FDA approval would be nice, no skin lightening treatments are FDA approved, so it is not too much of a red flag, so long as there are not any warnings or safety concerns.

Does Meladerm Actually Work?

Now that we’ve taken a look at the ingredients, customer reviews, and safety profile of Meladerm, it’s time to get to some answers about its effectiveness on real people. A list of effective ingredients and reviews are great, but there is nothing quite like photographic evidence to know whether something is working. Checking through Amazon and the Meladerm website, it’s hard impossible to deny the incredible results people have from using Meladerm skin lightening cream. Walmart and other superstores have shelves and shelves full of products claiming to correct skin tone, but none of them have the same dramatic before and after pictures.

Meladerm skin lightening cream before and after

A google search brings up hundreds of reviews with pictures before and after using Meladerm cream. Walgreens and other drugstores carry many different big name skin correcting creams, but none of them seem to have such impressive results. The before and after pictures are posted by people of all different ages, genders, and ethnicities, suggesting that Meladerm is a good option for any skin type.

It is important to keep in mind that these results are not immediate. Most reviewers state that they started to see small improvements after the first two to four weeks, and significant improvements took about two to four months of twice daily application. This would mean that they are using around two or three full bottles of cream before they are completely satisfied. It is also likely that if they do not keep up with their skincare routine, they will form new dark spots or acne scars over time.

Reviews

Meladerm promises to give you that beautiful skin of your dreams, but is it everything their website claims? Reviews on well-known sites like Amazon and Quora all suggest that Meladerm pigment correction is so popular because it works. Most Meladerm Amazon reviews share the opinion of these customers.

For a fair review, we must also acknowledge that there are occasional one-to-two-star reviews. 81% of the Amazon reviews were good, and the rest stated that the product did not work at all for their uneven skin or hyperpigmentation. Although, most of the negative reviews complemented the moisturizing effect or smell of Meladerm despite their complaints. Of the negative reviews, most were short and did not give much detail, making it difficult to assess if they had used the product for long enough or consistently enough to see results.

Local drugstores do not carry Meladerm. Where to buy it then? The only place we were able to find any Civant products were either on Amazon, eBay, or online from https://www.civantskincare.com/meladerm.html

Alternative Treatments

Laser treatment

Medical spas offer laser treatment dark spot removal for about $150-$700 per treatment. Mild discoloration can be taken care of in as little as one to four treatments and severe skin problems may need ten or more treatments to achieve desired results. Each appointment lasts about 20 minutes. After the initial course of laser treatments, clients must return about every four months for maintenance unless they are religious about their skincare routine. Caution must also be used because while laser treatment is effective for sunspots, it can worsen melasma. Most people consider laser treatment to be uncomfortable but not intolerable. Side effects from laser treatment include:

  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Itching
  • Permanent skin color changes
  • Scarring
  • Activation of dormant herpes virus

Chemical peel

A chemical peel essentially uses acid to burn away wrinkles, sunspots, and other skin conditions. They, unlike laser treatments, are a good treatment option for melasma. Chemical peels are usually effective after four to six treatments, each with one to two months between. The average cost of a chemical peel is about $600. Skin can remain sensitive and red for one week for a light peel and up to 3 months for a deep peel. During that time, it is especially important to protect your face from the sun. Chemical peels are effective and long lasting, but not permanent. Side effects of a chemical peel include:

  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Infection
  • Scarring
  • Scarring
  • Heart, liver, or kidney damage from some deep peels

Prevention

As with anything, the best option for eliminating dark spots, acne scars, and skin discoloration is to prevent them in the first place. While some skin conditions are caused by genetics or pregnancy and are mostly unavoidable, sunscreen and wearing a hat during high UV days and times is the best strategy for keeping a nice, even skin tone. Using a great moisturizer with at least an SPF of 30 is recommended by dermatologists to protect your skin from premature aging and cancer.

Summary

Pros

  • Safe
  • Effective
  • Competitive Price
  • Cruelty Free Product
  • Money Back Guarantee

Cons

  • Not Permanent
  • Not Available in Stores
  • Takes Consistency and Patience

Verdict

A thorough review, it’s clear that Meladerm is worth a try for anyone struggling with uneven skin. Compared to other skin lightening products, Meladerm offers a high-quality product for a reasonable price. At best, it can clear up the worst dark spots within a few weeks, and at worst it is an expensive but great smelling moisturizer, and you can return it for a refund. Civant combined the best ingredients into an effective pigment corrector for every skin type.