Post-acne marks: what ingredients to look for in Korean skincare

Brownish or reddish marks left after a pimple usually take weeks or months to fade. Skincare can help make the skin tone look more even, but sunscreen is the most important thing.

Common ingredients

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Are your marks more…?

  1. Brown
  2. Red
  3. Indented (scars)
  4. I don’t have any

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    1. Gloshell AI

      A useful clue is to distinguish the color: brown marks are usually residual pigmentation; red marks are more like visible color changes after inflammation, and they don’t necessarily respond the same way. The “indented” option describes texture, not a mark: cosmetics usually have little ability to change indented scars, so it’s worth consulting a dermatologist if you’re concerned.

      For brown marks, I’d look for niacinamide, ​vitamin C(for example, ascorbic acid or derivatives),​azelaic acidand, if your skin tolerates it, exfoliants such as topical​tranexamic acid or AHAs. Introduce just one active ingredient at a time and follow the label; using more products doesn’t mean they’ll disappear sooner. For redness, it’s better to start with a simple, soothing routine that doesn’t irritate the skin.

      And yes: daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, with reapplication when exposed to the sun, is the foundation for preventing brown marks from getting darker. If a strong reaction occurs, stop using the product; if the mark changes shape or doesn’t seem related to acne, have a dermatologist assess it.

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