Islida and several others have asked if Civant’s Meladerm is really an effective skin lightener.
The Right Brain responds:
Meladerm claims to lighten skin by inhibiting the formation of melanin, the natural pigment that gives skin its color. It contains several active ingredients; the two most noteworthy are kojic acid and alpha-arbutin.
Does it really work? We couldn’t find any independent test data to confirm the product’s skin lightening functionality but we did find data on the active ingredients. Kojic acid, according to the American Academy of Dermatologists, is a proven skin lightening ingredient.
And Alpha-arbutin, according to several studies like this one, works by blocking epidermal melanin genesis by inhibiting enzymatic oxidation of tyrosine and Dopa.
However, these tests were done in vitro, meaning they were done in the laboratory and not on real skin. In vitro tests are good for screening ingredients, but they can’t take the place of actually testing the finished product on real people.
So what does this all mean? It looks like Meladerm is making what The Beauty Brains call a “B” level claim: the formula contains ingredients that have been proven to be effective; however, the formula itself was not tested. Compare that to an “A” level claim where the actual product is tested. Then of course there are “C” level claims where neither the product nor the ingredients have any proven efficacy.
The Brains Bottom Line:
At $50 it’s not cheap but, based on what we’ve seen, Meladerm might just be worth a try. If anyone out there in the Beauty Brains community have tried this product, please let us know what you think.
And by the way, if you’re interested, here’s an excellent article on hydroquinone, another popular whitening ingredient.
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Thank you for the article. I thought I should add my own feedback since I did try the meladerm cream. You are right it was expensive but they had a money back policy so I figured I would give it a shot. Just so you know a little about me, I am half African American and half Japanese, with what most would say medium dark/olive skin tone. The skin on my body is flawless but my face is another story. I used to suffer from alot of breakouts and then my doctor put me on accutane. Most of the pimples have cleared up but my skin was left with alot of dark spots all over. I bought the Meladerm and applied it twice a day as recommended. I can honestly say there has been a very good improvement. The dark spots have lightened up and most of my face is starting to look one uniform color. I’ve been using it for about 2 months now and I plan to keep using another 2 more. I think by then the spots should have faded all the way. It’s a great product in my opinion. My brother has just started to use it too and says he can already see a difference after just a week.
Thanks for the comments TJ. I’m always skeptical of money back guarantees. Maybe I just feel too weird to send back used product.
Just remember the fact that you spend a lot of money on the product can certainly be influencing your perception on whether it is working or not. I’m not suggesting your skin isn’t clearing up. However, attributing it to the use of the cream may or may not be correct. But if it’s working by all means keep doing what you’re doing.
You’re welcome. Just trying to help =)
Oh and believe me, if I wasnt sure that the cream was working, I would have sent it back without any hesitation hehe. At first I did think maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me, but soon everyone started commenting on how great my skin looks. I also have some photos from before and I can not believe the difference. My skin hasn’t looked this good in years.
Thank you for your wonderful website and honest advice!
Oh one more thing… do you have any recommendation for a good sunblock that I can use? I’ve tried so many but all of them are too greasy for my skin. Is there one that has a high SPF but still goes on without feeling greasy?
I have used Meladerm for an entire $50 bottles worth. I used it religiously, twice a day. I have seen no visable results. I have had better results with the Oil of Olay Definity products, which are more reasonably priced.
I just started with the meladerm few weeks ago. I am already seeing some gradual fading. I love how well my makeup goes on after I apply it. It leaves a nice matte finish to my skin which is great.
um why would anyone WANT to make their skin lighter??? i personally find the dark-chocolate skin tone incredible gorgeous!!!, among others. everyone looks great in their natural skin tone, whatever God gave em. & for the record, i’m not black, & hail from pakistan, where “the whiter the better” is the general belief! i find that plain dumb.
Great question ama. I suppose some people would want to use it to get rid of things like age spots and freckles.
not everyone just wants to lighten their skin. ive been using meladerm for my hormone induced melasma and it has helped me tremendously. melasma is where you have brown patching on your face from changes in your hormones. I got it after being on the birth control pill. before i used this cream i had to load my face with makeup before leaving the house. these days i can go without any foundation if im in a rush. it feels so much better to be able to show my face and not have to hide behind makeup.
I’ve read the great reviews for Meladerm, and I am considering buying it, I’ve suffered some embarassing dark spots on my legs that have prevented me from wearing short skirts, shorts and some capris, and I’ve used almost everything you can find at most over the counter stores or beauty supply stores *products containing hydroquinone*, even went to 2 Dermatologists but all of the products they recommended were not strong enough to fade the spots, well at least the 2nd derm. dr. got to the unlying problem and gave me oral antibiotics to work on the inside first so now that is taken care I so want these spots to disappear especially before my wedding in 2009 *crossing fingers on purchasing Meladerm*
I have read a lot on meladerm and have just started using today. I suffer from acne spots and uneven skin colour. I have been using vitamin c from body shop combined with alpha arbutin and could see some improved changes. I am hoping combining the 3 products would yield a faster results.
Do you think I should combine all 3 or there might be side effects?I would give you a feedback in the next 2 weeks hopefully.
Actually, not great question Alma.
Sorry if I’m being rude but some people prefer their skin paler, some darker and that’s entirely their business.
If we accept that people cover themselves in chemicals and even risk skin cancer to make their skin go darker why is it so amazing that some people might use beauty products to make their skin lighter? As for natural is better, I’m sorry? We are on a website about beauty products here.
Personally I do a bit of both. A bit of fake tan on the legs, upper arms and body; a bit of lightner on face (have stupid freckles), feet, hands and lower arms. May seem weird to other people but that’s the way I like my skin.
I think most white North American people ,don’t really know how is
to be discriminated because of your Skin color!
I personally have a light brown color, and used to live in different European Countries ,From East to West !
! Discrimination ! everywhere , always
something that you are going to fight with .
I think now you have the answer of your question! Why people want to be whiter ?
Can anyone tell me where I can buy Meladerm? Is it only available over the internet?
This is to Chloe. Meladerm is usually on the internet. I have never come across any shop selling it. I live in the UK and I bought it at skinlight.co.uk. I have used the product combining it with arbutin and the result is fantastic. It is just annoying that meladerm costs about £35 and I used for 5-6days just twice daily on the face only and the product finished. Out of curousity and anger I cut open the container just to find that where the cream is housed would never be upto 50ml/ 7oz as advertised. it looks as if it was just 10ml inside and the pumping system took the whole space deceiving people into buying an expensive cream with the wrong volume. I think the airless technology and packaging is what we are actually paying for. I have reported this to the authorities who would be investigating. But it is sure a good product
Hi Chloe. There’s a spa about 2 miles from my house that sells it.. that is where I first heard about meladerm. They were selling it for $10 more than what it is on the website though so I ended up buying it online. Maybe try emailing the civant company to find out locations near your home.
I also use it only on my face and it the smaller bottle usually lasts me anywhere from 4-6 weeks. Results have been fairly good. I’m using it for uneven skin tone and some sun damage on my face. Yvonne…do you think maybe your bottle was defective? I have ordered 3 times and all of my bottles last me several weeks. I bought mine straight from the civant website though and not the uk one.
I should also mention that I use it twice a day. I find that about a half pump’s worth is enough to cover my entire face.
Thanks Judy. I bought mine online in the UK. The product and packaging looked okay on delivery. I have reported this to Civant and they are looking into it. I hope if possible buy from Civant directly in the future or they recommend their distributor to me, or might research for an alternative which might be a bit hard.
Goodluck and thanks again
i am planning to buy meladerm to use it on my legs.. but seems like the quantity is too less.. if i use it twice daily on the lower half of my legs, how long do u think it would last?
im not very old and perhaps classify myself as a young teenager, however i found a darkened area upon my upper lip which does not appear to go.
I was pondering on the thought of Meladerm and Im not entirely sure that its the right thing to do…
Ok this is a bit embarrassing, but has anyone ever experienced darkening skin in the armpit area? I was wanting to try this product there.
This cream is amazing. My auntie recommended it to me couple months ago and I have been using it every day since. I bought the 1.7 oz and it seems to almost be finished, but it’s hard to tell since you can’t see inside the bottle. I am applying it everywhere on my face to try to lighten my face up. It’s not that I want to be lighter skin tone, but my face was so much darker than my body. My chest and stomach are sooo light.. but then my arms, neck and face were like 4 shades darker. I was told to use this Meladerm cream by my auntie and so far I am loving it. My face has already gotten much lighter and everyone says my skin looks flawless. I havn’t tried it on my hands or arms yet. I think I will need a larger size for that.
This sounds really appealing for the spotting on my face, but my bigger challenge is the dark circles under my eyes. Has anyone used it under their eyes? I don’t have puffiness, just darkness.
for maimum, the darkness under your eyes is actually considered a type of bruising, it is not coloring. so meladerm will not work for that.
Hi Maimun,The same company of Meloderm (Civant) has an Eye Complex, for your case…
http://www.civantskincare.com/eyecomplex.html
My granddaughter is a beautiful black-American who’s only
13 years old. She has very dark skin and is constantly
teased by her peers. What product can she use or take
to lighten her skin so that she will feel better about herself?
My granddaughter I am very worried about. She’s 13
years old and is a beautiful Black-American who is always
teased and harrassed by her peers because of her dark skin.
What can she take or use to lighten her skin so that she
will have a better self=esteem?
Hi Alohaminnie…I felt very sad reading your comments about your granddaughter…I am an African American female who is also an educator…I see Black students tease each other all the time about complexion. It is very hurtful and this is something that is handed down from generation to generation in the African American community. It is very ugly well kept secret. Other races don’t understand why it happens. You have to help her to have self confidence in herself as a person. She has to learn to accept “her”. It is not going to be easy with all the teasing. There is no cream in the world that will erase how she feels about herself. Now as for the teasing, I can tell you what I did to stop it in my classroom. One of my students was called “Crispy” This name got me so upset because this student was a beautiful child inside and out. I hand the child who called him “Crispy” come up to my desk…I then addressed her in front of the entire class….I told her, “Well you enjoy calling sstuents darker than you “Crispy”, what if Kevin (which was my Latino student) calls you “Crispy”. You are Crispy to him because he is much lighter than you. What if your mother called your father Crispy, he is darker than her. Would that be right? How would you feel knowing the father you adorn called that? Being made fun of about something he cannot change. Then I started picking kids randomly and telling them that they could call the other “crispy” due to the fact they were a little lighter than that student. I was on a roll. I told them I was tired of it and I wanted it to stop. And I meant it….I have one white student in my class and I told them that she was lighter than all of them and she can call them all crispy….I was trying to make a point. I got it across too. Almost everyone of my students was guilty of using this word. They all hung their hands down in shame. And they all apologized to that student for being so cruel and insensitive….This happened two days before the end of the term. I teach 5th grader in NYC Off course this was followed with a lesson on tolerance.
Wow Starzrosieapple, the Brains couldn’t have said it nearly as well as you. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments.
She’s right, there is no cream that will give you self esteem. That comes from within.
I want to purchase Meladerm but im wondering..will it lighten the affected area as it lightens my hyperpigmented marks and if so then should i apply it to my whole face??
I have only been using Meladerm for 3 days but can already see positive results. I have melasma quite badly on both my checks and a couple of smaller patches on my forehead. Having just returned from a holiday the melasma was worse than ever despite using a high factor sun cream. I’m eager to see what happens over the next couple of weeks and if my marks continue to improve. It was this site that prompted me to try it so thought I’d post my comments.
Hello, I live in Belgium and would like to know if I can buy Meladerm here. I have tried several cremes over the years (also with hydroquinine), but I only use it on the acne scars and dark spots, I never use it over my whole face, and very proud of my skin colour! I am half Belgian, half South-American, and I suffered for over more then 20 years from acne. The treatment with Roaccutane helped a lot, the acne is gone, but I still have a lot of dark spots in my face,so I wear make up every day..So please please would someone tell me where I can buy Meladerm??Thank you very much!
I am on my third month with Meladerm and my sun damage has almost completely vanished. I used to be a foolish sun worshiper and as a result, suffered from lots of brown patches and freckles on my face, neck and chest caused by too much uv exposure. I found out about Meladerm from this site and am so glad I bought it. My skin now looks so smooth and even toned. Some of the freckles are still there, but the brown patches are absolutely 100% gone! Thank you for this website, it really encouraged me to try it!
I bought the 1.7 oz. bottle of Meladerm, about 9 months ago, after getting fed up with the post acne hyperpigmentation dottin my face. I have to say, it is the best product ive ever used. I ran out of it in about a month and a half, before my spots disappeared all the way, so this time I am going to buy the 3.4 oz. bottle, as well as a laundry list of other products from the Meladerm website.
I was just wondering..does anyone know if it will cause any irritation if I use Proactiv and Meladerm at the same time?
I don’t know if it will irritate your skin, but I used them at the same time at one point, and it did not irritate mine.
Oh alright..Thank you for your input.
Oh alright..Thank you for your input.How long did you use them at the same time for?
Until my Meladerm ran out, which was about 1 month. But like I said, everyones skin is different, and yours might not react the same as mine.
ive been using meladerm and its faded most of my marks, but does anyone know whether extended use will lighten the skin as i dont wnat it to fade my skin colour?
thanks
Has anybody tried Meladerm on sun spots on hands? My hands are slowly showing sun spots.
hi all,
i am an african,nigerian to be precise,my skin color is not dark and not so light, i have sunburns on my hands and neck and also spots on my face, i want to try meladerm but i am particularly worried about my face.will my face become very light , while it clears the spot.i love my natural in-between color…
marcus would u apply Meladerm before or after use of Proactiv nd did Meladerm still work for you?
I would first do all the steps with Proactiv, and then I would apply the Meladerm. The Meladerm still worked for me with the simultaneous use of the Proactiv.
i am a light complected filipina in my early 20s. around the age of 13 and 14 years old, i began to develop dark underarms. because of this, it lowered my self esteem through out my high school and college years. i could not wear the sexy outfits i wanted to wear without a sweater or a jacket. i refused to go swimming or clubbing because of the dark secret people might discover. my mom, my cousins, and my relatives do not have the same problem as i do. i am not overweight, never went through pregnancy, i do not have diabetes, and i do not shave my underarms, so why do i have these? i have tried many whitening deoderant products such as blocknwhite, extraderm, godiva, silka, tawas, magic cream, and my current one, which i have been using since april “total nonscents” from dermadoctor. none of these products have worked. im still young and i feel that there is hope, that one day these dark underarms will lighten and disappear. i am desperate and need an experts advice. please, is there a product for me?
Hi Jocesa, I am also a Filipina but I live here in Switzerland, I was able to get the Meladerm complete set from Civant website and I can say that only after 3 days, I can see the a changing glow on my face and neck. I also have dark underarms caused by pregnancy and I am applying meladerm on it together with my dark elbow. I saw on their website that someone used it there and it was working, so here’s hoping that it’ll work for us too.
Maimum, I am using the complete set, it comes with the eye cream, you can find all their poducts on their website. It may be expensive, but hey, if you keep buying cheap products that don’t work and end up paying almost the same amount after monhts and months of buying them, why not buy a one-time expensive cream that works and you’ll see your money’s worth…you won’t feel bad to buy something that works.
I forgot to say that at first, I was too excited to use the Meladerm cream that I was pumping too much to put on my face neck, elbow and armpit, now I learned that one pump can actually cover the whole face and neck depending on how even you massge it on the area you treat. Too bad Meladerm was not meant to treat pimples, but even if I combine it after leaving it on for 15 minutes with a pimple treating cream, it still works! Thank God for Meladerm!
I’m on my third week of using Meladerm. It seems to be working to lighten the small dark patches and freckles on my cheeks. I didn’t think of taking a ‘before’ picture first. Using the small bottle sparingly ,so it should last a bit more.
hi this product is great! thank you for the advice. I ordered two weeks ago and received it in 3 days. My skin is lokking better day by day thank you
I would like to try Meladerm, but would like to know if it will whiten my entire face or will just get rid of the acne spots. I love my complexion I just want to get rid of acne spots. I know it might lighten the surrounding area a bit but to what extent? I have lots of spots on my face from acne(I am african american). Can anyone help me.
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