THE SOURCE MATERIAL

Read the originals.

Each source has a defined role, a limit, and its own retrieval date.

SOURCE 01

CoreAge Rx — Spot On ↗

Current PDP names hydroquinone, kojic acid and niacinamide with expanded role/safety descriptions. Dedicated CTA leads to a separate sales page with plan-card strengths and an internal price conflict; see that separate source.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 02

Musely — The Spot Cream ↗

Commercial source for the $36 monthly equivalent, two-month supply, and customized prescription. Outcomes on the page are self-reported.

Source checked: 2026-09-24

SOURCE 03

Dermatica — Melasma treatment ↗

Provider description of personalized formulas and possible active ingredients. The listed ingredients are not a guaranteed prescription.

Source checked: 2026-09-24

SOURCE 04

Dermatica — US pricing ↗

Advertises $29.95 per bottle and $59.90 every two months, with free shipping. Delivery is also described as every 56 days; confirm the actual billing date.

Source checked: 2026-09-24

SOURCE 05

Agency Skin — Dark Spot Rx ↗

Current destination of the former withagency.com product page. $110, 18 g, 60-day supply. Not all formulas contain hydroquinone.

Source checked: 2026-09-24

SOURCE 06

Agency Skin — Pricing and products ↗

Provider help page for subscription pricing and combination discounts. Confirm the order-specific terms.

Source checked: 2026-09-24

SOURCE 07

American Academy of Dermatology — Melasma diagnosis and treatment ↗

Medical guidance on diagnosis, treatment options, and sun protection. It does not endorse the commercial order used here.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 08

American Academy of Dermatology — Fading dark spots in darker skin tones ↗

Explains causes of pigmentation, avoiding irritation, and the role of sun protection.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 09

American Academy of Dermatology — Age spot treatment ↗

Advises assessment before treating presumed age spots because other lesions can resemble them.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 10

American Academy of Dermatology — Melasma self-care ↗

Guidance on daily protection, visible light, tinted sunscreen, and avoiding irritating products.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 11

FDA — Skin product safety ↗

US regulatory and safety context: hydroquinone skin-lightening products are not approved for OTC sale; adverse effects can include lasting discoloration.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 12

FDA — Understanding the risks of compounded drugs ↗

Compounded preparations are not FDA approved and do not receive the finished-product premarket review used for approved drugs.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 13

DailyMed — TRI-LUMA prescribing information ↗

Product-specific label for short-term treatment of moderate-to-severe facial melasma with sun-avoidance measures. Not evidence for every hydroquinone mixture.

Source checked: 2026-10-21

SOURCE 14

DailyMed — AZELEX azelaic acid 20% cream label ↗

Product-specific acne indication, irritation and pigment-change cautions. Official printer-friendly label used to recover the indication omitted from the extracted expandable page; not an FDA melasma indication.

Source checked: 2026-09-26

SOURCE 15

AAD — Treating acne in skin of color ↗

Addresses active acne alongside residual dark marks, scarring, gentle care, and procedural expertise. Skin of color includes diverse individuals; it is not a single treatment category.

Source checked: 2026-09-26

SOURCE 16

AAD — Chemical peels: frequently asked questions ↗

Professional assessment, recovery differences, pigment complications, and experience with darker skin tones. No home peel protocol is supplied here.

Source checked: 2026-09-26

SOURCE 17

FDA — Chemical peel products and professional supervision ↗

July 30, 2024 warning about serious injuries from certain unsupervised chemical peel products; retrieved again September 26, 2026.

Source checked: 2026-09-26

SOURCE 18

FDA — Sunscreen and sun protection ↗

Explains SPF, broad spectrum, water-resistance labeling, and use directions. The article uses AAD’s SPF 30+ advice specifically for melasma care; it does not rank finished sunscreens.

Source checked: 2026-09-26

SOURCE 19

Naturium — Tranexamic Topical Acid standard serum ↗

Official page shows 5% in the title and 10% in FAQ wording. Current packaged concentration is unresolved. Displays $20 for 30mL and an eight-week study claim without full protocol, participant count or numerical outcomes.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 20

Naturium — Tranexamic Topical Acid jumbo serum ↗

Displays $36 sale/$40 regular for 60mL, with the same 5%/10% wording discrepancy. No completed checkout, shipping/tax terms or guaranteed offer duration verified.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 21

AAD — skin cancer information ↗

Supports assessment of new, growing, bleeding or changing lesions; an online cream comparison cannot diagnose a mark.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 22

AAD — red-light therapy questions and precautions ↗

Device-specific uncertainty, light sensitivity and darker-skin pigmentation precautions. We do not infer melasma efficacy from general appearance studies or transfer claims between home devices and clinical lasers.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 23

Cyspera — Intensive current product offer ↗

Official page lists cysteamine 7%, rinse-off format, full INCI and $180 with tax included/shipping at checkout. No exact current 7% finished-product trial, order total or personal supply duration verified.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 24

Cysteamine versus hydroquinone — randomized trial abstract ↗

Primary research public abstract:20 recruited,14 completed over 16weeks, nonsignificant difference in mMASI and better hydroquinone tolerability. Not equivalence proof; exact current Cyspera 7% formula not established.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 25

Cysteamine 5% versus modified Kligman formula — trial abstract ↗

Primary research abstract:50 participants, four-month comparison with hydroquinone/retinoic-acid/betamethasone mixture. Different concentration and comparator from the current retail product and Spot On; full paper not retrieved.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 26

DermNet — dark circles under the eyes ↗

Dermatologist-edited clinical reference dated July 2015. Multiple causes, diagnostic context and sensitive eyelid treatment area; not a product trial or personal diagnosis.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 27

Orbital hyperpigmentation — melanin and hemoglobin study ↗

Original observational study of 33 Indian patients; same-person skin measurements, not a treatment trial or universal distribution of causes. Public abstract reviewed.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 28

NHS — eyelid problems and urgent symptoms ↗

National health-service guidance separates ordinary eyelid concerns from symptoms needing urgent assessment, including eye pain, vision changes and painful hot swelling.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 29

CoreAge Rx — Spot On sales page and plan cards ↗

Plan cards list hydroquinone 6%, kojic 6% and niacinamide (strength unstated); $165/three months($54.99 monthly display) and $70/one($69.99 display). Its own product-information block conflicts at $42/month. Confirm actual label/invoice; no checkout or exact-formula trial verified.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 30

Likeness Rx — Dark Spot Cream ↗

Official product ingredients, displayed prices and subscription renewal, checked October 4, 2026. No patient care or fulfillment test performed.

Source checked: 2026-09-27

SOURCE 31