La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Dark spots and post-acne marks5 experts

“and they're looking for something to still help lighten dark spots on their face.”

Dr. Mamina, watch at 4:39

Melasma2 experts

“I do struggle with post acne marks, so it's great for those that struggle with that as well as melasma.”

Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 12:03

Breakouts and acne1 expert

“I do struggle with post acne marks, so it's great for those that struggle with that as well as melasma.”

Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 12:03

Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

“The niacinamide in here is going to help strengthen the barrier and calm the irritation which is going to make it suitable for daily use even for somebody with rosacea like me.”

Dr. Aleksandra Brown, watch at 7:55

Skin barrier support1 expert

“The niacinamide in here is going to help strengthen the barrier and calm the irritation which is going to make it suitable for daily use even for somebody with rosacea like me.”

Dr. Aleksandra Brown, watch at 7:55

Rough or uneven texture1 expert

“and it can really be helpful for addressing uneven skin texture and skin tone that we commonly see with aging skin.”

Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 7:16

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Daniel Sugai

723k subs

~Nay

"I was really excited about the new Melasyl ingredient, and the research results look great. But when I and my patients tried it, including samples and full sizes, we saw no results. I was very disappointed by the real-world results, so I would say skip it for now."

All 4 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai

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"I've used La Roche-Posay Mela B3 serum quite a bit in the last couple years since it came out and I have to say that's also unfortunately pretty mid. I do love the brand. They make great skin care, but I haven't been impressed. My patients haven't been impressed by their melisel ingredient that was supposed to even compete with hydroquinone, prescription hydroquinone. And I'd say I've been a little disappointed by it."

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"But in real life application, real life settings, I've had multiple of my patients use it, I've used it myself, and I have not been impressed by the results. So either the formulation needs to change or the ingredient is just a total letdown and the B3, the niacinamide paired with it might be doing the heavy lifting. [...] Patients just aren't getting any benefits from it. I have been underwhelmed. I do love the brand, but this has been a letdown."

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"I have to say even though I love the brand, very disappointing. My patients haven't seen much improvement in their dark spots with it. I've used it and it does not even compare to hydroquinone. So this is one deal I would pass on. [...] If the B5 ever goes on sale, I would rather go with their hyaluronic acid serum, not their Mela B3."

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"I was really excited about the new Melasyl ingredient, and the research results look great. But when I and my patients tried it, including samples and full sizes, we saw no results. I was very disappointed by the real-world results, so I would say skip it for now."

Dr. Sam Ellis

902k subs

~Yay

"I am also a big fan of the La Roche-Posay Mela B3 serum, which has 10% niacinamide. That texture is a little bit richer. It almost feels like a lightweight lotion rather than a true serum. So, I like it for more mature or dry skin. And because it not only contains niacinamide, but also mel, which is a patented pigment fighting ingredient from L'Oreal, it's particularly good if people are trying to fight pigmentation by incorporating niacinamide in a higher concentration within their routine."

208SkinDoc

2.11M subs

~Yay

"There's a newer ingredient from La Roche-Posay called Melasyl that works on pigmentation. [...] It doesn't work directly on the tyrosinase enzyme, but instead it takes away the amino acids that would go into making pigment. [...] It's very well tolerated, very safe, and highly effective. Studies [...] show it's more effective than 4% hydroquinone. You can get it in the Mela B3 serum. [...] This is one of my favorites, and I've recommended it and given samples to many of my patients."

All 4 takes from 208SkinDoc

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"There's a newer ingredient from La Roche-Posay called Melasyl that works on pigmentation. [...] It doesn't work directly on the tyrosinase enzyme, but instead it takes away the amino acids that would go into making pigment. [...] It's very well tolerated, very safe, and highly effective. Studies [...] show it's more effective than 4% hydroquinone. You can get it in the Mela B3 serum. [...] This is one of my favorites, and I've recommended it and given samples to many of my patients."

Pigmentation Problems — Treating Dark Spots, Melasma & PIH

"You can use something like the Mela B3 serum from La Roche-Posay as well as thiamidol because they work on different pathways, [...] and the data I've seen from La Roche-Posay says theirs is more effective than thiamidol. But it's a forty five dollar serum, though once you buy all four of the Eucerin products you're spending at least that much anyway, so I think it can be helpful to do more than one thing."

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"It's a lightweight serum, it goes on really smooth on the skin, and I've had many patients that I've given samples of this to come back and report that they purchased it and that it's worked really well for them. It also doesn't carry any risk of ochronosis or permanent pigment deposition, and my patients have found it very tolerable, it doesn't sting and it doesn't lead to irritation."

Dermatologist Reviews MelaB3 Treatment for Melasma

"It's a pretty lightweight, non-sticky serum, it feels very nice on the skin, and it spreads easily. The retail price is about forty five dollars, so it's not the cheapest serum, but it's a highly specialized serum that targets excess pigmentation. It's dermatologist recommended, I advise my patients [...] to use it, and [...] I've been recommending it regularly to patients trying to treat excess pigmentation or who need to take a break from hydroquinone."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

153k subs

~Yay

"It really [...] targets the dark spots, the melasma, the post acne marks, but it was still gentle enough for my rosacea skin. The niacinamide in here is going to help strengthen the barrier and calm the irritation which is going to make it suitable for daily use even for somebody with rosacea like me. What's really cool about it is that it has this patented melisil technology that's going to help prevent new pigment from forming. So you're combining the melisil with the niacinamide."

All 2 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown

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"It really [...] targets the dark spots, the melasma, the post acne marks, but it was still gentle enough for my rosacea skin. The niacinamide in here is going to help strengthen the barrier and calm the irritation which is going to make it suitable for daily use even for somebody with rosacea like me. What's really cool about it is that it has this patented melisil technology that's going to help prevent new pigment from forming. So you're combining the melisil with the niacinamide."

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"My favorite product recommendation here is definitely La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum with the melilot and niacinamide. This targets dark spots while providing hydration and just like all La Roche-Posay serums it's very gentle and hydrating. It is suitable for sensitive skin and helps to reduce discoloration and balance skin tone."

Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

~Yay

"This is one that I use myself and recommend to patients. It's not a separate niacinamide serum. It does contain niacinamide in it along with other products, but it's really geared towards those that struggle with hyperpigmentation. I do struggle with post acne marks, so it's great for those that struggle with that as well as melasma. It [...] has been clinically proven to help reduce dark spots and post acne marks and also [...] helps to improve skin clarity and evenness."

All 2 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu

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"La Roche-Posay's Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum is one I recommend frequently. It's [...] a really good one because I love the formula and the other ingredients, and it can really be helpful for addressing uneven skin texture and skin tone that we commonly see with aging skin. The serum is alcohol-free, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic, so it's suitable for those with more sensitive skin as well as dry skin."

Niacinamide, is it worth the hype? Derm explains | Dr. Jenny Liu

"This is one that I use myself and recommend to patients. It's not a separate niacinamide serum. It does contain niacinamide in it along with other products, but it's really geared towards those that struggle with hyperpigmentation. I do struggle with post acne marks, so it's great for those that struggle with that as well as melasma. It [...] has been clinically proven to help reduce dark spots and post acne marks and also [...] helps to improve skin clarity and evenness."

Mad About Skin

734k subs

~Yay

"The Mela B3 has got a lot of praise online."

All 2 takes from Mad About Skin

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"The Mela B3 has got a lot of praise online."

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"However, I think the universal opinion was that whilst it worked, I don't know a single person out there that said it didn't at least deliver some benefit, they were often expecting a little bit more. I think that comes back to paid for hype, often exaggerating expectations leading them to be unrealistic. When you try it and put it through its paces, the results, whilst okay, will never be able to live up to that hype."

Dr. Mamina

283k subs

~Yay

"In the La Roche-Posay line they have their Mela B3 serum. [...] It has the proprietary La Roche-Posay spring water in it so I love it, it's soothing and this ingredient has so much research behind it, like multiple years of research, and it's not harsh on the skin either. So I do like that for people who may have sensitive skin and they're looking for something to still help lighten dark spots on their face."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Mixed

"I recently gave up on the Mela B3 serum. It's actually decent. It does have fragrance, which is not as strong as some of the other La Roche-Posay serums. It's a 10% niacinamide serum with their new Micéal ingredient that is supposed to disrupt some of the early processes that lead to pigment production. It also has niacinamide, which we know is good for dark spots. [...] 10% is unnecessary, more likely to be irritating. 5% is kind of within the zone of what has been studied."

All 3 takes from Dr Dray

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"This is a dark spot corrector from La Roche-Posay. It's a really innovative ingredient but I really wish they had not put fragrance in this, albeit it is not as bad as some of their other serums in terms of that strong headache inducing scent. [...] LHA is a modified form of salicylic acid and [...] gently exfoliates. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that exfoliates the skin surface."

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"I really do think that the serum, if you can tolerate it, will get you results, and perhaps better results if used twice a day. [...] You're getting TXA twice a day, and niacinamide twice a day, so [...] I think it's fine. [...] These products are not cheap, and it's really difficult to predict whether they're going to be a win or [...] an epic fail for you, because there are a few issues I can see you running into."

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"I recently gave up on the Mela B3 serum. It's actually decent. It does have fragrance, which is not as strong as some of the other La Roche-Posay serums. It's a 10% niacinamide serum with their new Micéal ingredient that is supposed to disrupt some of the early processes that lead to pigment production. It also has niacinamide, which we know is good for dark spots. [...] 10% is unnecessary, more likely to be irritating. 5% is kind of within the zone of what has been studied."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

~Nay

"I think there's better out there for brightening. If you are at a wit's end and you have really bad melasma and you're trying to add every possible product on the market and you're not reactive to niacinamide, adding this with a complete serum or something that is a little bit more potent is a great add-on. But for me, I'm under control, so I don't think I'll be using it in my routine."

All 2 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss

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"I think there's better out there for brightening. If you are at a wit's end and you have really bad melasma and you're trying to add every possible product on the market and you're not reactive to niacinamide, adding this with a complete serum or something that is a little bit more potent is a great add-on. But for me, I'm under control, so I don't think I'll be using it in my routine."

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"This one is interesting because it's combining glycolic acid at ten percent with brightening ingredients such as tranexamic acid and kojic acid, so this is kind of a really strong two-for-one. But it also has a stink, so if you are very sensitive to scents, this might not be your best friend. But if you don't care, I would go for this baby. It's forty dollars, and you can get it at any Duane Read, Walgreens, or CVS, and it can definitely exfoliate while brightening your skin."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

~Nay

"They essentially have this Mela B3 serum and it's kind of like this light purple color and it's a vitamin B serum that is niacinamide and it's not very special it has fragrance it's gone viral on the internet but it's like 44 to 50 bucks. And they also test on animals which is why I don't use them. If you buy it here it's like 40, 50, 60 bucks like what the La Roche-Posay can be a no no."

Nipun Kapur

413k subs

~Yay

"I started using it and I was really really impressed I have actually finished most of it and I am going to repurchase it genuinely I feel that this has all the goodness and all the properties of the original Niacinamide 10"

Translated from the guru's original language.

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum?

A dark spot corrector serum from La Roche-Posay formulated with niacinamide and the brand's Melasyl ingredient, designed to fade hyperpigmentation and even out skin tone.

Is La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum worth it?

The gurus are split. 7 of the 11 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 3 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 67%.

What is La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum's Guru Score?

La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum holds a Guru Score of 67%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 11 expert reviewers we have collected.

What is La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum is good for dark spots and post-acne marks (5 experts), melasma (2 experts), breakouts and acne (1 expert), irritated or reactive skin (1 expert), skin barrier support (1 expert) and rough or uneven texture (1 expert).

Is La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum good for dark spots and post-acne marks?

5 experts who reviewed La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum say it is. Dr. Mamina put it this way: “and they're looking for something to still help lighten dark spots on their face.”