Is Maelove Fade Away Dark Spot Correcting Serum worth it?

Mostly yes. 5 of the 6 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 77%.

What is Maelove Fade Away Dark Spot Correcting Serum's Guru Score?

Maelove Fade Away Dark Spot Correcting Serum holds a Guru Score of 77%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 6 expert reviewers we have collected.

What is Maelove Fade Away Dark Spot Correcting Serum good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Maelove Fade Away Dark Spot Correcting Serum is good for dark spots and post-acne marks (5 experts), dull skin (1 expert) and rough or uneven texture (1 expert).

Is Maelove Fade Away Dark Spot Correcting Serum good for dark spots and post-acne marks?

5 experts who reviewed Maelove Fade Away Dark Spot Correcting Serum say it is. Dr Dray put it this way: “Really what this is for is hyperpigmentation, the kojic acid and arbutin.”

Maelove

Maelove Fade Away Dark Spot Correcting Serum.

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Serums

About this product

A brightening serum from Maelove, made with kojic acid, alpha arbutin and licorice root, designed to help fade dark spots and even out skin tone.

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Alpha-Arbutin, Kojic Acid, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis, (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Amber Powder, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Glutathione (L), Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Gluconate, Sclerotium Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tropolone, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol

Guru Score

77%

Yay

6 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

Kojic acid, alpha arbutin and licorice root keep coming up, and the takes tie that trio to fading dark spots and a brighter, more even tone. However, one mixed take found it only moderately helpful, since hyperpigmentation comes in several types. Anyone with sensitive skin may want to be cautious, especially when pairing it with something strong like tretinoin. A couple of takes find it very hydrating, and results come with steady use.

Synthesized from 6 expert reviews · most recent take June 2026

What they liked

Hydrating, evens skin tone noticeably
Gentle enough to layer with retinol
Multiple brightening actives work together

What they flagged

Can pill under sunscreen, better at night

Type

SerumsDrops & dropper

Key actives

Hyaluronic acid

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeContains drying alcohol

Where to buy

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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

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Yay

"One of my most frequently used products from Maelove is their dark spot serum. I [...] love the green aesthetic, and I also love how they have complementary ingredients to help address that one problem."

All 2 takes from Doctorly

Our MOST FREQUENTLY REPURCHASED Products of the Year | Dermatologist Favorites

"You can get a cream, you can get a serum if that's your texture, and this is where over-the-counter shines. You get tons of ingredients in one product and it keeps your skincare simple. So that's why I love this. The only questionable ingredient in this is the witch hazel. I have a suspicion it's there for a purpose. I feel like maybe it helps with the absorption or skin penetration enhancer or something like that."

Dermatologists' Most Underrated Skincare Brands of 2026

Sincerely Miss Ash

196k subs

✓Yay

"This is a wonderful serum for those that have hyperpigmentation stubborn dark spots post acne marks. This is a lovely serum that actually works to fade these areas especially when you are consistent. Consistency is key with skin care in general, you have to be consistent with your skincare products to see results."

All 2 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash

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"So this really does work if you are consistent with it. Then once those areas healed up I actually started pairing this up with my tretinoin at night time and I did not experience any additional irritation or dryness. It doesn't mean that you won't, please be cautious on how you use this. This alone might be irritating for someone who has sensitive skin, but if you're going to be pairing this up with something else just be cautious."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Mixed

"I didn't find it to be terribly efficient and effective for me. [...] In terms of the price, the full size 1 oz retails for 40 bucks, so in my opinion just over the edge of being too pricey. [...] Overall I found this to be an average brightening serum. I think it's highly likely for a lot of people that could irritate their skin, so that's a chance some of you may not want to take. It may work better for others than it did for me."

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Yay

"I've been using the Fadeaway this year loving it. This is by Maelove, a new brand to me this year, and I would say they're in the mid-range of prices. This is $40, so this is the one item that is above my affordable price range but I still love it. This one has kojic acid and alpha arbutin."

All 3 takes from Beyond50Skin

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"I tried their anti-pigmentation serum"

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"Another serum I finished up this summer was the Maelove Fade Away. This is an anti-pigmentation serum that targets melanin production in the skin. It contains arbutin and kojic acid. I really enjoyed using the serum. It does have kind of an earthy green scent, but it's just from the ingredients in the formula."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"I love May Love's discoloration serum. It's excellent. I used it consistently for over a year and got really great results."

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All 13 takes from Dr Dray

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"This product is one that for me I see visible changes, visible improvement, an overall just brightening effect. I [...] notice an overall improvement in skin luminosity and radiance above and beyond what I see when I just simply use a hydrating serum. I get improvement in skin luminosity using snail mucin, which is another love of my life, but I would say I get a little bit more of an improvement with this product above and beyond."

SKINCARE PRODUCTS I USED UP 🗑 EMPTIES 2023 @DrDrayzday

"I finished the Maelove Fade Away brightening serum, this was a 2022 skincare favorite and I continue to use it. I've repurchased this multiple times. [...] It's a serum that has kojic acid in it which is helpful for hyperpigmentation, but the formula overall is like very hydrating. I definitely see an improvement in overall skin luminosity and an even [...] skin tone. [...] I come back to this and it is very good."

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"I'm going to come on over with my Maelove Fade Away brightening serum, just need a full dropper worth of this. This is the kojic acid arbutin licorice root skin brightening serum that I use."

Fading Hyperpigmentation On The Face With Arbutin?

"I found personally for me to be very effective for brightening up my skin tone and lightening some dark spots hyperpigmentation. What I like about this is that it's arbutin and it's also kojic acid and it's also licorice root so those three are very gentle pigment lightening ingredients to brighten and improve skin tone and they tackle slightly different aspects of the pigment producing machinery in a slightly different way so they exhibit synergy."

Using A Clay Mask For Oily Skin

"I repurchased the Maelove Fade Away brightening serum. [...] This is a 2022 skincare favorite. It's really good for brightening your skin, improving skin tone, and it's also super moisturizing."

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"I love May Love's discoloration serum. It's excellent. I used it consistently for over a year and got really great results."

*Vlog* YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS SKIN CARE DISCOVERY @DrDrayzday

"My Maelove Fade Away Brightening Serum packs a nice punch of hydration by itself. [...] Really what this is for is hyperpigmentation, the kojic acid and arbutin. This is good as is, I don't technically need anything else."

*Vlog* TRYING TARGET SALICYLIC ACID WASH & ALLERGIES @DrDrayzday

"I'm using the Maelove Fade Away brightening serum. It's very hydrating and it does smooth out and even out skin tone. Maelove's brightening serum has kojic acid in it and also arbutin, and I get a nice skin brightening effect from it for targeting hyperpigmentation."

SKINCARE EMPTIES FROM WINTER 2023 🗑 @DrDrayzday

"I've been so impressed with this product, this is like my fourth bottle of it, the first bottle was gifted to me but I've since repurchased several bottles and I continue to use it. I highly recommend it if you're looking to improve the look of sunspots on the face, maybe you got too much sun exposure on vacation, this is a great one for lightening that up in conjunction with sunscreen."

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"This is the Maelove Fade Away Serum, my 2022 skincare favorite, with arbutin and kojic acid. [...] I think [...] the kojic acid and arbutin probably are helping with the hyperpigmentation, [...] but I think a lot of the benefit I see from this is just because it is so stinking hydrating, and I use it on a damp face, [...] even up around my eyes, and I have not had any issue with that."

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"I purchased another bottle of the May Love Fade Away brightening serum. I have been really happy with this product, [...] I genuinely see a difference in my skin. [...] It has kojic acid in it and it also has arbutin and hyaluronic acid, so it's very hydrating."

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"This fade away brightening serum really does brighten up the skin, [...] mostly through the humectants scattering light. It has kojic acid in it which can help inhibit the enzyme tyrosinase so it reduces upregulation of pigment production, plus antioxidants, and it has alpha arbutin in it, a natural form of hydroquinone."

MAELOVE FADE AWAY BRIGHTENING SERUM | DERMATOLOGIST @DrDrayzday

"Possible issues [...] are irritation, since it has kojic acid and other botanic extracts that can be irritating for some people, and it can pill under sunscreen during the day so I prefer using it at night. I actually really like it and I would repurchase it again."