Kiehl's Dermatologist Solutions™ Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution

The clear bottle the solution comes in makes it look very effective. I like its 'clean' look and made me trust the product to do what it says it does. However, I didn't expect to see an immediate change using this, compared to the Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I have hyperpigmentation on my neck and jaw lien which has bothered me for years. I started seeing that the dark marks on my neck area were fading after about two weeks of everyday use. At first, I wasn't sure it was actually making my marks fade and it was just me 'seeing' it until I asked my husband who also said they'd faded quite significantly. I'm continuing to use this as I believe the longer I do, the more effects I'll see in my skin discolouration.

The Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution comes in a clear glass bottle with a dropper. Easy to apply and spreads very well.
I find it a little sticky after application, while it dries, but as soon as my skin absorbs it, the stickyness disappears... I must admit, this product did not win me over immediately, as it seemed to have worked at a slower pace than any of the other Kiehl’s products I have used, and only after week 3 did I start to see results... Although my dark spots have not faded out completely, there is a definite clarity and brightness to my face.

When I decided to take on the Kiehl's #ChangeYourSkin 28 Day Challenge, this was the product that I couldn't wait to start using. Being a black woman, I feel like hyper pigmentation just comes along to ruin our usually flawless skin. I applied this product on in the evening after my moisturizing serum, and I was sure to apply an spf 30 broad spectrum on during the day. At the end of almost 30 days, I can honestly say that I was beginning to see some progress. I will continue to use this product until the bottle is finished, which doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

I also think this would be a great product for preventative reasons. It's definitely worth the money!

I initially used 2 drops of this product and found this was definitely too much for my face so dropped it down to one drop.

This serum is quite liquid and feels “wet” on application so it takes quite a while to absorb into the skin and you definitley need to wait a few minutes before applying the next one at night.

I don’t struggle with too much obvious pigmentation except for a small spot on my temple but I do know that hiding under the surface of my skin is a fair amount almost waiting to appear so I've decided that prevention is better than cure and will be using this serum a bit more dilligently from now on.

This serum contains moisturizing glycerin and Pro-Xylane (hydroxypropyl tetrahydropyrantriol) plus plenty of Vitamin C (Ethyl Ascorbic Acid) which is a brilliant anti-oxidant that helps to boost the skin’s natural resistance to UV damage, speeds up healing, helps with inflammation and redness and reduces sun spots.

Here’s a detailed look at its star ingredients:


Peony- A highly valued flower in the world of skin care due to its powerful brightening properties; Contains a high concentration of Tannins, a potent skin illuminating concentrate.


White Birch- An extract from the bark of Betula Alba; Anti-inflammatory; Improves the appearance of skin discolorations; Stimulates collagen production; Improves skin clarity

Activated C- A potent, Kiehl’s- exclusive efficacious lightening ingredient. Sold! Sold sold sold! Skin’s very own killer pick up line.


Activated-C? According to Kiehl’s, most brightening skin solutions only remove the surface level melanin concentration, but they cannot penetrate the skin and remove the dried up mass of melanin underneath. This is why most of us have come to believe that dark spot solutions only work halfway.  They seem to work in the beginning then somehow kind of “plateau”

Activated- C complex is formulated to penetrate deep into the root of discoloration and zap the clusters of dried up melanin on the cellular level. The result is significant improvement in discolorations after a few weeks of usage, and complete brightening in the long run.


I’ve put this baby to a test for one month on the #ChallengeMySkin and these are my results.

The product: It is a clear liquid with a semi- milky consistency. It’s very spreadable and a little goes a long way. Drying time is average, and it has a light, zesty floral fragrance.

 Before using Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective; Occasionally dull, dehydrated skin mostly in some areas of my face, fine lines around my eyes and enlarged pores around my nose area.


I’ve experienced dryness with other skin brightening solutions but with this one, I didn’t. The milky, liquid texture even leaves my skin soft and dewy. Add to that, this product feels very pleasant on the skin and no ma, it doesn’t burn my cheeks!

Dries up surprisingly fast given its rich consistency, I found this to be extremely great as its not only a night but a day serum as well, and so made prep time in the morning quick and pain-free. I loved that it blends well with my day moisturizer and doesn’t in any way add shine to my face or aggravate oiliness on the dreaded Tzone.

Ok that’s all the stuff is DOESN’T do. No drying, no greasiness, no shine. The efficacy of the serum remains the magic behind it. My skin is brighter, firmer, so much smoother. The kind of results that make me decide to try out these products in the first place. I’m glad I got to be part of this Challenge.

Its one thing to be able to review expert solutions like these its amazing to end up with skin you haven’t had in a long time. I still have so much more of the serum left, I’m looking forward to even greater skin in the weeks to follow.

Thanks for tuning in!

R655, Edgars. Thank me later :)

This serum was my least favourite of the three, but I didn't hate it - by no means! I'm not even sure why it was my least favourite - the results it yielded were quite good.

I love the dropper you use to apply the product - it allows for control so you don't use too much. I did find that the lack of directions on the product was a bit confusing though. I didn't know how much (or little) to apply, so I kind of just did my own thing.

My skin tone has definitely improved, I feel. I still have the dark circles under my eyes - I think I always will, but I felt like the rest of my skin tone evened out. The natural progression of discolouration on the side of nose and my laugh lines/cheeks seems to have lightened with use of Kiehl's Dermatologist Solutions Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution. I think I might keep on using it after all.

When you buy the serum it is in a plain white box that has a silver lining, on the top and bottom. When you open your box then you will first see a lid like a medicine dropper which is white in color and the bottle is clear and has words written in black.

When you first use your serum you will of course use it after you cleansed your skin and use few drops. The feel of the serum on your skin feels more like a droplet of water mixed with something! Thats how i can best describe it. You must realise that the main ingredient in this serum is water, propylene glycol and glycerine so those are so moisturising!

I used the serum for 3 weeks and i could see my dark spots were starting to get minimised and my discoloration was also getting better. I think with the continued usage of this product, i can definitely get my desired results, which is even tone without spots and discolouration. This was one of the best serums i have ever used!

This product comes in a clear glass bottle with a glass dispenser. Perfect for getting the exact amount of drops as required. Also ensures no wastage. Soft scent. Easily absorbs in the skin even though its an oil product and i have very oily skin, it has not left my face feeling greasy or oily

On receiving this product i was really excited as i have dark spots from acne and pigmentation on my skin for years that just would not go away. So naturally we including myself would love clear skin.

After usage of this serum i felt the results are gradual and not immediate. The dark spots are fading away rather very slowly. But i am sure with continuous usage they would disappear completely no doubt about that. Overall a great product that intend to continue using. Very pricey but if want you great results on your skin, we must invest!!!

As an Indian woman, I have been plagued with an uneven skin tone for most of my life. After the birth of my daughter, I noticed that my mouth area looked darker than my face and that was really disheartening as I had to always hide under a masque of makeup. Eek! I have started believing in miracles one fateful day exactly 30 days ago. My skin has truly undergone a skin transformation and believe it or not, I have this remarkable product to thank. This serum from the cult Kiehls brand is brimming with nature and science to create a serum like no other.Everything from the clear bottle to the clinical dropper application makes one feel like they are in a science lab.In a good way of course! I have been using this serum day and night and lets just say, after 30 days, i am confident enough to step outside sans makeup! The texture is beautiful and sinks right in with no sticky residue.My sensitive skin experienced no irritation during this period and the serum only yielded positive results. My skin tone slowly started becoming more radiant and shall I say, glows with health! My ruddy and uneven complexion has transformed into a clear and radiant one. Dark acne marks around my cheek area have started to fade slowly but surely which is really promising as I believe that things can only get better. My greatest worry which is the discolouration around my mouth area has shown the biggest improvement. This area has become significantly lighter thanks to the high amount of Vitamin C in this holy grail serum. Overall, I can definitely scream from the roof tops that this serum is a winner. A little goes a long way and truly delivers spectacular results!

When I first received this, I was very excited to use the product, as I have some pigmentation problems and spots on my cheeks which I despise and would love to get rid of. I have used many products and none has helped so far...
I love the packaging, its quite unique...I could decide whether I wanted to use a lot to cover my whole face or I just used the dropper and applied small amounts to the areas that needed attention.
It not greasy at all, and applies smoothly, was scared that I would look like a grease ball but was the exact opposite.
It did take a few weeks for me to see a slight change. The dark spots have lightened a bit, but not drastically.
The discolorations on my cheeks and close to my nose due to me wearing my glasses all the time did lighten, and I am very happy about that.
Overall a great product, and cant wait to see what happens with longer use.

This serum really surprised me. I have used many serums in the past designed to address pigmentation, and while I've had success with some, none have made such a visible difference within a four week period.

I think the bottle with dropper is cute, and actually practical in that it allows you to dispense the two or three drops you require. It isn't particularly travel friendly, and could potentially be messy, but I liked it. I love the texture of this serum, which is like a light, watery gel. It absorbs very quickly and doesn't leave any greasiness on the skin. My skin feels slightly tacky afterwards, but not sticky.

It took about three weeks of use morning and night for me to see the difference. It didn't completely fade sun pigmentation - which is really deep in the skin and takes a long time and often professional help to address - but I felt my freckles were a bit lighter. The biggest difference I saw was in post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation, which are the red marks left over after blemishes. I found they faded dramatically and quickly. I also felt that my blemishes healed more quickly while using this.

I also saw an improvement in my overall skin tone. I had a lot of redness before, and after four weeks of using this serum my skin tone is even and my redness is gone. My skin looks brighter and more even overall. My skin is very fair and seemed to have been lightened slightly - either that or it's just winter and I'm imagining it!

A little goes a long way. This products comes in a very like light weight oil like consistency which is absorbed well into the skin. It leave no residue which makes it great if you are layering several products as part of your skincare regimen. It brightens and evens out the tone of the skin. It's a gradual process that literally brings your skin to life. This product comes in a see through glass bottle (which is the only negative for me as I prefer opaque type bottles which maintain the integrity of the ingredients). It has a dropper that allows you to measure out the exact amount of product you want to use.

The Clearly Corrective Dark spot Solution is in a clear dropper bottle and contains is a clear, thick liquid, which you dispense with the dropper. I love dropper bottles because there is no wastage and dispenses the perfect amount. Remember to apply before your moisturiser morning and night.

This little 30ml bottle is jam-packaged with Vitamin C. The best thing for aging skin! It promises to repair deep-set dark spots, breaks apart discolorations and prevents the formation of new pigment clusters.

The smell of the product is fragrance-free so there is no strong odour, which I’m super happy about, because I detest high perfumed facial products. I can only describe the Kiehl products as Clean-Smelling.

I love the packaging is clean and classic and gives the impression of less is more, you know, good quality.

I am also using this product on my right forearm for the duration of the #ChangeYourSkin Challenge because I want to compare the results with my left arm which I am not treating. It will be interesting to see the results in 4 Week’s time. Keep an eye on my blog!

The dark circles under my eyes are a lot lighter, but its early days and I’m sure it will continue working its magic the longer I use the product.

R655 for 30ml is a fair price for a Vitamin C Serum.