Products will lighten your wallet but maybe not your skin

Not everyone wants to hop on the tanning bandwagon. Some people prefer to be creamy-hued. Others seek to correct overpigmentation or clean up discoloration. For them, the bright promises made by skin lighteners could be a boon. A co-worker tried these products (two months apiece) for her dilemma: dozens of permanent spots – three shades darker than the rest of her – on her lower legs, the result of a bout with chicken pox. Can she safely bare her limbs now?

Revercel Skin Lightening Lotion

$55 for 1 ounce

Road to enlightenment: “A twice-daily application of this lotion made of kojic acid, vitamin E and antioxidant moisturizers promised to fade skin discolorations.”

New hue: “The patch of dark spots around my left ankle felt smoother and looked noticeably lighter.”

Dior DiorSnow X2 Intensive Whitening Gel Essence

$79 for 1.7 fluid ounces

Road to enlightenment: “A liquid clarifying gel applied night and day assured eventual smooth and even skin tone.”

New hue: “Diligent use of this pricey product left me scarred. Spots on my shins looked exactly the same.”

Esoterica Fade Cream, SPF 10

$7.99 for 2.5 ounces

Road to enlightenment: “A thick cream with SPF and hydroquinone applied twice a day was supposed to fade dark spots.”

New hue: “The only result this delivered was a goopy white mess.”