Fighting acne can feel like an uphill battle, especially when you’re dealing with painful cystic or hormonal acne. When it goes on for months or even years, it’s a massive victory when you finally get it under control.

However, once the live blemishes are gone you’re left with a new issue: acne scars.

While acne scars aren’t as painful or as problematic as acne itself, their appearance can be quite pronounced. Many find the struggle of hiding acne scars just as tough as banishing acne itself.

Luckily, it’s not impossible to fade acne scars; all it really takes are the right ingredients! But first, let’s take a look at what causes acne scars in the first place.

Typically, acne scars are caused by pores that have become engorged with excess sebum and bacteria, which leads to inflamed blemishes. These blemishes can start to swell, causing the follicle wall to break.

When these blemishes are shallow, they can heal quickly. If they’re deep, however, there is a higher risk of bacteria spreading. This can unfortunately lead to even deeper blemishes.

Even the deep blemishes will eventually heal, as your skin forms new collagen fibers. Collagen is a protein molecule, considered ‘the building block’ of your skin. But these new fibers don’t always blend so seamlessly into the rest of your skin – leading to the appearance of scars.

Sometimes, your body can produce too little or too much collagen. When your body doesn’t produce enough collagen, they create depressed acne scars on the face. When the body creates too much, these become raised acne scars.

As this tissue rebuilds itself, excess melanin can also be a byproduct of the healing process. Melanin is the key pigment in our skin that can intensify within the scar tissue, causing a darker appearance in contrast to our regular complexion.

Luckily, there are treatments that can help fade acne scars. While ingredients like hydroquinone may be effective at lightening scars, it doesn’t come without a few serious side effects. Since hydroquinone is often made with toxic benzene, it can be extremely sensitizing. It can cause irritation, redness, and dermatitis. In other words, it’s best to look for acne treatments made with powerful natural ingredients instead.

Here are the top natural ingredients that can fade acne scars:

Vitamin C is a favorite ingredient for helping fade acne scars. First, multiple studies have shown that this vitamin is capable of increasing collagen synthesis for healthier skin. Second, it helps to brighten and enliven the skin – a great asset for fading acne scars.

If you need something that’ll help treat those extra stubborn face acne scars, we recommend our Vitamin C Serum (which is given below). The 50% concentration of vitamin C is bolstered by turmeric and lactic acid, two other scar lightening ingredients we love. A supporting cast includes papaya enzymes, kojic acid (found in sake), and antioxidant-rich camu camu.