“Existing pimple marks are gone. New marks are a lot less red and they fade a lot faster.” Grace M.
“If you have acne red spots you gotta try this. Really good at fading those spots as long as you use it.” Dominik S.
“Lighten Up immediately made a difference on a lingering red spot on my forehead. Highly recommend!” Caroline H.
“Lighten Up really helps to fade the appearance of scars I get due to hormonal break outs.” Ana T.
“Reduces red marks quite alot! It also calms my skin and makes it feel alot more comfortable!” Stephanie P.
“My face is noticeably clearer, smoother and less red. It has drastically improved my confidence too.” Lisa B.
“I have seen so much difference in my skin and I am really happy with the results. Amazing!” Jessica G.
“For 3 years I suffered with cystic acne. This was the only product that helped with my redness.” Razmina B.
“I’d say this is a STAR product. Worked nicely, even for my old acne marks. “ John P.
“This product has worked so well on fading my stubborn acne marks in a short amount of time!” Brianna M
“It has done wonders for my skin. The red marks fade quicker and if I do get a spot it heals it quicker.” Charlotte T.
Lighten Up is our answer to stubborn red marks that linger long after the breakout has subsided.
Benefits:
- Fosters healing
- Soothes and nurtures the skin
- Reduces the chance of collecting stubborn brown pigmentation
This is a companion product to Clear Out. Get Clear Out first before getting Lighten Up.
With the two formulations at work, you should see a significant reduction in the appearance of post-acne red marks after five weeks of use.
Lighten Up
$33.9
Each 15ml bottle is designed to last 3 months but varies widely based on the number of red marks present. That’s $0.4 per day for 3 active ingredients.
Lighten Up is much more effective when paired with Clear Out. Buy both items as a Power Duo set and save 8%
or get a recommended set for extra savings.
Reviews

Saving Money With Less Makeup
Mim @mimandskin explains how to use Lighten Up alongside Clear Out as a Power Duo set, and how they work together to calm redness.

Fading the Appearance of Acne Red Scars/Marks
Emma @by.emmataylor discusses how Lighten Up reduced her post-acne red marks. She also discusses how long it takes to see results.
5 star | 74% | |
4 star | 22% | |
3 star | 3% | |
2 star | 0% | |
1 star | 0% |
Recommended Sets
Power Duo
Scar Repair Set
Choose 2 and save 8%
Ingredients
Why is Lighten Up different?
There are very few formulations on the market designed to fade the appearance of post-acne marks and even fewer formulations that are effective. Lighten Up’s formulation is one that you can’t find anywhere else on the market and we consider it the best in its class.
Key ingredients
Calendula
A natural oil extracted from marigold flowers, calendula is a powerful antioxidant that protects the skin against environmental damage.
Benefits
- Powerful antioxidant that improves skin texure and tone
Dr Kim et al, 2018 - Calms skin
Calendula contains flavonoids and triterpene derivatives which calm the skin. Dr Dawid-Pac, 2013
Bisabolol
An essential oil extracted from chamomile flowers, bisabolol is an excellent anti-irritant, soothing agent & a humectant to lock in skin’s natural moisture.
Benefits
- Calms the skin
Maurya et al, 2013 - Lightening effect
Dr Lee et al, 2010 - Stimulates and promotes healing
Dr Villegas et al, 2001 - Potent antioxidant
Potent antioxidant with well-known soothing and anti-irritant properties. Dr Miraj & Dr Alesaeidj, 2016
Pracaxi Oil
This tea tree oil found in the Amazon is an age-old remedy used to promote healing and soothe redness. Banov et al, 2014
Benefits
- Fades the appearance of post-acne marks
Teixeira et al, 2012 - Hydration
By hydrating the lesion, the skin does not need to produce extra collagen that may lead to textured scarring. Banov et al, 2014 - Keeping the surface clean
As a tea tree oil, pracaxi is effective in keeping open lesions clean. Dr Guimaraes & Dr Cunha, 2016
Volume: 15ml, 0.5 fluid ounces.
Each bottle is designed to last up to 3 months depending on the number of post-acne red marks present.
Key Facts
Breakouts come and go but the red post-acne mark can linger much longer. Lighten Up is our anti-redness formulation designed to fade the appearance of red marks after the breakout has subsided.
What it is formulated without:
Fragrance-, colorant-, paraben-, and lanolin-free. PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free. This non-comedogenic formulation is freshly made in Singapore and packed in airless bottles so there are minimal preservatives.
What makes Clearly Basics different?
We’ve taken products that are often EXCLUSIVELY sold in a dermatologist’s office at 3x the price and made it available for everyday consumers. We use USP certified medical grade ingredients when potency matters, but less expensive cosmetic grade ingredients when purity is not a concern.
The most frequent comment we get in our reviews is that users have tried everything and nothing has come close to the results they have seen with our formulations.
Application instructions:
Lighten Up is used both morning and evening as the first formulation after you have washed/used toner. It is a leave-in spot application formula that works throughout the day/night to fade those pesky red scars. If you are using Lighten Up alongside the rest of our product line, here is the order of application:
DAY:
- Wash your face / apply toner
- Lighten Up (spot treatment)
- Moisturizer/Hydrator, sunblock or other products you normally use
NIGHT
- Wash your face / apply toner
- Lighten Up (spot treatment)
- Clear Out (can only be applied at night)
- Moisturizer/Hydrator or other products you normally use
If there are products on this list that you normally do not use, please skip that step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply Lighten Up?
Can I use Lighten Up together with my moisturizer or other products?
Can I use Lighten up as a spot treatment on an active lesion
Can I use this product if I have oily skin
Can I use the Lighten Up on my back and body
Is this product safe to use while pregnant or nursing
I have more questions outside of this FAQ
#ClearlyResults
See what others have to say about Clearly Basics.

@_myskinstory 😭 I feel like I’m an addict and someone has taken away my drugs 😂
Saturday night I came to the end of my @clearlybasics Clear Out bottle. After consistently applying it every night for 3 months along side Niacinamide & Zinc so last night I had nothing to apply. (Right picture: a few days previous. Left picture: This morning) As soon as I woke up I knew it different feel great! 😭
Regardless off the other amazing benefits that a 2% Retinol & AZA has; I JUST WANT MY GLOW BACK!! I’ll dedicate my next post to the ingredients and how they ‘clearly’ work!!

@itsangels_makeup I’ve started using The Power Duo + Protective moisturizer nearly 6 months ago after many positives reviews that I’ve read.
The first thing that I’ve experience has been the “purge” coming with clear out and it can last a loooong time. So this review is for people like me who experienced the purge for more that a month or two: keep going.
Because when I was about to quit I’ve seen a huuuuge difference with my skin. My skin is so much smoother than it was before Clearly Basics. So keep going, use Clearly Basics and stay positive!

Michaela Holzhuter I’ve struggled with adult acne for years. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars trying to grab at the next promise for clear skin. Clearly Basics is the first brand that actually worked for me! It’s simple (it actually decreased the time I was spending caring for my skin), it’s scale-able (buy one product or by seven!), and it works. I couldn’t be happier with this product and the continuous progress it has provided!

@pimpledgirl The 1st week was amazed! Fascinating skin texture, there were no stinging. The 2nd week were pretty same. The 3rd week – purging starred – bumpy skin, redness. The 4th week – same but I added #ProtectiveMoisturiser either from @clearlybasics and in three days redness was reduced. The 5-6th weeks – skin smoother, less red, breaking out badly. The 7-8th week – is it my skin? not red (even after washing as it used to be).
I’d say the amount of pustules has been reduced in 85%. I still have some tiny-tiny pimples and will keep going with mu treatment. • Honestly I’m very grateful to Clearly Basics • I’ll keep you updated.

@carliedaniel18 I have suffered with acne since i was 13, After years of medication, and spending absolutely £1000s on products that didn’t work i decided to try prescription oral medication, and it was the hardest 8 months of my life. I got all the side affects, and even though eventually it did clear my skin after being off it for just 3 months my skin got bad again especially hormonally!
I then came across clearly basics, although the reviews were good I was very reluctant as it wasn’t cheap and could be another dud that didn’t work! Eventually I gave in as I always do and it was the best decision ever! I can’t believe I hadn’t come across this sooner, my skin has cleared up so much. It’s made my skin soft and glowy as well, it genuinely is everything in a bottle!

@gemskin__ A little progress goes a long way! 🙌🏻 In the first picture I think my skin was purging from the first week of using @clearlybasics ‘Clear Out’. I believe I actually cried either before or after I took this photo, my skin was super painful and I felt so ugly and self conscious!
The second picture is 5 weeks after using Clear Out, just scarring (being helped by using Lighten Up) and no actives!
I’m so happy with the results so far using these products and they have been the only thing that has helped my skin!
Individual results may vary with all before/after images on this page

Madelyn E. (verified owner) –
The lighten up has been amazing! Even though it comes in such a tiny little container, a lot goes a long way, and it has lasted me a while. It has definitely helped my weird skin redness to go away, and has been helpful in fighting breakouts. I was having all these weird problems with unnatural redness around my eyes, and this has made it go away completely. I am pleased with this product.
Toni Lumsden (verified owner) –
Absolutely love the Clearly Basics Lighten Up, I have been using it for 4 months now and my scarring has improved massively since using!! My scarring has faded so much you can hardly see it at all! And I have no redness anymore!
Savannah (verified owner) –
I just purchased my third bottle. My scars are A LOT better, but I still have a few. Although, I do not use it twice a day, so it is probably my own fault
Razmina B (verified owner) –
This stuff definitely works. For 3 years i suffered with active acne and redness. This was the only product that helped with my redness. I have no more tomato looking face anymore.
Shanah Rahm (verified owner) –
This has saved my face! I went to a dermatologist and spent a lot of money of prescription medication for my acne. So far this has worked better and spent less money in the long run.