Let’s be honest here, our skin has a mind of its own. Sometimes it’s nice and sometimes it acts up. When you apply a little pressure such as after cleansing and BAM- you’re a tomato now! However, many can agree the worst is definitely when it just looks dull. That’s why Beauty Insider is here to give you the rundown of the best brightening creams you can get in Malaysia.

We love our skin, right? Despite that, sometimes we just want a pick-me-up product to make us look livelier and more energetic. If you have dull skin, you may have heard many comments like “Are you ill?” and “You look tired”. It may discourage you and even demotivate you all because you don’t look energetic.

With that, how can brightening creams help? Brightening the skin will not only make you look more youthful but radiant as well. It helps to make your skin look livelier even on those extra tired days so you can get away with it. Evening out your skin tone can give the illusion of a brightening effect too!

Ingredients That Help With Brightening

  • Niacinamide: One of the best ingredients in skincare is Niacinamide due to its numerous benefits especially it’s brightening abilities. It will make it look more radiant while a boost of hydration too!
  • Liquorice: This ingredient will help combat pigmentation which causes dark spots. Therefore, if you have sun spots, age spots or acne scars, this is a great ingredient to look out for. To add, it’s also great at soothing the skin while evening its tone.
  • Arbutin: Derived from the bearberry plant, Arbutin is a safer alternative to hydroquinone and honestly, more effective. With time, it will brighten your skin well but be sure to always pair a broad-spectrum sunscreen right after.
  • Vitamin C: This ingredient is starting to rise in fame for its brightening powers. Vitamin C is amazing in skincare and works to tame hyperpigmentation to give you a healthy glowy complexion.
  • Kojic Acid: This ingredient is derived from fermented mushroom-like fungi and is a high-performing ingredient for brightening the complexion. It stops the production of melanin which causes dark patches across the skin. Despite that, be cautious of products that include Kojic Acid as it can cause side effects like irritation

The Best Brightening Creams To Make You Shine

1. Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment

Starting our list of amazing brightening creams, we are introducing this cream by Dr. Jart+ that has been making waves on the internet. As explained before this, colour correcting creams are great to give you a brightening effect. Our skin tone can have blends of dark patches, redness and even tints of green.

Additionally, what makes this cream great is that it evens out our skin tone by neutralising discolouration through this green-to-beige cream. It will help strengthen your skin barrier and moisturise it to give a healthy complexion.

Why we love it:

  • Provides sun protection SPF 30
  • Forms a dust barrier to protect skin

Price: RM85.00

Where to buy: Sephora

2. Diorsnow Brightening Refining Moist Cloud Crème

If you fancy a boujee choice, have a high-end experience with this amazing brightening cream by Dior. This cream is suitable for all skin types and for those who want to target skin concerns such as visible pores and textured skin. What makes this cream absolutely divine, it incorporates microencapsulated mattifying Smart Pore Control.

Moreover, this cream is enriched with Edelweiss extracts that have been proven to diminish the appearance of dark spots and prevent it from producing. This cream will leave you glowing with healthier-looking skin.

Why we love it:

  • Provides hydration
  • Repairs skin barrier

Price: RM422.00

Where to buy: Sephora

3. LANEIGE Radian-C Cream

We mentioned above that one great ingredient that you need to look out for when it comes to brightening creams is Vitamin C. It just so happens that this cream by Laneige is enriched with 8.5% Vitamin C and includes Vitamin E too!

Therefore, this cream will brighten your complexion with visible results in just 3 days! To add, this brightening cream will strengthen your skin barrier and provide hydration as well!

Why we love it:

  • Protects skin from UV light
  • Reduces redness

Price: RM220.00

Where to buy: Laneige’s official website

4. PHYSIO NATURA Avelia Whitening Cream

PHYSIO NATURA Avelia Whitening Cream is the secret to attaining a luminous complexion without pesky dark spots. This highly rated product is expertly formulated to inhibit and minimise the appearance of pigmentation, triggered by conditions like sun exposure, ageing, pregnancy, and acne. It contains a medley of bearberry, liquorice, and green tea, which promote collagen production and slow down melanin synthesis. Leveraging the ground-breaking, patented CHROMA-BRIGHT-whitening, it provides a multitude of benefits, including lightening the pigmentation, reducing melanin production, aiding in the metabolism of existing pigment, and stimulating blood flow. It was awarded the Beauty Insider Malaysia’s Beauty and Wellness Awards 2023 for Best Organic/ Natural Skincare 2023, Best Brightening Care, and Beauty Insiders’ Choice Award. 

Why we love it:

  • Minimises the appearance of pigmentation
  • Features sun protection benefits
  • Lightweight texture 

Price: RM326.00

Where to buy: 【Impress Esteem Official Website】

5. Innisfree Brightening Pore Priming Cream

If you’re struggling with dull skin AND fine lines, this brightening cream from Innisfree will be your new bestie. This cream has blurring powers to diminish the appearance of visible pores by firming your skin, leaving a silky, smooth finish. Besides that, this cream is formulated with Niacinamide which is a great brightening agent by balancing melanin production. This cream is also very hydrating and you will be able to see results within 4 weeks of use!

Why we love it:

  • It contains panthenol to soothe skin
  • Easy to glide against skin

Price: RM126.00

Where to buy: Innisfree

6. Cosrx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask

Lastly on our list is a personal favourite brightening cream from Cosrx. Although called a mask, it’s multipurpose and can be used as a moisturiser, mask or treatment cream. This cream is especially great if you have dry skin as it is water-based and will penetrate the skin even deeper.

Additionally, it is formulated with 68% of Rice extracts. Rice is a centuries-old beauty secret within Asian culture and has been shown to bring numerous benefits. They include brightening the complexion and intense hydration, leaving your skin radiant, supple and healthy.

Why we love it:

  • Makes skin clearer and softer
  • Doesn’t feel greasy or heavy after use

Price: RM39.00

Where to buy: Shopee

7. Clinique Even Better Brighter Milky Lotion

If you’re looking for the best whitening creams, Clinique Even Better Brighter Milky Lotion should be added to your list. Formulated with vitamin C to lighten the skin and scutellaria baicalensis extract for its soothing properties. This lotion has a runny consistency that quickly absorbed on the skin. With its powerful blend of ingredients, this lotion will brighten and moisturizes the skin.

Why we love it:

  • Contains vitamin C
  • Effectively reduce dark spots and discoloration
  • Lightweight

Price: RM269.00

Where to buy: Clinique online store

8. Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream

With 4 star ratings on Sephora, the Sunday Riley tidal brightening enzyme water cream delivers intense hydration with its hyaluronic acid and tamarind extract. Formulated with papaya enzyme for its exfoliating properties, this cult-favorite moisturizer will reveal smooth-looking skin. Meanwhile, the alpha arbutin ensures that the complexion is brightened and radiant. 

Why we love it:

  • Delivers intense hydration
  • Contains papaya enzymes
  • Quickly absorbed on skin

Price: RM134.90

Where to buy: Beautyspot

9. Mamonde Bitter Orange Vital Vitamin Cream

Mamonde Bitter Orange Vital Vitamin Cream is enriched with vitamin B3 which is known for its whitening properties. On top of that, it also loaded with bitter orange flower extract for hydration. It effectively retains the moisture level on the skin to ensure a plumper and supple-looking complexion. With its watery texture, it easily absorbed without leaving any sticky residues.

Why we love it:

  • Infused with seven vitamins complex
  • Energized dull skin
  • Strengthen the moisture barrier of the skin

Price: RM135.00

Where to buy: I Beauty Today

10. L’Oréal Paris White Perfect Day Cream

L’Oréal Paris White Perfect Day Cream contains niacinamide to brighten and capryloyl salicylic acid for exfoliation and soothing properties. This nongreasy cream features sunscreen to protect the skin from harmful rays and prevent brown spots. With its essential ingredients, the L’Oréal Paris White Perfect Day Cream helps to deliver a healthy glow and a soft looking complexion.

Why we love it:

  • Infused with Tourmaline Gemstone for healthy glow
  • Effectively reduce spots
  • Hydrates the skin

Price: RM46.50

Where to buy: Big Pharmacy

11. Fresh Peony Brightening Moisture Face Cream (Discontinued)

Formulated with an advanced brightening complex, the fresh peony brightening moisture face cream is definitely one of the best whitening face creams. With its lightweight consistency, this face cream can deliver 24 hours of hydration. Moreover, it’s an all-rounder as it brightens the skin tone, retains moisture, and improves the appearance of the skin. All of these benefits will ensure a luminous and supple-looking complexion. 

Why we love it:

  • Even the skin tone
  • Delivers 24-hour moisture
  • Multi-tasking moisturizer 

Price: –

Where to buy: –