Indian Dermatologists' Consensus on Pigmentation Lists Vitamin C as a First-Line Option for Under-Eye Darkness

A consensus paper published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology on 28 September 2026 sets out how a panel of senior Indian dermatologists approach the most common pigmentation problems, and it gives topical vitamin C a specific, limited place.

Eleven dermatologists from across India took part. They answered a survey before meeting in Jaipur in February 2025, worked through the topics module by module, and counted a point as agreed when at least 80% of them supported it. The discussion also drew on a multinational survey of about 48,000 people in 34 countries, around 1,000 of them in India. The paper does not give agreement percentages for individual statements.

For periorbital hyperpigmentation, the darkening around the eyes often called dark circles, the panel lists topical vitamin C at 10 to 20% among first-line options, alongside kojic acid, vitamin K, botanical extracts and carefully used low-strength retinoids. Peels, platelet-rich plasma, fillers and lasers come second. Vitamin C is also mentioned among non-steroid lightening agents for sun spots (solar lentigines).

For melasma, vitamin C is not in the panel's first line. That list is hydroquinone at 2 to 4%, the triple-combination cream used under supervision for up to 12 weeks, kojic acid, azelaic acid, topical tranexamic acid and retinoids. Peels, oral tranexamic acid, microneedling and lasers follow, with agents such as cysteamine and thiamidol reserved for later. For dark marks left by acne, azelaic acid, glycolic acid and retinoids come first.

One recommendation runs through every condition: broad-spectrum sunscreen is described as mandatory alongside first-line treatment. The panel also warned that aggressive procedures can themselves leave new pigmentation on Indian skin, and asked for gentle, fragrance-free products.

The funding matters when reading the paper. L'Oreal Dermatological Beauty organised and paid for the process, panelists received honoraria, and one author is affiliated with La Roche-Posay. The paper discusses the company's own pigment ingredient, 2-MNG (Melasyl), as a possible maintenance option, while noting that no standalone randomised trial of it exists. The vitamin C guidance is not tied to any brand, but it is an expert opinion, not new trial evidence.

In practice, the paper backs a modest role for vitamin C serums: useful for dull or shadowed under-eye skin and sun spots, alongside daily sunscreen, rather than a substitute for prescription treatment of melasma.