DIY Skin Lightening Serum for Acne Scars & Hyperpigmentation
Last updated on March 12, 2026 by Jessica Healey
Originally published on August 25, 2015
I struggled with acne for years. It’s hard to put into words how much it can impact your self-confidence, but if you’ve ever had any issues with your skin, you know what I’m talking about. I spent a lot of time looking for ways to clear up my acne.
Many of the methods I tried would sort of work for awhile… but ultimately the results never lasted.
What eventually helped me with my skin was living #LifeFromScratch. As I started eating more real, clean food and using natural, homemade skincare products (like my DIY facial serums and using tea tree oil for acne), my skin became healthier… along with the rest of me!
What was left behind, though? Dark spots and scars from years of acne all over my face!
I decided to deal with them the same way: by using plant-based, nontoxic oils to fade them. If you have dark acne scars or other forms of hyperpigmentation on your skin, you are going to love this DIY skin serum. It totally helped me to feel better about my own skin.
Skin Lightening Serum for Acne Scars & Hyperpigmentation
Ingredients
- 1 oz sweet almond oil organic
- 8 drops of sandalwood essential oil Australian for it's ecological sustainability
- 4 drops of lemon essential oil
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a 1 oz. glass bottle, preferably with a dropper.
- Gently shake or turn the bottle to allow the oils to mix well.
- Use 4-5 drops of the serum on damp, clean skin.
About the Ingredients
Sweet almond oil is a wonderful carrier oil choice for skin lightening – it’s been used for ages to lighten and brighten skin.
Sandalwood essential oil is a skin lightening, skin brightening oil. It also has a wide range of other benefits for the skin (like for some people with eczema and those with aging skin!), so I just love using it in recipes like this.
Lemon essential oil is well-known for its skin-brightening effects. Lemon juice is also effective – many people lighten their skin by using fresh lemon slices. I find that using safely-diluted lemon oil isn’t quite as harsh.
More Tips for Getting an Even Skin Tone
Exfoliate regularly! Better yet, treat yourself to a whole weekly DIY facial. Buffing away dead skin cells allows fresh, new skin to come to the surface. Check out Scratch Mommy’s Softening Skin Scrub in the organic skincare shop!
Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can prevent your skin from regenerating efficiently.
Use sun protection. Sun damage can darken hyperpigmentation – not at all what you want! Scratch Mommy gives you a beautiful DIY Sunscreen recipe and also offers her SkinShade product for sale in her handcrafted organic skincare shop!
Another fantabulous product for your skin is Scratch Mommy’s Organic Face Serum (Step 4 in her Total Face System).
Hi there.
I wondering if I could increase the number of drops of lemon oil? I have some pretty dark age spots on my face that need extra attention. 😉
Love you recipes!!
Jen Farr
You could give it a try, Jen – I wouldn’t add more than 15 drops total of essential oils, personally – but maybe you are comfortable doing that. The recipe is pretty effective as is – it is meant to be used daily to lighten skin over time (gently.) Just be careful! 🙂
Check out the EO dilution here: https://scratchmommy.com/proper-diy-skincare-etiquette/
Hello. I’ve got a 14% sandalwood blend from Now Foods. (that’s the only one I can get) how many drops of it can I use to make it just as potent as your recipe?
You would need to use 57 drops of your diluted sandalwood to get the same potency. Then you’ll also want to reduce the sweet almond oil to 7/8 oz instead of a full oz.
Hello there,
This recipe looks great! Can any oil be used in place of almond such as jojoba? Thanks!
Hi Kaitlin. Thank you! And yes, you sure can. Check out our post about carrier oils for guidance. Happy DIYing!
Hello you stated Australian brand for the sandlewood oil. What brand? Also I typically use Doterra because it’s known to be the best brand. Would there be a difference in drops if I use that brand?