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My mom uses Obagi and she swears by it. She also gets regular facials, which she says really helps.

@autumnlove: I, too, have done Obagi (which incorporates hydroquinone and tretinoin (retin a)). It took my skin longer to adjust . . . 4-6 weeks? But after that, it looked great, every day, without fail. I tried to re-start my tretinoin after I weaned, but it was winter and just too dry (my skin couldn't hack it . . . I peeled for almost 2 months straight). The hardest part about Obagi is sticking with it through the uglies!

There are other (mild) options available as well to deal with discoloration and fine lines . . . like the Iridex Varilite Laser. It's effective with basically no downtime (your skin is red immediately following the treatment, but will look completely normal again in just a couple of hours).

@mrs. wagon: hahaha! Yeah, I know they sell stuff OTC that contains hydroquinone . . . but the only time I have ever seen results is when I used Obagi. And it's not cheap, BUT, there really aren't a ton of products to buy (even though there are like 15 or so!). Truly, all you need is a mild cleanser (Cetaphil), Obagi Clear (for day), and Obagi Blender and Tretinoin (combined together - you will combine them) for night. Those 3 products, along with a goooood SPF during the day, is all you really need. But definitely talk to your Derm first!

ETA: And you won't need a separate moisturizer. The products are very emollient!

@MsLipGloss: well time to find a dermatologist because the age spots are coming on fast and furious I have my mom's skin, and while her skin is excellent, she has a lot of problem age spots that no pricey concealer seems to help, especially because they are deep with fine lines in them as well Thank you for all the tips!! And so glad to hear you don't need an additional moisturizer. I always get so confused when it comes to all the different products and whether or not they will cancel each other out...

@autumnlove: you may be perfectly happy with just the retin a! Fwiw, I would not go through the whole Obagi process again . . . I would definitely opt for retin a with periodic Iridex Varilite treatments.

For week days, when I am wearing makeup, I like CeraVe Suncreen Face Lotion (SPF 30, although it is also available in SPF 50). On the weekends, or when I want to get out of the house lickety split (and when my skin looks good enough to do it!) , I really like Revision Intellishade which is a self-adjusting tinted moisturizer (SPF 45). ETA: I really don't know why I don't wear just this more often . . . especially since you should really do a second SPF application mid-day, and it would be super easy to do with this product.

As a general rule, you shouldn't put anything on your face less than SPF 30!