Nurx vs. Musely: Which Skincare Service Do I Recommend for Dark Spots?

A face full of freckles is adorable when you're 10, but it’s less cute when you’re over 50.

Oh, wait! Those aren’t freckles, those are dark spots, or melasma. Thankfully, I found a way to minimize those dark spots. 

I never had much luck with drugstore skincare, so I decided to try prescription strength. There are a plethora of skincare prescription websites that make it easy and affordable to get the customized dark spot treatment you need, but I narrowed it down to my top two contenders: Nurx and Musely. See which one is my favorite:

The service that prescribed me powerful Tretinoin... Nurx

If you’re prescribed Tretinoin for Melasma treatment, Nurx offers Tretinoin 0.1%, which is the highest available concentration of this powerful retinoid that’s 20x more powerful than retinol. Musely only offers Tretinoin 0.05% in one of its formulations.

Tretinoin is one of the most powerful and effective skin treatments and it helped me reverse my dark spots and made my complexion much brighter. After just two weeks of using the treatment I was prescribed by my Nurx medical provider, I have noticed a reduction in my existing melasma and have not seen any new dark spots appear. 

Nurx also offers prescription-strength Hydroquinone Cream and Azelaic Acid. Who knows? Maybe they’ll join my skincare regimen if my provider thinks it’ll be beneficial. The Nurx doctors are easy to reach in case you want to change your treatment plan. 

The service with expert support and less hassle... Nurx

Let’s get real; treatment is no catwalk and your skin needs can change and progress in unexpected ways. It takes patience and the right products to achieve and maintain the results you’re after; with Nurx, I feel like I have my very own skin expert on my side.

While Musely charges $20 for a 60-day consultation period, Nurx’s fee is $40 but that includes the initial consultation and ongoing medical support for one year. The continuous support and ability to work with my doctor to get a personalized treatment plan make me feel like a celebrity.

The service that was more convenient and affordable... it's a tie!

My schedule is very full, I don’t want to spend what little time I do have waiting in line at the doctor’s office or pharmacy, let alone spend the money that entails. It took me about 10 minutes to complete the online consultation on the Nurx website and I received my prescription very shortly thereafter. Musely also allows me to do everything online and my treatment is sent right to my door.

As for pricing, Nurx treatments start at $30 per month and Musely is in the same ballpark at $32 per month. That’s way more affordable than typical prescriptions and both Nurx and Musely also offer free shipping.

The service that matches you with single-ingredient products to treat your skin concerns... Nurx

Both Nurx and Musely offer prescription skincare that can only be prescribed by a medical professional, so you know you’re getting a product that’s specific to you and your needs, taking any of the guesswork out of it. But their approaches to Melasma treatment are different.

Musely offers the Spot Cream in 4 formulations that each contain a number of active ingredients, while Nurx is more targeted in their offerings. Its creams contain just one active ingredient, so they can be used alone or layered with another cream on a more customizable schedule. As a result, I saw big improvements much faster with Nurx and I was less worried about adverse reactions since I was only adding one ingredient at a time. For a skincare treatment that can be easily personalized, Nurx is the way to go.

The ultimate winner… Nurx

Trust me, if you want to treat your melasma, prescription skincare is the way to go. Not only are the ingredients better and stronger but you’ll be getting a much more personalized experience than with off-the-shelf products.

Both Nurx and Musely make it super easy and more affordable to the personalized treatment plan you need, all without ever setting foot outside your door. But for my money, I’ve found the most success with Nurx. I highly recommend anyone battling dark spots to sign up for a consultation with Nurx.