I have brown skin and the skun around my mouth is a darker shade and can look like 5 o'clock shadow. Anything to help lighten that area a little while also reducing smile lines. I started using more moistures which hopeful will help with smile lines but any advice is appreciated.
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A retinol could help with both of these issues, it does take time to see results - for an OTC retinol you're looking at up to 6 months to see results and that timeline is very dependent on the potency, how often you use it and your skin. It isn't something you want to rush into, start low and slow. You also need to be aware of interactions. An alternative to retinol is Bakuchiol, it's often called a plant based alternative to retinol. Research shows you'd need to use it twice a day as opposed to once at night with retinol, but it's much more well tolerated, doesn't have the same kind of interactions retinol has and has been show to have has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Outside of those ingredients (Or with them) I've found Alpha Arbutin to be excellent for hyperpigmentation. If you see a products aimed at dark spots or hyperpigmentation in a store there's a pretty high chance it has Alpha Arbutin in it. I used The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin + HA, I didn't even get to the bottom of the bottle before my skin tone was evened out.
If you're not already, SPF. Every day. Even if you're not going outside, even if it isn't sunny, put on some sunscreen. Without SPF you're going to find the things you're seeing will get progressively worse, the best thing is prevention.
On a non-skincare related note, you're young, you're only 23, often when we see things on our face we perceive them as being much worse than they actually are. Smile lines are normal and perfectly okay to have
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Look up Dr. Dray on YouTube. I believe she posted a video specifically about hyperpigmentation around the mouth.
I've been using the good molecules niacinamide toner along with the naturium 5% tranexamic acid serum, and I actually see a difference! As for the smile lines, they are absolutely normal, I have them as well and i'm 18!