Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum for skin with dark spots
Glycolic Acid
Salicylic Acid
Raspberry Extract
Lactic Acid
Aesculus Hippocastanum ExtractHigh
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best products for skin with dark spots.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dark spots: hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers excellent exfoliation for your normal skin due to high concentrations of glycolic acid and lactic acid, which effectively smooth texture and target pigmentation concerns.
- Salicylic acid provides mild pore-cleansing benefits, further enhancing the serum's suitability for your skin type and goals.
- The formulation is safe for your normal skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliant PM once a week to start, moving up to twice a week if your skin likes it. Always apply SPF during the day while using this product.
- Apply this exfoliant step right after your cleanser and toner, and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it dry. Avoid rubbing your face hard.
- Apply the product on clean, completely dry skin to make sure it works best for your pigmentation goals.
- Remember to avoid the delicate eye area and do a quick patch test before using it for the first time.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 4.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this potent chemical exfoliant is widely praised for its ability to dramatically smooth skin texture and clear congestion, often described as a 'magic potion' for dullness and acne. Many users report waking up with a radiant glow, though a significant number caution that the strong formula can cause stinging or purging and that the high price point is a major barrier.
Highlights
Smoothes skin Mostly Mentioned
- “skin felt like a baby's butt after just one use”
- “resurfaces dull congested skin”
- “bumps on my face were either gone or reduced”
Expensive price tag Mostly Mentioned
- “price is painful”
- “way too expensive”
Clears acne Often Mentioned
- “holy grail for acne marks”
- “dissolving blackheads”
- “pores are diminished”
Improves radiance Often Mentioned
- “waking up with doll like skin”
- “restored to a healthy and radiant glow”
- “complexion from lifeless to luminous”
Effective packaging Sometimes Noted
- “twist-up mechanism allows for hygienic use”
- “pump makes it easy to dispense”
- “airless pump bottle”
Little goes long way Sometimes Noted
- “spreads easily”
- “one pump to cover my entire face”
- “bottle will last a while”
Stinging sensation Sometimes Noted
- “stung a tiny bit upon application”
- “can be a bit tingly at first”
- “slight stinging sensation initially”
Initial purging Rarely Noted
- “increase blemishes for the first few days”
- “skin broke out horribly”
- “caused little red bumps”
Sticky texture Rarely Noted
- “leaving my skin just the tiniest bit sticky”
- “feels very heavy weight”
- “leave my skin feeling sticky”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.sg, amazon.com, ulta.com, spacenk.com, refinery29.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum a great fit for skin with dark spots?
This serum is a great fit because it uses a high concentration of glycolic acid and lactic acid to effectively smooth texture and target dark spots. Salicylic acid also adds mild pore-cleansing benefits, and the formula is safe with a low risk of irritation for normal skin.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for skin with dark spots?
Glycolic acid and lactic acid make this serum a great fit because they effectively smooth texture and target dark spots. Salicylic acid also helps by providing mild pore-cleansing benefits.
What does Glycolic Acid do for skin with dark spots?
Glycolic acid helps fade dark spots and improves uneven skin tone by encouraging the shedding of pigmented surface cells. When used in treatments or peels alongside other brightening ingredients, it may further reduce the severity of stubborn discoloration.
What does Salicylic Acid do for skin with dark spots?
Salicylic acid helps fade dark spots and uneven skin tone left behind after breakouts. It gently clears away surface buildup, which may improve the look of dark marks and support a smoother, more even complexion over time.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This serum goes in the evening routine, applied after cleansing and before moisturizing. Starting use once a week helps your skin adjust safely, and you can carefully use it more often if you tolerate it well.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol, but it is best to use them on different nights or space them out to keep your skin calm and avoid irritation. Using both strong active ingredients at the same time may easily dry out or irritate your skin.
How often should I use this serum?
Start by using this exfoliant treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. This gradual approach helps your skin adjust safely to the active acids while smoothing texture and targeting dark spots.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This serum is a great fit for skin with dark spots because glycolic acid and lactic acid effectively smooth texture and target pigmentation while salicylic acid provides mild pore-cleansing benefits. Initial purging may happen when you first start using it, but the formulation is safe with no risks of irritation.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010A topical serum containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and raspberry leaf cell culture extract improved skin color, elasticity, radiance, smoothness, scaliness, and wrinkles compared to the untreated contralateral side in fifty female volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Topical raspberry ketone increased dermal IGF-I production through sensory neuron activation, promoting hair growth and increasing skin elasticity in mice and humans.
Growth Hormone & IGF Research, 2008A liposoluble extract of Rubus idaeus cell cultures induced genes for skin hydration, stimulated ceramide production, increased extracellular matrix synthesis in cultured fibroblasts, and showed skin-hydrating capacity in vivo.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2015Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Topical application of a 3% horse chestnut extract gel significantly decreased wrinkle scores at the corners of the eye and lower eyelid skin compared with controls in 40 healthy female volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2006Topical horse chestnut extract increases wound tensile strength and collagen organization in rats without inducing fibroblast to myofibroblast conversion in vitro, though it induces fibronectin-rich extracellular matrix formation.
Molecules, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract Grape Juice Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract Raspberry Fruit Extract, Yeast Extract, Buddleja Davidii Meristem Cell Culture, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Galactoarabinan, Propanediol, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Xanthan Gum, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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