Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel for combination skin
Niacinamide
Tranexamic Acid
Alpha-Arbutin
Azelaic Acid
Kojic Acid DipalmitateHigh
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for combination skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 brightening and clearing for your combination skin, as niacinamide, alpha-arbutin, and kojic acid dipalmitate work to even skin tone and reduce blemishes.
- The formula is highly suitable for your oily shine concerns due to the presence of niacinamide and azelaic acid, which target oil control and pore appearance.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing agents like niacinamide and licorice root extract.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, and right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏳for it to soak in.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive.
- Always do a patch test before using the serum for the first time, and avoid the eye area .
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users find this serum highly effective for fading hyperpigmentation, post-acne marks, and melasma, with many reporting success where other products have failed. A significant number of reviews mention that results take time, typically 1-3 months, and note a strong, unpleasant sulfur-like smell and fragile packaging.
Highlights
Fades dark spots Mostly Mentioned
- “lightened dark bullseye on forehead”
- “faded stubborn post-acne marks”
- “visible reduction in sun spots”
- “helped old scars finally fade”
Unpleasant smell Mostly Mentioned
- “smells like rotten eggs”
- “strong sulfur/chemical scent”
- “smells like perm solution”
- “scent lingers for a while”
Evens skin tone Often Mentioned
- “skin looks more uniform”
- “reduced overall redness”
- “gave me a glowy complexion”
- “corrected uneven patches”
Poor packaging Often Mentioned
- “metal tube cracked on side”
- “product oozes out uncontrollably”
- “leaked all over my bag”
- “cap broke off easily”
Gentle but effective Sometimes Noted
- “didn't burn my sensitive skin”
- “effective without damaging barrier”
- “gentle enough for daily use”
- “moisturizing unlike other actives”
Improves texture Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels much smoother”
- “softened rough patches”
- “helped with texture bumps”
- “reduced look of pores”
Breakouts or purging Sometimes Noted
- “caused tiny whiteheads”
- “broke me out in cysts”
- “clogged my pores”
- “triggered fungal acne”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “feels sticky/tacky on skin”
- “pills under makeup/sunscreen”
- “too heavy for oily skin”
- “leaves a weird film”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, amazon.com, mytopicals.com, reddit.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel a great fit for combination skin?
Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel is a great fit because ingredients like niacinamide, alpha-arbutin, and kojic acid dipalmitate help even your skin tone and reduce blemishes. It also targets oily shine and pore appearance with niacinamide and azelaic acid, while maintaining a very safe profile that is unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this treatment a good fit for combination skin?
Niacinamide, alpha-arbutin, and kojic acid dipalmitate make this treatment a great fit by working to even your skin tone and reduce blemishes. Additionally, niacinamide and azelaic acid help control oil and target pore appearance on your combination skin.
What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.
What does Tranexamic Acid do for combination skin?
Tranexamic acid helps fade dark spots and uneven areas across different parts of combination skin while improving overall brightness. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated and may help target unwanted pigment without causing widespread irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020
Where does this treatment go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Putting treatments in the evening helps with simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this treatment with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying your retinol at night and this gel either in a separate routine or on alternating nights to keep your skin calm and smooth. Because both products work actively on your skin, alternating them helps prevent dryness and irritation while still giving you great clearing and brightening results.
How often should I use this treatment?
This treatment is best used in the evening as part of your routine. It is a great fit for your combination skin to help brighten tone, clear blemishes, and manage oily shine with very low likelihood of irritation.
Can this treatment clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This treatment may occasionally cause breakouts or purging for combination skin. It is unlikely to cause irritation due to soothing ingredients like niacinamide and licorice root extract.
Is this treatment fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Behenyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Azelaic acid nanocrystal hydrogel 10% achieved a higher success rate and greater lesion reduction than azelaic acid cream 20% in patients with mild to moderate facial acne.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005A non-hydroquinone topical formulation (SKNB19) improved hyperpigmentation by 28.5% in patient self-assessment and 27% in independent reviewer assessment compared with 4% hydroquinone in 18 adult subjects, while showing significantly less irritation and better tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Encapsulation of alpha arbutin in an optimized ethosomal gel significantly improved skin melanin reduction, moisture content, and elasticity in human volunteers compared to conventional formulations.
Heliyon, 2023Combining a home-based radiofrequency device and arbutin cream reduced mMASI scores by 25.6% and melanin index by 22.8% at 8 weeks compared to baseline in 38 participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Application of 15% azelaic acid gel significantly reduced post-inflammatory erythema and hyperpigmentation, decreased hemoglobin and melanin content, improved quality of life, and contributed to acne improvement in patients with mild to moderate acne compared to placebo.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2024Topical application of a dermocosmetic containing Myrtus communis extract and azelaic acid reduced acne relapses and helped maintain remission compared to a light moisturizing cream in adult females in the acne maintenance phase over 16 weeks.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2023Topical administration of 20% azelaic acid cream and 5% tranexamic acid solution comparably improved acne-related postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in patients with acne vulgaris, while tranexamic acid demonstrated a significantly better safety profile at week 4.
Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2023A topical formulation containing kojic acid, emblica extract, and glycolic acid demonstrated efficacy parity compared with hydroquinone 4% in multiethnic participants with mild to moderate facial dyschromia.
Cutis, 2010A nanoemulsion containing 1 mg/mL kojic dipalmitate and 5% rosehip oil demonstrated high incorporation efficiency, suitable physicochemical stability, antioxidant and depigmenting efficacy close to 1 mM ascorbic acid, and no cytotoxicity at concentrations from 0.06% to 1% in vitro.
Pharmaceutics, 2023Topical application of iron chelators kojic acid and deferiprone significantly accelerated wound healing in rats compared to control groups, with deferiprone showing superior efficacy due to higher antioxidant and iron chelation abilities.
International Wound Journal, 2013
Ingredients
Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Tranexamic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Jojoba Seed Oil, Alpha-Arbutin, Behenyl Alcohol, Kojic Acid Dipalmitate, Glutathione, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ethylene Brassylate, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Azelaic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Melatonin, Phytic Acid, Squalane, Allantoin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Arginine, Lecithin, Glycine Soja Soybean Sterols, Cetyl Palmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sclerotium Gum, Zinc Ricinoleate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ceteareth-12, Ceteareth-20, Phenoxyethanol
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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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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
How does it fit your skin?
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