Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum for dry skin
Alpha Arbutin
Tranexamic Acid
Niacinamide
Mushroom Complex
6 Brighteners
Peptides
Average
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 moderate brightening for your dry skin due to the presence of tranexamic acid and alpha-arbutin, which help reduce hyperpigmentation, while glycerin and panthenol provide some humectant action. The formulation lacks sufficient emollient and occlusive ingredients to fully address your dry or flaky skin concerns.
- The serum provides general skincare benefits like hydration and soothing, but these are mostly supportive and do not directly target your specific dryness and flakiness.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your dry skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers frequently report this serum effectively brightens skin and reduces hyperpigmentation like acne scars and melasma, with many appreciating its gentle, soothing, and lightweight formula suitable for sensitive skin. Some users find the price high and the results take longer than anticipated.
Highlights
Boosts radiance Often Mentioned
- “gives skin an instant dewy glow”
- “enhancing my glow”
- “ignites your complexion”
Fades dark spots Often Mentioned
- “scars visibly lightened after I started using this”
- “pigmentation faded to nothing within just a couple of days”
- “dark spots seem to be slightly lighter after 3 weeks”
Gentle and soothing Often Mentioned
- “feels super soothing, doesn't trigger redness”
- “great for sensitive skin”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “sinks easily into damp skin”
- “lightweight but luxurious texture”
- “layers well under makeup”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “price definitely hurts”
- “pretty pricey”
- “expensive, not sure if it worth it”
Slow results Sometimes Noted
- “still not impressed with the results”
- “need to use longer to see if there's results”
- “not sure if it helps”
Skin reactions Rarely Noted
- “rashes popped up on my neck”
- “breakouts”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “gives a weird fermented stench”
- “serum stinks a little”
- “smell is brownish/fermented”
Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, sephora.sg, revolve.com, lovelyskin.com, spacenk.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum work for dry skin?
This serum works moderately well for dry skin, offering some hydration and soothing benefits alongside brightening ingredients, though it lacks enough rich softening and sealing ingredients to fully address dryness and flakiness. A product for this skin needs rich, soothing ingredients that provide deep hydration and support the skin barrier, such as ceramides, nourishing plant oils, or soothing fermented ingredients.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin and panthenol make this serum a fit for dry skin by pulling in moisture and soothing dry areas, while tranexamic acid and alpha-arbutin help fade dark spots. Because this product only offers moderate hydration, dry or flaky skin needs a formula rich in nourishing oils, butters, ceramides, and barrier-supporting ingredients to fully lock in moisture and smooth rough patches.
What does Alpha Arbutin do for dry skin?
Alpha arbutin helps fade dark spots and uneven areas while keeping the skin calm, but for dry skin it needs to be paired with heavy moisturizers and hydrating ingredients to ensure the face stays soft and smooth.
What does Tranexamic Acid do for dry skin?
Tranexamic acid helps repair and strengthen the outer barrier of dry skin, which keeps moisture locked in and improves hydration. This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation and may help soothe redness while supporting overall skin recovery.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2014Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Where does it go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before your moisturizer. A product of this type needs rich softening and sealing ingredients like plant oils, butter, or heavy ceramides to fully comfort and protect dry skin.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first and following with your retinol. The product is unlikely to cause irritation for your dry skin, but a treatment of this type needs rich softening and sealing ingredients like plant oils or butters to properly care for dry or flaky skin.
How often should I use it?
Use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. A product of this type works best for dry skin when it includes rich, softening ingredients and skin-protecting sealants to keep it smooth and comfortable.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This product is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores on dry skin. Its safety profile is excellent, with no risk of irritation or harsh ingredients that typically trigger skin reactions.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A 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, 2025Topical 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, 2005Skin care regimens containing beta-glucan improved hemoglobin index, skin hydration, and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in 20 patients undergoing fractional laser therapy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Treatment with topical formulations containing beta-glucan combined with nanofractional radiofrequency plus magnetic nanofractional radiofrequency showed the best efficacy and was tolerable and effective in Chinese women with abdominal stretch marks compared to control groups.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2023Topical beta-glucan mildly improved striae gravidarum, 1565-nm non-ablative fractional laser showed better results than topical beta-glucan, and the combined strategy further improved striae gravidarum atrophy compared to single treatment.
The Journal of Dermatology, 2022
Why other serums fit dry skin better
A 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, 2020Treatment with cross-linked hyaluronic acid-based microneedle patches combined with acetyl hexapeptide-8 or epidermal growth factor significantly improved wrinkles and skin hydration compared to the patch alone in Korean females over 29 days.
Annals of Dermatology, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Niacinamide, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract Ferment Filtrate Lentinus Edodes Extract Ferment Filtrate, C13-15 Alkane, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Alpha-Arbutin, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Hydrolyzed Pea, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Arginine Lysine Polypeptide, Glucose, Pentapeptide-34 Trifluoroacetate, 2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, C14-22 Alcohols, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Hydrolysate Starch, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Sorbitan Caprylate, Carbomer, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Succinate, Sodium Chloride, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, 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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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
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.