AXIS-Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum for skin with dark spots
Niacinamide
Squalane
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Glutathione
Rice Bran ExtractHigh
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for skin with dark spots; a few serums fit it even better.
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
- Highly suitable for your normal skin, this serum effectively addresses pigmentation concerns with niacinamide and glutathione, which work to visibly reduce dark spots and even skin tone.
- The inclusion of sodium hyaluronate and rice bran extract further supports skin hydration and barrier function, complementing the brightening effects for overall skin health.
- The product is safe for your skin, featuring soothing ingredients like Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract and Allantoin, and contains no harsh or prohibited substances.
How to apply
- Apply this serum as part of your PM routine starting 3x/week and build up to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toning, but before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute for it to absorb.
- Apply the serum on dry skin to help fade pigmentation effectively.
- Avoid the eye area and always use SPF 30+ during the day.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 15.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this lightweight serum is highly recommended for acne-prone and sensitive skin, effectively calming redness and gradually fading post-acne marks without causing irritation. It also hydrates and brightens the complexion. Users should note that consistent, long-term application is necessary to see significant results on dark spots, and it may not be potent enough for older or deeper hyperpigmentation.
Highlights
Lightweight texture Mostly Mentioned
- “Beautiful gel-like texture”
- “Absorbs almost instantly”
- “Never feels sticky”
Fades acne marks Often Mentioned
- “Old acne marks fade”
- “Fades the dark spots really well”
- “Significant reduction in redness”
Gentle on sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “Doesn't irritate”
- “Calmed my troubled spots”
- “No reaction”
Slow results Often Mentioned
- “Takes a while”
- “Not an overnight fix”
- “Slow and steady process”
Brightens complexion Sometimes Noted
- “Skin feels brighter”
- “Gives a healthy glow”
- “Overall complexion was healthier”
Layers well Sometimes Noted
- “Sits well under makeup”
- “No pilling”
- “Non-sticky finish”
Ineffective for old scars Sometimes Noted
- “Did nothing for hyperpigmentation”
- “Better for new scars only”
- “Not strong enough for melasma”
Breakouts (rare) Rarely Noted
- “Broke me out”
- “Caused closed comedones”
- “Gave me cystic-like welts”
Herbal scent Rarely Noted
- “Smells like rosemary”
- “Scent is too herbal”
- “Dislike the tea tree smell”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Pump stops working”
- “Hard to get last drops”
- “Opaque bottle hides amount”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, oliveyoung.com, yesstyle.com, sokoglam.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes AXIS-Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum a great fit for skin with dark spots?
This serum is a great fit because it uses niacinamide and glutathione to visibly fade dark spots and even out your skin tone. It also includes soothing and hydrating ingredients like calendula, squalane, and rice bran extract to keep your skin calm and moisturized while brightening.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for skin with dark spots?
Niacinamide and glutathione make this serum a great fit because they help fade dark spots and even out your skin tone. Sodium hyaluronate and rice bran extract also support hydration, while calendula and allantoin help keep your skin calm.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014
What does Niacinamide do for skin with dark spots?
Niacinamide helps fade dark spots and uneven pigmentation by slowing down the transfer of pigment in the skin. It is generally well tolerated and may improve overall skin brightness with consistent use.
What does Squalane do for skin with dark spots?
Squalane helps keep skin soft and smooth, but it is unlikely to directly fade dark spots on its own. For hyperpigmentation, this type of product needs added brightening ingredients like vitamin C or antioxidants to help even out skin tone.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This serum goes in your evening routine, applied after cleansing and before moisturizing. Putting this type of treatment in the evening keeps things simple and provides extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this serum with retinol by applying your retinol first and following with this treatment serum, or by using retinol at night and this serum in the morning. This combination is generally well tolerated, though starting slowly helps ensure your skin stays calm and smooth as it adjusts to both active ingredients.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014
How often should I use this serum?
This serum is used in the evening routine for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure, though some treatments can also be used in the morning or twice a day. Niacinamide and glutathione help reduce dark spots and even skin tone with regular daily use.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts, as it features a safe and gentle formula designed for daily use. While reactions are rare, any new treatment carries a slight chance of skin adjustment, but this product avoids harsh substances that typically trigger irritation.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2002Topical oxidized glutathione significantly decreases the skin melanin index and improves moisture content, smoothness, wrinkle formation, and elasticity compared to placebo in healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Topical treatment of nicotinamide, alone or in combination with other active ingredients, reduces the progression of skin aging and hyperpigmentation in clinical trials while being well tolerated.
Antioxidants, 2021Optimized transfersomes loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate and hyaluronic acid increased cell viability while reducing lipid peroxidation, intracellular ROS, and MMP expression in HaCaT cells, and exhibited higher skin permeation and deposition compared to plain EGCG.
Drug Delivery, 2017Topical 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, 2005Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Topical application of a sea buckthorn fruit extract formulation significantly reduced skin sebum secretion in 10 healthy human volunteers compared to the control base over an 8-week period.
Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences, 2010Topical emulsions containing Hippophae rhamnoides and Cassia fistula plant extracts significantly reduced skin sebum contents compared to placebo in patients with grade I and grade II acne vulgaris.
Postepy Dermatologii I Alergologii, 2014Topical application of a 5% Hippophae rhamnoides oil-in-water emulsion significantly improved skin hydration (p=0.0003) and transepidermal water loss (p=0.0087) compared to a placebo base formulation in 13 healthy male subjects over 84 days.
Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2014Glutathione amino acid precursors effectively increase cellular glutathione levels, reducing oxidative stress, ATP depletion, and DNA damage in human keratinocytes, clinical subjects, and ex vivo skin compared to controls.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024Topical glutathione improves hyperpigmentation, reduces ultraviolet-induced erythema and wrinkles, decreases transepidermal water loss, and enhances antioxidant capacity.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025RayGel reduced skin reaction severity with a lower average score of 93.7 compared to 123.3 for the placebo group in patients undergoing whole breast external-beam irradiation.
American Journal of Surgery, 2005Topical gel and cream formulations containing niosomes entrapped with rice bran bioactive compounds improved skin hydration, lightening, thickness, roughness, and elasticity in 30 human volunteers over 28 days compared to baseline.
Pharmaceutical Biology, 2012Gel and cream formulations containing rice bran bioactive compounds entrapped in niosomes increased in vitro antioxidant activity (ORAC values of 20-28 micromol TE/g versus 16-18 micromol TE/g for placebo), enhanced lipid peroxidation inhibition in human sebum by about 1.5 times, and improved in vivo human skin hydration by approximately 3 to 30% depending on the measurement technique.
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2011Stirring Nukadoko fermented rice bran beds by hand leads to temporary settlement of microorganisms on human skin with quick shedding.
FEMS Microbiology Letters, 2023
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Erythritol, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Rice Bran Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Acerola Fruit Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Chlorphenesin, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Glutathione, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Disodium Edta, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Allantoin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Oil Leaf Rosemary Oil Leaf
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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