Anua Nano Retinol 0.3% + Niacin Renewing Serum for skin with dark spots

How to apply

Questions and answers

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, 2002

• Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.

  The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019

• Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.

  Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016

• Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.

  Molecules, 2023

• Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017

• Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.

  Journal of Controlled Release, 2018

• Topical stabilized retinol treatment induced HAS gene expression and increased hyaluronic acid production in human skin in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo compared to vehicle.

  Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017

• Topical 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, 2021

• Topical 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, 2008

• Topical 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, 2005

• Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.

  Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020

• A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

  Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

• Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

• Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

  Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011

• Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

  Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022

• Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

  BMC Oral Health, 2019

Why other serums fit skin with dark spots better

• Treatment with 14% ferulic acid and 12% l-ascorbic acid significantly reduced pigmentation and erythema while improving hydration and elasticity in 20 women with photoaged skin, with neither acid proving definitively more effective overall though ascorbic acid showed slightly greater skin lightening.

  Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Ingredients

Water, Glycereth-26, Niacinamide, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Chestnut Shell Extract, Glyceryl Citrate Lactate Linoleate Oleate, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Potentilla Anserina Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract Oat Kernel Extract, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract Lavender Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Leaf Extract Flower Matricaria Leaf Extract Flower, Borago Officinalis Extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf, Carapa Guianensis Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil Fruit, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Ceramide Np, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium Edta, Polyquaternium-51, Beta-Glucan, Squalane, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Bht, Oleic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Bha, Allantoin, Maltodextrin, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Sorbitan Laurate, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Octyldodecanol, Phytosterols, Madecassoside, Ceramide, Ceramide Ap, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Cholesterol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Caprylyl Glycol, Guaiazulene, Sucrose Distearate, Nonapeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Hexapeptide-9, Ceramide Eop

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.