Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Serum for sensitive skin
Niacinamide
Tranexamic Acid
Azelaic Acid
Kojic Acid
Alpha ArbutinAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 and evening of skin tone for your normal skin, as niacinamide and tranexamic acid help fade hyperpigmentation and regulate melanogenesis. Licorice root extract and azelaic acid further support these brightening effects and offer some soothing benefits.
- While the formula provides general hydration and soothing suitable for normal skin with sensitivity, its primary brightening and exfoliating ingredients like glycolic and lactic acid are not optimally targeted for your main concerns of redness and irritation.
- The product is safe for your normal skin with sensitivity, as it contains soothing ingredients like niacinamide and licorice root extract and avoids harsh or prohibited substances.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users highly praise this serum for effectively fading hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and dark spots, especially on melanated skin. While results are impressive, a significant number of reviews mention a strong, sulfur-like smell that users must tolerate. Some users also report an initial purging phase before experiencing clearer, brighter skin.
Highlights
Fades dark spots Mostly Mentioned
- “scars are noticeably lighter”
- “fades dark spots”
- “impressed with effectiveness”
- “minimized appearance of marks”
Unpleasant smell Mostly Mentioned
- “smells like sulfur”
- “rotten eggs”
- “smells like rust”
- “scent is off-putting”
Brightens skin Often Mentioned
- “skin looks clearer”
- “more radiant”
- “brightens your skin”
- “leaves a glow”
Absorbs well Sometimes Noted
- “lightweight texture”
- “absorbs quickly”
- “layers well under moisturizer”
- “non-greasy”
Improves texture Sometimes Noted
- “smooths skin texture”
- “skin feels calmer”
- “softens rough patches”
Safe for melanated skin Sometimes Noted
- “made with melanated skin in mind”
- “safe for all ethnicities”
- “works on darker skin tones”
Causes purging Sometimes Noted
- “face exploded with acne”
- “exacerbated comedones”
- “broke me out”
- “caused purging”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “tube cracks easily”
- “product spills out”
- “hate the metal tube”
- “leaks everywhere”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “slightly irritating”
- “caused burning”
- “too strong for sensitive skin”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, amazon.com, mytopicals.com, skinsort.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Topicals Faded work for sensitive skin?
Topicals Faded works as an average fit for sensitive skin because its strong brightening and exfoliating ingredients are not ideally targeted for redness and irritation, even though soothing niacinamide and licorice root extract make it safe to use. A treatment for sensitive skin needs ingredients that actively soothe redness and irritation while offering high compatibility and no risk of irritation.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and licorice root extract make this serum safe and suitable for sensitive skin by offering soothing benefits. However, because this product only fits sensitive skin on an average level, a treatment for this skin needs effective ingredients that target redness and irritation with no risk of irritation, along with antioxidants, hydrating components, and skin-repairing ingredients.
What does Niacinamide do for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and reducing redness and irritation. It is very well tolerated and may improve overall comfort and resilience with regular use.
What does Tranexamic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Tranexamic acid helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and reducing redness and flushing. It is unlikely to cause severe reactions, making it a well-tolerated choice for reactive or easily irritated skin.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2014Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2024
Where does it go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in your evening routine, starting at once a week to help your sensitive skin adjust safely. To fit this skin type better, a product of this type needs gentle exfoliating and brightening ingredients alongside plenty of soothing and hydrating support.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
This treatment can be used with retinol, but because it contains exfoliating acids that may trigger redness and irritation, you should use them on alternate nights or separate them into different routines to keep your skin calm and smooth. When you do use it, apply it after cleansing and toning, and always follow with a gentle moisturizer.
How often should I use it?
Use this treatment once a week in the evening to see how your sensitive skin handles the exfoliating acids, and slowly increase the frequency only if you tolerate it well. A product of this type needs gentle soothing ingredients and extra hydration to keep your skin calm while it targets uneven tone.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
Yes, this serum may cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin because it contains exfoliating acids like glycolic and lactic acid that speed up skin renewal. While it has soothing ingredients like niacinamide and licorice root extract to keep skin calm, this skin type often needs gentler hydrators and barrier-repairing ingredients without strong exfoliants to prevent irritation.
Is it 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 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, 2021Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2015Topical 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, 2005Topical 2% niacinamide significantly decreased sebum excretion rate in Japanese individuals and casual sebum levels in Caucasian individuals compared to placebo or baseline.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Azelaic 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, 2021Application 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, 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, 2013A 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, 2025
Why other serums fit sensitive skin better
Topical application of TAT-SOD significantly suppresses UVB-induced erythema formation, blood flow rise, and apoptotic sunburn cell formation in human volunteers compared to a vehicle control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016
Ingredients
Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Kojic Acid, Alpha Arbutin, Licorice Root Extract, Melatonin, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Squalane, Glycerin, Water, Phenoxyethanol, 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
How does it fit your skin?
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