Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Dark Spot Correcting Serum Versus Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum
Updated on January 09, 2025
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Dark Spot Correcting Serum 51 ingredients
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients
What's inside (and what isn't)
What's inside (and what isn't)
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Dark Spot Correcting Serum 51 ingredients
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinTranexamic Acid is best used for treating hyperpigmentation, discoloration, and melasma. It can also help build a stronger skin barrier.
Once applied, Tranexamic Acid starts decreasing inflammation from UV exposure. Tranexamic Acid also prevents our skin cells from meeting the pigment production cells.
Its brightening property makes it great at reducing the appearance of acne scars and marks.
Fun fact: Tranexamic Acid is also a medication used to reduce heavy bleeding.
This acid is derived from lysine, an amino acid.
Learn more about Tranexamic Acid1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract is also known as Ivy Gourd Fruit Extract. It has skin conditioning properties.
Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
This ingredient is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideYou might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Dark Spot Correcting Serum 51 ingredients
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients


Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Dark Spot Correcting Serum 51 ingredients
I'm very pleased with the results of this product. Within 2 weeks, it was able to remove most of the stubborn dark spots/scaring that was on my temple area. Despite having fragrance in the formulation, I actually didn't notice any irritation or breaking out after using it. It's nice that the product isn't too expensive either (Roughly $20 on Amazon when I purchased at the time) I also find the Show more
I’ve been using this for three months now on sensitive and reactive skin. I had no bad response, no irritation or breaking out. I use it both morning and night, and I believe some results are there - dark marks are slowly fading, and any spots I’ve had while using this leave less of a dark mark than they used to.
Between this and skin1004 tone brightening capsule serum, I think this has had Show more
Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Treatment Serum 47 ingredients
⋆.ೃ࿔*:・ 🤎
🥥 𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞: 𝐃𝐫𝐲/𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐜𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐜𝐳𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞.
🪴 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬:
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧. 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥. 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.
🌵 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬:
╰┈➤ 𝐈 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 "𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭" (𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝) 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 Show more
Full of amazing ingredients; has totally reduced the need for me to cocktail and upset my ph balance.