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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum 4% Niacinamide versus Touch Bright & Clear Cream .

Last updated on November 18, 2023. Published on November 25, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum American Brand United States
General Moisturizer American Brand United States

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Dark Spots (4)
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger (2)
Eczema
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum 4% Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 1.

Touch Bright & Clear Cream contains this as ingredient number 3.

2
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum 4% Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 2.

Touch Bright & Clear Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

3
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum 4% Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 18.

Touch Bright & Clear Cream contains this as ingredient number 20.

4
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Learn more about Polysorbate 60

Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum 4% Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 21.

Touch Bright & Clear Cream contains this as ingredient number 13.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

25% are loved or liked
21% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
13% have no rating yet
33% are loved or liked
4% have mixed ratings
58% are disliked or very disliked
4% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 15 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum 4% Niacinamide.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Touch Bright & Clear Cream.

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