Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum versus Topicals Faded Serum .
Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on October 21, 2022
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain AHA and niacinamide
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens, silicones 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.
Price
Ingredient Info
Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum 35 ingredients
Topicals Faded Serum 37 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum 35 ingredients
Topicals Faded Serum 37 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum 35 ingredients
Topicals Faded Serum 37 ingredients
Water • Propanediol • Tromethamine • Glycolic Acid • 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid • 1,2-Hexanediol • Tranexamic Acid • Niacinamide • Sodium Citrate • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Acetyl Glucosamine • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Salix Alba Bark Extract • Curcuma Longa Root Extract • Beta-Glucan • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract • Corallina Officinalis Extract • Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract • Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract • Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract • Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract • Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid • Glycerin • Allantoin • Pentylene Glycol • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Cellulose Gum • Butylene Glycol • Lactobacillus Ferment • Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate • Buteth-3 • Tributyl Citrate • Tristearyl Citrate • Alcohol • Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate
Water • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Glycerin • Niacinamide • Glyceryl Stearate • Tranexamic Acid • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil • Alpha-Arbutin • Behenyl Alcohol • Kojic Dipalmitate • Glutathione • Butter • Ethylene Brassylate • Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate • Azelaic Acid • Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract • Melatonin • Phytic Acid • Squalane • Allantoin • Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract • Tocopherol • Arginine • Lecithin • Glycine Soja Sterols • Cetyl Palmitate • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sclerotium Gum • Zinc Ricinoleate • Cetearyl Alcohol • Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate • Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Ceteareth-12 • Ceteareth-20 • Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterHero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Tranexamic 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.
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 AcidHero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.
Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
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 NiacinamideHero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.
Glycerin 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 GlycerinHero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.
Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.
Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Learn more about AllantoinHero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.
Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum 35 ingredients
Topicals Faded Serum 37 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum 35 ingredients
Topicals Faded Serum 37 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum 35 ingredients
Does what it’s supposed to do. It will fade your marks, especially when you’re consistent with it. Leaves tiny whiteheads though, probably the glycolic acid. But it has most of the lightening agents in it, except for kogic acid. Wait...
Does what it’s supposed to do. It will fade your marks, especially when you’re consistent with it. Leaves tiny whiteheads though, probably the glycolic acid. But it has most of the lightening agents in it, except for kogic acid. Wait till your face is 100% dry to use it. And the roller ball is a little useless, I just use my finger.
Topicals Faded Serum 37 ingredients
(Tried Nov 2022) One of the few brightening creams that I tried where I actually saw results. I only ever applied this as a spot treatment and not all over. Giving it 4 stars because I did find it slightly irritating and the smell was...
(Tried Nov 2022) One of the few brightening creams that I tried where I actually saw results. I only ever applied this as a spot treatment and not all over. Giving it 4 stars because I did find it slightly irritating and the smell was rather strong, so I ended up switching over to applying it as needed. I think the $18 Mini version was more than enough for me!
give it time to fade dark spots-glowy skin comes faster
Love this product. I was worried about all the actives in it because of my sensitive skin, but I had no reactions or breakouts. It takes some time to fade dark spots & acne scars...
give it time to fade dark spots-glowy skin comes faster
Love this product. I was worried about all the actives in it because of my sensitive skin, but I had no reactions or breakouts. It takes some time to fade dark spots & acne scars but after a few weeks (3-4) they should be noticeably lighter or almost gone. I noticed my skin seemed glowier and more clarified within a week or two. No noticeable difference for improving acne
This sh*t stinks!!! Use it when you're alone lol. This is definitely a holy grail for clearing my post acne marks, but I can only tolerate it 2 nights a week max.
I noticed an ingredient in this product is listed as a bleaching...
This sh*t stinks!!! Use it when you're alone lol. This is definitely a holy grail for clearing my post acne marks, but I can only tolerate it 2 nights a week max.
I noticed an ingredient in this product is listed as a bleaching agent, so darker skin tones please beware!!!!!! You may only want to only use this as a spot treatment on your hyperpigmented spots.
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 49 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand Dark Spot Brightening Serum.
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