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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% versus Topicals Faded Serum .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on March 20, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe . They have a total of 10 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, 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 need an update? Let us know.

Emulsion American Brand United States
Serum American Brand United States

Emulsion

A lighter version of moisturizer, usually with a gel-consistency.

Serum

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

Price

Shop

Buy Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5%

Starts at $21.99
Shop

Buy Faded Serum

Starts at $38.00

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

AHA
Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (4)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Vitamin E
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (5)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots (4)
Scar Healing (4)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
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Ingredients Compared

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

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: 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

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 1.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

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 Acid

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 4.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

3
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

Within a product, Caprylic Triglyceride can thicken the product and make spreadability easier by dissolving clumping compounds. An added benefit of Caprylic Triglyceride is its antioxidant properties.

Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Caprylic Triglyceride has not been found to be toxic for human use in concentrations under 50%.

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 Triglyceride

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 5.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

4
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 8.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 31.

5
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Glycerin

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 9.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

6
What it does: Antioxidant, Bleaching, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Alpha-Arbutin is made from hydroquinone and glucose. It may be derived from the fermentation of soybeans.

It is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may damage your skin cells.

Studies show this ingredient helps improve hyperpigmentation and fade discoloration.

Alpha-Arbutin may be used with other ingredients that help with hyperpigmentation. These ingredients include retinol, Vitamin C, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid.

Learn more about Alpha-Arbutin

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 16.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing
Community Rating: Loved

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 Allantoin

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 18.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

8
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.

Because squalane boosts hydration in the skin, it also comes with plenty of benefits: it is an antioxidant and can help fight free radicals and skin damage. Squalane is also found to have a detoxifying effect when applied.

Squalane comes from squalene, which occurs naturally within the sebum of our skin. It is one of the oils our skin produces to keep itself hydrated. Squalane is the hydrogenated version of squalene and has a longer shelf life.

Research shows that squalane is non-irritating (even at 100% concentration).

In general, it's a fantastic ingredient. It does a great job at hydrating the skin, and it's suitable for those with sensitive skin.

The source of squalane may impact malassezia / fungal acne. This is because olive oil derived squalane can contain impurities such as fatty acids and plant waxes. Sugarcane derived squalane is recommended for anyone with malassezia concerns.

Is squalane vegan? This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Learn more about Squalane

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 20.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.

9
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.

Lecithin is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.

As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin. The phospholipids in Lecithin can produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.

Learn more about Lecithin

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 37.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.

10
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% contains this as ingredient number 42.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 37.

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

40% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
29% are disliked or very disliked
18% have no rating yet
43% are loved or liked
14% have mixed ratings
32% are disliked or very disliked
11% 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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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Naturium Multi-Bright Tranexamic Acid Treatment 5% 45 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating
Clover's avatar

Clover

10 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

Works well but...
With ingredients like tranexamic acid, kojic acid, and alpha-arbutin, this product is effective when it comes to combating dark...

Works well but...
With ingredients like tranexamic acid, kojic acid, and alpha-arbutin, this product is effective when it comes to combating dark spots and hyperpigmentation. I did notice that my post acne marks faded quicker when using this product HOWEVER this product always left a yellowish tint to my skin wherever I applied it. I suspect something in here oxidized (the kojic acid maybe?). This could have just been a bad batch issue, but regardless that still meant I could only use this product at night when I would have preferred to use it in the morning. I’ve recently found a very similar alternative to this product that doesn’t turn me yellow and is actually a little cheaper, so I won’t be repurchasing this product again. (for anyone curious, the alternative product I use is the Bolden Dark Spot Fix)

Topicals Faded Serum 37 ingredients

4.4 /5
from 5 ratings
Irritating (2) Strong Scent (2) Works Well (2) Great Value (1)
AshN.'s avatar

AshN.

3 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

(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...

(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!

bsabrina's avatar

bsabrina

11 months ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

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,...

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

Alternatives

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Our Dupe Finder has found 19 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Topicals Faded Serum.

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