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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Topicals Faded Serum versus AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum .

Last updated on September 12, 2023. Published on February 24, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 8 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, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots

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 need an update? Let us know.

Serum American Brand United States
Serum Brand

Serum

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

Serum

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

Price

Shop

Buy Faded Serum

Starts at $38.00
Shop

Buy Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum

Starts at $11.99

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
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

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
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

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does:
Community Rating: Loved

Glutathione is an antioxidant naturally found in our bodies. It is also naturally occurring in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria. As an antioxidant, Glutathione helps prevent oxidative damage to parts of our cell.

While Glutathione is said to help with skin lightening, the results from research are inconclusive. Further studies are needed.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

5
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

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

6
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

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.

7
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Arginine is an amino acid that is important for human development. Your body uses is it to produce hair keratin and skin collagen.

As a cosmetic ingredient, Arginine has antioxidant properties and can also help repair damaged skin. This ingredient is derived either synthetically or from animals.

Arginine isn't fungal acne safe when used in the presence of other lipids (fats, fatty acids, oils, esters, etc). Oils and fats occur naturally within the skin, so take caution when using Arginine if you're prone to fungal acne.

Learn more about Arginine

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.

8
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Topicals Faded Serum contains this as ingredient number 28.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

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

43% are loved or liked
14% have mixed ratings
32% are disliked or very disliked
11% have no rating yet
48% are loved or liked
20% have mixed ratings
20% are disliked or very disliked
12% 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

Topicals Faded Serum 37 ingredients

4.4 /5
from 5 reviews
AshN.'s Avatar'
Feb 3, 2024

(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!

Great Value
Irritating
Strong Scent
Works Well
bsabrina's Avatar'
May 30, 2023

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

susmadz's Avatar'
Feb 10, 2024

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.

Irritating
Strong Scent
Works Well

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum 25 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 21 reviews
saqina_929's Avatar'
Oct 30, 2023

It helps fade acne though very slowly

It helps fade acne though very slowly

ChantelleAng's Avatar'
Feb 19, 2024

i used to have a reaction to this when i first started using this. after the 4th try, i used it daily and i can VISIBLY see how much it brightened my skin. omg it made my skin GLOWWWW. not so much in fading dark spots tho

i used to have a reaction to this when i first started using this. after the 4th try, i used it daily and i can VISIBLY see how much it brightened my skin. omg it made my skin GLOWWWW. not so much in fading dark spots tho

Hydrating
Absorbs Well
Light Scent
Works Well
JannatulFerdous's Avatar'
Apr 1, 2024

Best vegan serum I use till now.

Best vegan serum I use till now.

Great Value
Hydrating
Light
Absorbs Well
No Scent
Works Well

Alternatives

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

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