Differin

Dark Spot Correcting Serum.

Serums

About this product

A niacinamide-based serum designed to fade dark spots and hyperpigmentation, featuring vitamin C, sea buckthorn oil, and sunflower seed oil.

Full ingredients

Water, Alcohol, Niacinamide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, 1.2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil (Sea Buckthorn Berry), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Biotin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfite, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, T-Butyl Alcohol, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Fragrance, Sodium Phosphate, Denatonium Benzoate

Guru Score

63%

Mixed

3 experts · Moderate agreement

3Gurus

1Approved

0Mixed

2Skip

What they liked

Sea buckthorn oil adds emollients and antioxidants

What they flagged

Less effective than the original hydroquinone formula

What the gurus are saying

The reformulation swapped hydroquinone for niacinamide, a step down that gurus say notably diminishes dark spot treatment power. Fragrance and alcohol, sitting as the second ingredient, can both irritate and worsen hyperpigmentation, especially for those with sensitive skin. Though the serum includes decent emollients and vitamin C, experts point to better dark spot treatments available at this price point.

Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take November 2023

Type

SerumsDrops & dropper

Key actives

Vitamin C Niacinamide

Formula notes

Contains fragranceContains drying alcohol

Where to buy

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved takes Critical takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr Dray

2.68M subs

~Skip

"That's basically just a niacinamide serum which is a shame"

All 3 takes from Dr Dray

*NEW* SKINCARE NOT TO MISS AT WALMART | Dermatologist

"Differin used to have a hydroquinone product, the Dark Spot Correcting Serum, but once hydroquinone became no longer available over the counter, they reformulated it. Now it's basically a niacinamide serum, four percent, which is a reasonable percentage strength for hyperpigmentation. In addition to that it has sea buckthorn and sunflower seed oil, those are emollients that soften and smooth the skin surface, and then it has sodium ascorbiophosphate, that's a stable form of vitamin C, it's an antioxidant so it may help in theory in lessening free radical damage that upregulates pigment production. [...] They reformulated this to be up to snuff, unfortunately it has fragrance, which if you're trying to fade hyperpigmentation I do warn against fragrance because it is commonly irritating and again anything that's irritating can worsen the hyperpigmentation."

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"That's basically just a niacinamide serum which is a shame"

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"They changed the Dark Spot Correcting Serum over to a niacinamide serum, which is fine, but I think it does have fragrance. I was hoping that when they removed the hydroquinone they would take the fragrance with it, but I guess they kept that in there, so if you're allergic, beware, fragrance can be irritating which can end up worsening hyperpigmentation. Now this has sea buckthorn oil in it, which I really enjoy personally, I find that it is a nice emollient and a source of antioxidants, so it may help improve the look of hyperpigmentation."

Doctorly

3.58M subs

~Skip

"This product no longer has the hydroquinone in it and is going to be less effective. It's got alcohol as the second ingredient, which can be irritating and stinging, especially for sensitive skin. The niacinamide replacement is not as effective as the original hydroquinone formula was in real clinical practice, even though one small study showed similar efficacy. Alcohol in the ingredient list could be a problem for people with very sensitive skin. Overall, there are a lot better dark spot treatments on the market, especially at that price point, because there are so many better competitors out there now."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.72M subs

~Approved

"Differin has a Dark Spot Correcting Serum with two percent hydroquinone, and they are pulling hydroquinone from over the counter. If you have your hands on this, then get your hands on it. Hydroquinone is the gold standard when it comes to evening out your skin tone. Two percent hydroquinone over the counter is not necessarily the strongest out there—it's actually the lightest—but if you can't get your hands on a prescription, this is the best bet you have if you have melasma or any sort of stubborn pigmentation that you're trying to get rid of. It retails for twenty dollars. It's a thick, water-like consistency, a little bit thicker than water, and it has a little bit of a scent, but this is great if you have melasma."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

Source: DermNet

Niacinamide

Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum?

A niacinamide-based serum designed to fade dark spots and hyperpigmentation, featuring vitamin C, sea buckthorn oil, and sunflower seed oil.

Is Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum worth it?

The gurus are split. 1 of the 3 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 63%.

What is Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum's Guru Score?

Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum holds a Guru Score of 63%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected.