SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense: a Guru Score of 71%

Every take, in full

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

~Skip

"The one thing I like about this product is that it's nave safe. The first ingredient here is water, then butene glycol. These are basically solvents. The third ingredient here is niacinamide. So it's a healthy dose of niacinamide which is good. Sixth ingredient here is tranexamic acid. And then the ninth ingredient, so very very low percentage is kojic acid. I would just say these are very low percentage actives for skin of color. It's basically niacinamide plus tranexamic acid. But for $98, I expect a lot more than that. Honestly, there are many products out there, discoloration serums with niacinamide plus tranexamic acid at less than $10. So $98 is honestly marketing, branding, and paying people to do ads about this particular product. If you understand formulas, you just would never purchase this product."

All 2 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan

THE ORDINARY VS LUXURY SERUMS

"SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense, for 93 pounds I expect more than just niacinamide. There are no tyrosinase inhibitors in the SkinCeuticals product, and it's not really going to do much for your discoloration."

Best & Worst Dark Mark Serums

"The one thing I like about this product is that it's nave safe. The first ingredient here is water, then butene glycol. These are basically solvents. The third ingredient here is niacinamide. So it's a healthy dose of niacinamide which is good. Sixth ingredient here is tranexamic acid. And then the ninth ingredient, so very very low percentage is kojic acid. I would just say these are very low percentage actives for skin of color. It's basically niacinamide plus tranexamic acid. But for $98, I expect a lot more than that. Honestly, there are many products out there, discoloration serums with niacinamide plus tranexamic acid at less than $10. So $98 is honestly marketing, branding, and paying people to do ads about this particular product. If you understand formulas, you just would never purchase this product."

Nipun Kapur

401k subs

~Approved

"I highly highly recommend even though its price point is high because of the results this product has shown. And this is the Skin Ceuticals Discoloration Defense. 5% niacinamide, 3% tranexamic acid, 1% kojic acid"

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

131k subs

~Approved

"SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense combines the tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and all those together will give you a perfect concoction for brightening and clarity."

All 2 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown

How to Treat Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation | Dermatologist Explains Best Tips & Products

"SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense combines the tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and all those together will give you a perfect concoction for brightening and clarity."

Dermatologist's Guide to Melasma: Causes, Prevention & Treatments | Dr. Aleksandra Brown

"SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense is a powerhouse serum that blends tranexamic acid with niacinamide and kojic acid to improve skin clarity."

Tea with MD

107k subs

~Approved

"This has tranexamic acid 1%, kojic acid and 5% niacinamide as well as their proprietary Heavies complex for brightening. I used to use this in clinic quite a bit after I performed a laser procedure like a Pico Shore laser or even a fraxel. I would then apply this to the patient's freshly lasered face to maximize the benefits of this brightening serum. I have found really good benefits with this both with and without laser treatments, but it can be very useful as an additional step after laser to really help to brighten up those dark spots. I also find that this doesn't sting at all, so this is really great for sensitive skin. This is something that layers really well too. I find that this layers really well under moisturizers and under makeup."

Doctorly

3.57M subs

~Approved

"I personally get very irritated from this product. I always get like irritation redness and even sometimes acne like lesions. It's a low pH so I don't know what the issue is it's causing this."

All 2 takes from Doctorly

"Medical Grade" Skincare | Doctorly Investigates

"I personally get very irritated from this product. I always get like irritation redness and even sometimes acne like lesions. It's a low pH so I don't know what the issue is it's causing this."

Best And Worst Of Skinceuticals

"This is a great serum, I'm not saying it's not, but it has aged a bit. I used to recommend this quite a bit when I first started residency. It is pricey, over $100 for a dark spot corrective serum. Now we have products that target all of the steps in comprehensive ways of preventing pigment production, preventing the transfer, and removing and exfoliating the existing pigment. There are things that exist now that have comparable or better results at a much lower price point than this one."

Dr. Sam Ellis

863k subs

~Approved

"This also contains a serum called Discoloration Defense which helps combat irregular pigment in the skin. Both the vitamin C topical in the Florentin CF and the Discoloration Defense are working to brighten the overall complexion. These are both really thin liquidy serums and they layer very well with one another."

Common questions

Frequently asked.

What is SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense?

A brightening serum containing niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and kojic acid, designed to help reduce the appearance of dark spots and uneven skin tone.

Is SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 71%.

What is SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense's Guru Score?

SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense holds a Guru Score of 71%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 6 independent expert reviewers we have collected.