SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense: a Guru Score of 71%

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 Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

~Nay

"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

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"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."

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"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

408k subs

~Yay

"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"

Translated from the guru's original language.

Doctorly

3.58M subs

~Mixed

"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."

All 3 takes from Doctorly

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"This is their vitamin C that has a little bit of salicylic acid in it. That product doesn't irritate my skin, but you still get the benefits of vitamin C. [...] I think you have to find the vitamin C product from SkinCeuticals that works the best for you."

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"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."

Tips for Dark Spots, Hyperpigmentation, and Melasma

"SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense is one of the gold standard over-the-counter products. It's a great option, but it has a hefty price tag. That said, I've had a lot of people use it and they've had a lot of benefit with it. It uses a combination of ingredients that are effective for hyperpigmentation."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

142k subs

~Yay

"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

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"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

113k subs

~Yay

"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."

Dr. Sam Ellis

882k subs

~Yay

"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."

All 2 takes from Dr. Sam Ellis

Dermatologist's Skincare Tips for People Who Don't Like Skincare | Dr. Sam Ellis

"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."

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"Also the Skinceuticals Discoloration Defense. I think both of these are really nice lightweight serums that layer well with other skincare products and you can feel confident using them when you're trying to conceive or when you're pregnant."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.72M subs

~Yay

"This is three percent tranexamic acid mixed with kojic acid. It does work nicely. This is going to be a home run, but it is not going to be a home run on its own. You need to combine different actives targeting different parts of how the pigment is produced in order to really see a difference with your skin tone. But it is a must to include in a routine because you definitely want to use these ingredients as part of your routine to help calm pigmentation."

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All 6 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss

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"If you're looking for something that has tranexamic acid in it, the Discoloration Defense also by SkinCeuticals is one hundred eight dollars. This one has one percent kojic acid as well as three percent tranexamic acid. But again, it's pricey for a dropper. I don't love droppers because you're constantly opening and exposing it to air, and over time it will degrade faster."

Let’s Get Intimate: Kojic Acid | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense is a very lightweight serum that goes on seamlessly with no scent and no residual color. It has kojic acid at one percent so it does not go over the irritation mark, niacinamide at five percent to help even out and reduce any sort of inflammation, and tranexamic acid at three percent which is basically there to help calm the melanocyte from making any more melanin, so it is a nice one to include especially if you have something like melasma where you really want to throw the kitchen sink at it."

Best Serums of 2021 | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"If you're an extremely sensitive soul and you cannot tolerate the glycolic acid and the brightening ingredients and you're only looking to brighten, SkinCeuticals has a product called Discoloration Defense. This baby retails for I believe ninety-eight dollars, and it has a combination of niacinamide, which helps to repair your skin barrier, tranexamic acid like the one in La Roche-Posay, as well as lantoyne, which is a soothing ingredient. So if you're looking for something to brighten that isn't as irritating as the La Roche-Posay, I would look at the SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense."

Let’s Get Intimate: Tranexamic Acid | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense is one I love. It is expensive and retails for 102 dollars. This one has three percent tranexamic acid as well as kojic acid and five percent niacinamide. Both this and the Lyterra have been clinically tested and are great."

Dermstore Black Friday Sale Top Picks 2021! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"Skinceuticals Discoloration Defense is their tranexamic acid. If you have melasma, you need to combat it from every angle. I would throw on some topical tranexamic acid if you have no chance to see your dermatologist to get on an oral prescription or if you're not a candidate for an oral prescription. Tranexamic acid helps with discoloration and it is one of those things that I add on to my morning and PM routine as well."

Best of Dermstore Black Friday Sale 2022! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"This is three percent tranexamic acid mixed with kojic acid. It does work nicely. This is going to be a home run, but it is not going to be a home run on its own. You need to combine different actives targeting different parts of how the pigment is produced in order to really see a difference with your skin tone. But it is a must to include in a routine because you definitely want to use these ingredients as part of your routine to help calm pigmentation."

What the evidence says.

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

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

Tranexamic acid

Tranexamic acid has a growing body of clinical evidence for melasma and the stubborn patches of pigment that other ingredients struggle with.

Source: DermNet

Urea

Urea both holds water in the skin and gently loosens dead surface cells. At higher strengths it has good evidence for very dry or thickened skin.

Source: DermNet

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 7 expert reviewers we have collected.