A lightweight gel moisturizer designed to fade dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and acne scars using a blend of brightening and clearing actives including tranexamic acid, azelaic acid, niacinamide, and salicylic acid.
This gel packs multiple brightening actives (tranexamic acid, azelaic acid, kojic acid, and niacinamide) and gurus consistently praise its ability to fade dark spots, acne scarring, and uneven skin tone with visible results. The formula feels more like a moisturizer than a lightweight serum, and works as a morning or evening treatment or both. However, the ingredient mix can trigger breakouts in acne-prone skin, and consistency matters: gurus who saw results used it twice daily. The original formula had an off-putting sulfur smell from glutathione (now offered unscented), and a reformulation added fragrance that may irritate those with melasma.
Synthesized from 14 expert reviews · most recent take July 2026
"The faded topicals, unscented. It's 28 bucks. It's got tranexamic acid, salicylic acid, niacinamide, kojic acid, oxidized glutathione. It's got chromanol palmitate, which is a brightening photoprotective ingredient, arbutin, licorice fruit, and melatonin. It's a good multi-purpose brightening serum that works well in your routine morning or evening or certainly even both if you want to do that."
Top Pick: brightening serums
All 17 takes from No BS Beauty
6 Steps I Used to Win My Fight Against Dark Spots, Melasma, & Hyperpigmentation
"The faded topicals, unscented. It's 28 bucks. It's got tranexamic acid, salicylic acid, niacinamide, kojic acid, oxidized glutathione. It's got chromanol palmitate, which is a brightening photoprotective ingredient, arbutin, licorice fruit, and melatonin. It's a good multi-purpose brightening serum that works well in your routine morning or evening or certainly even both if you want to do that."
Best Brightening Products for Dark Spots, Hyperpigmentation, & Melasma 🙌💗 How to Even Skin Your Tone
"And then I added in azelaic acid, and that really helped brighten it up to the next level. Azelaic acid is great for brightening up skin, hyperpigmentation. It's also great for rosacea, acne-prone skin. It's an amazing ingredient. [...] In addition to that, we've got niacinamide, kojic acid. We've got oxidized glutathione. We've got dimethylmethoxy chromanyl palmitate, which is a brightening ingredient as well as a photoprotective ingredient."
"I am going to put on Topicals Faded, which has a fragrance-free version. [...] I have so much melasma, so I try to use a brightening product in an evening routine every night. I try and pick one. I've got a handful of different brightening products that I love and I'm kind of switching between them."
Winner or Loser?!?! 🧐 The Ordinary Skincare New! Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution For Soothing & Dark Spots
"So the ingredients I'll talk about really quickly. We've got aloe powder, which is a freeze-dried version of aloe leaf juice. It's still skin soothing and emollient. The thought is if they dry it out, it removes the unuseful components of aloe and just leaves a strong soothing component behind, but it still has the same similar soothing and emollient and hydrating properties as aloe."
Lion Pose 🆕 UNSPOTTED 4X Dark Spot + Hyperpigmentation AHA Serum Review, How to Use, Dupes
"The Topicals Faded, which I used to love till they added fragrance."
No BS Beauty Award Show - 7th Annual Awards - Best In Skincare and Beauty
"The brightening product of the year is the Topicals Faded unscented version. I love that version more. It's still pretty affordable and will give you some even tone skin."
Can Dr. Idriss Major Fade Hyper Serum Really Fix Hyperpigmentation? Watch This Dark Spot Review!
"The Topicals Faded, which was one of my absolute favorites until they changed it and added fragrance to it. If you can tolerate the fragrance in it, the Topicals Faded is amazing."
Transparent Lab PIH Sun Spot Fading Treatment for Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation Serum Review
"I loved it before they added the fragrance in it and now I don't love it so much."
Q & A Part 2 - Ask Me Anything - Hyperpigmentation, Hydration, Blackheads & More!
"If your skin isn't sensitive to fragrance, Topicals Faded is also a good one. I found lactic acid very effective for helping with hyperpigmentation."
Sephora 2025 Fall VIB Sale Top Picks - Skincare, Makeup, & Haircare Products & What I'm Buying
"It's 28 bucks regularly, so it's one of the best brightening serums in my opinion for hyperpigmentation, melasma. [...] It's got glycolic acid, kojic acid, tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and chrominol ingredient. [...] It's really nice, pretty affordable, and when you take 20% off that, it starts to add up and a little bit goes a long way. I typically don't apply this all over my face. I'll just apply it to the areas where I have my melasma, which is my forehead and cheeks."
Best Brightening Product Favorites for Radiant Skin - Treat Dark Spots, Hyperpigmentation, Melasma
"If you can handle the faded, the little bit of fragrance in it, it's well worth it. It's got a lot of great ingredients. It's still pretty affordable."
Peter Thomas Roth Skincare Best Dupes & Alternatives to Their Most Popular Products
"Really nice. This I've repurchased this probably my third or fourth tube now. And it's the unscented version. They have a scented version. If you don't like the smell of it, it has kind of an earthy scent to it, I would say, sulfurish almost. So some people they made a scented version and then they brought out the unscented version later, thankfully, because I did not like the scented version."
Top Picks For Indie Skincare & Beauty Brands 🙌🤎 Favorites for Radiant Skin & Anti-Aging!
"I still think their Faded is worth trying. Some people didn't like the sulfur scent of it. I'm like I'd rather have a natural sulfur scent than smelling like fragrance and perfumes and crap like that. It really helped with my hyperpigmentation melasma in a big big way."
Best Brightening Skincare Products of 2023 💎💡 Hyperpigmentation, Dark Spots, PIH, Melasma and More!
"I finished a tube up I didn't repurchase it because I didn't like the scent to it but if you tolerate fragrance in it it's worth trying because it also contains tranexamic acid niacinamide alpha arbutin and azelaic acid so if you tolerate the scent to it it's definitely worth using"
New Skincare Products First Impressions - New from The Ordinary, The Inkey List, Skinfix, Topicals
"It has no smell, I don't even smell a sulfur smell. [...] If you have hyperpigmentation, melasma, dark spots, any of it, this is a great product worth checking out in my opinion. I've used it a long time and yeah, once they had fragrance I was kind of done with it. [...] I'm happy to be back. I like the smaller tube because it's nice for traveling."
All About Wrinkles, How to Treat Them & Peptide Basics - LIVESTREAM 1-24-25
"I wish they would have left the fragrance out but it's still really good."
Best Indie Skincare Discoveries - Support Small Brands and Avoid the Corporate Giants
"It's got salicylic acid, azelaic acid, arbutin, kojic acid, glutathione, turmeric, licorice root. It is wonderful. In terms of brightening skin, this is going to be in my holy grails. You know, if I had to pick 10 best brightening products, this is definitely going to be one of them. It's really a [...] nice product from a nice brand."
"Whenever I'm struggling with dark spots or hyperpigmentation and no other product is working, I always pull this bad boy out at the end because I know that it will always work. [...] I actually prefer using the mini size because I don't need to use very much because of how power-packed the formulation is and how well it works at being able to erase dark spots and hyperpigmentation in my skin."
Top Pick: brightening dark spots serum
All 7 takes from Hyram
The BEST Serums of 2023!
"The Topicals Faded Serum for Dark Spots is a great formula particularly if you struggle with dark spots acne scarring and even premature aging. [...] This formula is chock full of good active ingredients that work really well to get rid of dark spots acne scarring and multiple types of skin damage. It's a $24 serum that honestly feels way more like a moisturizer than a lightweight serum."
The BEST Serums of 2025 💦 Acne, Aging, Dark Spots, Redness, + more!
"Whenever I'm struggling with dark spots or hyperpigmentation and no other product is working, I always pull this bad boy out at the end because I know that it will always work. [...] I actually prefer using the mini size because I don't need to use very much because of how power-packed the formulation is and how well it works at being able to erase dark spots and hyperpigmentation in my skin."
The BEST Skin Care of 2024 for Acne & Acne Scars
"The Topicals Faded serum is one of the most powerful formulas I've ever used to the point that I have to use it very inconsistently because wow it works really well but it's really really strong. I use this product to spot treat any areas where I am struggling with scarring. The ingredient list is jam-packed it has tranexamic acid, alpha arbutin which is a really powerful bleaching agent to help get rid of that excess pigment where you experience the breakout, AIC acid, licorice fruit extract."
How to Get Rid of Dark Circles & Spots (2024)
"The Topicals Faded serum, I've talked about this serum in videos before, it's very powerful. It features ingredients like niacinamide, alpha arbutin, AIC acid. But the nice thing about this one is that rather than like a serum consistency, this one is basically like a moisturizer and a serum in one. It has a bunch of really rich nourishing ingredients to give you that nice moisturizer feel. I enjoy using this one before I go to bed."
The BEST Serums of 2022!
"This one is absolutely incredible for fading dark spots and hyperpigmentation in the skin. The results are truly incredible. [...] It has tranexamic acid, an ingredient that's harder to find but amazing for reducing dark spots and hyperpigmentation, [...] paired with niacinamide, licorice root extract, and azelaic acid."
Black Owned Beauty Brands You Can Support in 2022
"Topicals has a cult following and their faded serum is absolutely amazing. It's an incredible blend of really good brightening agents to help with dark spots, discoloration, and the overall health of the skin. I have loved using this product. [...] If I were to recommend one product from this brand, I would highly recommend the faded serum."
The BEST Serums of 2021!
"The Topicals Faded Serum [...] continues to remain one of the best serums I've ever used. [...] It's definitely a rich consistency, one that I would recommend using overnight. I personally like using it even though I have combination skin, but I feel like people with dry skin are really going to like this formula."
"I quite enjoy the Topicals Faded Serum. This one contains tranexamic acid but it also contains azelaic acid which is great for redness, great for acne-prone skin, and it also contains niacinamide as well. I do find that the Topicals Faded works a little bit better because of those additional ingredients. Tranexamic acid really is underrated."
"A really nice product, but I would just say for me this did break me out slightly. Now when it comes to breakouts, everyone's skin is unique, what will work for one person won't work for another and vice versa. This is a great kojic acid serum, but I would say if you're particularly breakout prone, maybe this isn't going to be the best option for you. [...] For everyone else, this is a beautifully affordable kojic acid serum that really does pack a punch using those other actives."
All 2 takes from Mad About Skin
BEST HYPERPIGMENTATION SERUM EVER! - Better Than Vitamin C Serums
"This is Topicals Faded, a holy grail for fading hyperpigmentation, giving you a more even skin tone and just glowing you to the gods. However, this isn't the cheapest product out there and it can break a lot of people out. There's some ingredients in here that don't work well with acne."
KOJIC ACID - Ultimate Dark Spot Treatment ( Best Kojic Acid Serums )
"A really nice product, but I would just say for me this did break me out slightly. Now when it comes to breakouts, everyone's skin is unique, what will work for one person won't work for another and vice versa. This is a great kojic acid serum, but I would say if you're particularly breakout prone, maybe this isn't going to be the best option for you. [...] For everyone else, this is a beautifully affordable kojic acid serum that really does pack a punch using those other actives."
"The downside of this product is they put in caucus, they put in coccus nucifera oils that's four out of five on the comedogenic scale and if you're using this to try and treat your oily acne prone hyperpigmentation it might make it worse. So I do like it as a first or second line treatment if you don't have oily acne prone skin but if you do then this might be one that you would sidestep."
All 3 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan
How to Treat Bikini Pigmentation on Skin of Colour | The Full Protocol
"Mid-range would be faded from Topicals, and if that doesn't work, you can upgrade to our body hyperpigmentation kit."
Best and Worst Dark Mark Serums for Skin of colour 2024
"The downside of this product is they put in caucus, they put in coccus nucifera oils that's four out of five on the comedogenic scale and if you're using this to try and treat your oily acne prone hyperpigmentation it might make it worse. So I do like it as a first or second line treatment if you don't have oily acne prone skin but if you do then this might be one that you would sidestep."
Rating Black Owned Products
"Fragrance is one of the most common triggers of contact dermatitis in melanin-rich skin, and contact dermatitis causes inflammation which causes hyperpigmentation, so the very product designed to fade dark spots could be triggering the next one. Buy the unscented version instead, same actives, none of the fragrance risk."
"This contains a whole host of anti-dark mark ingredients that are really great. It obviously contains niacinamide. It also contains tranexamic acid, which I like to use for melasma, which is a different type of inflammatory hyperpigmentary condition. [...] Topical tranexamic acid can work in conjunction with other brighteners to help lighten up dark spots. This product also contains azelaic acid, which is another multitasking favorite of mine."
"Topicals Faded Serum has been on everybody's lips since TikTok blew it up, and I personally bought this serum but I honestly could not stand the smell, it just drove me nuts. The [...] smell comes from glutathione, the brightening ingredient, which has a sulfur grouping that causes that [...] smell. I heard they came out with a version that doesn't have that smell, but I haven't tried that one."
"Another type of product that I like is Faded by Topicals. [...] That's great for dark spots as well. [...] You can do a spot treatment with Faded, and then niacinamide works well with retinoids at night, which will also help to fade, and vitamin C in the morning will brighten the area."
Top Pick: topical dark spot lightening
All 2 takes from Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert
17971416077430418
"Another type of product that I like is Faded by Topicals. [...] That's great for dark spots as well. [...] You can do a spot treatment with Faded, and then niacinamide works well with retinoids at night, which will also help to fade, and vitamin C in the morning will brighten the area."
HEALTHY AGING Questions? | YOUR questions ANSWERED!
"Faded by Topicals is almost equivalent to hydroquinone, which you can only use for four months at a time under a doctor's care to help lighten all the sun spots and hyperpigmentation. [...] Faded by Topicals is the one that I found is the closest in terms of lightening spots in a topical form that's non-prescription."
"It is very interesting that it comes in one product for 38 bucks, but my biggest question is how effective is it actually when you combine all these ingredients in a single product because something's gotta give. You cannot have them at their highest level of efficacy all in one. But if you are on the go and you have no time to sit down and have a multi-step skincare routine and you just want one product that you use morning and night, this might be it for you."
All 3 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss
Discoloration 101: Tips, Tricks, & Best Ingredients for Your Skin Type! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Topicals also has a faded brightening serum which is another one that you guys can try but for consistency you have to use it twice a day and that is essential and key if you want to see results."
Let’s Get Intimate: Kojic Acid | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"It is very interesting that it comes in one product for 38 bucks, but my biggest question is how effective is it actually when you combine all these ingredients in a single product because something's gotta give. You cannot have them at their highest level of efficacy all in one. But if you are on the go and you have no time to sit down and have a multi-step skincare routine and you just want one product that you use morning and night, this might be it for you."
Let’s Get Intimate: Tranexamic Acid | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Topicals Faded is an interesting one. It is packed with brightening ingredients like alpha arbutin, licorice root and kojic acid. But it stinks, [...] it smells funky, which I guess who cares, at least they didn't try to mask it, so kudos to them. But it does smell quite strong. [...] My one question is I'm not sure how effective all of these are going to be in one single formulation, especially with acetic acid because acetic acid does pill when it's trying to be effective at 10 percent."
"Faded by Topicals is one I've reviewed here before, and it has tranexamic acid as well as other skin lightening ingredients like [...] licorice root and kojic acid. [...] That's certainly an option to try out and it's relatively safe, though if it causes your skin irritation then it's not something you'd want to continue using. It's promising as an alternative to hydroquinone, especially during the drug holiday."
"As far as dark spot correctors go, this one is actually pretty good, and it does almost instantly give you a smoother, more even skin tone. It does have fragrance now, from ethylene brassylate, which wasn't listed on the ingredients when I bought it. They changed the formula, which was unusual, and if you have melasma, fragrance can sometimes be irritating and can contribute to the blood vessel dilation that leads to melasma."
5 SKIN LIGHTENING TREATMENTS TO FADE MELASMA WITHOUT HYDROQUINONE | Dermatologist @DrDrayzday
"Faded by Topicals is one I've reviewed here before, and it has tranexamic acid as well as other skin lightening ingredients like [...] licorice root and kojic acid. [...] That's certainly an option to try out and it's relatively safe, though if it causes your skin irritation then it's not something you'd want to continue using. It's promising as an alternative to hydroquinone, especially during the drug holiday."
Topicals FADED & LIKE BUTTER REVIEW // Dermatologist @DrDrayzday
"I do see some improvement in redness. I think this may help you if you've got some sun spots that you're looking to fade. For me personally, my favorite is the brightening and clearing serum - I definitely see an improvement, just overall more even skin tone and reduction in redness. I tolerate it pretty well and it layers into products just fine for me. I wish it didn't have ethylene brassylate, but that doesn't seem to be bothering my skin."
"It's a gel cream consistency which is really nice, but I'm a person who's very heavy-handed when I am pumping out my products, so I tend to find that when I overdo it with this, if I put just too much in my hand it can feel a little bit thick on my face, so I don't use it as often as I'd like to. But I know that people are obsessed with this and that's probably because it has some great ingredients in it for hyperpigmentation."
"If you're using Topicals Faded in 2026, drop a note, because it's so interesting how quickly we move on from good products in the skincare space. It's actually probably to our own detriment that we see a great product and we don't stick with it long enough."
Sponsored
All 6 takes from Doctorly
BEST DEALS ON THE LAST DAY OF AMAZON PRIME DAY
"You have faded by topicals, which you know are all fragrance-free options that are going to pack a similar punch."
Skin QnA
"Faded, I feel like it's the OG dark spot serum, the OG remedy for dark spots, but it just stinks and has been improved upon. Most dark spot ingredients, just like acne ingredients, can be irritating. If you're dealing with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from acne or any other insult and if this is too irritating for you, use it less frequently or don't use it at all, because if you keep irritating your skin [...] it's going to make it worse, it's going to make the hyperpigmentation worse."
Black Friday Deals and Skincare Q&A
"For any dark spots or discoloration over the counter remedy for dark spots is going to have your retinol it's going to have your kojic acid your niacinamide your glutathione your tranexamic acid all in one product. Faded by Topicals is another good option."
Explaining the Top Skincare Ingredients: Glycolic Acid, Retinol, Arbutin, and More
"If you're using Topicals Faded in 2026, drop a note, because it's so interesting how quickly we move on from good products in the skincare space. It's actually probably to our own detriment that we see a great product and we don't stick with it long enough."
Tips for Dark Spots, Hyperpigmentation, and Melasma
"Faded by Topicals is one of our favorites. When I saw the ingredient list, I was just blown away. [...] It's affordable, the ingredient list is extraordinary, and it's got everything you need in it for hyperpigmentation. Just [...] go slow with it because it is a pretty strong product."
Dark Spot Treatments: Differin Dark Spot, Faded by Topicals, Versed | Doctorly Reviews
"Faded by Topicals is very effective for dark spots and hyperpigmentation. You could spot treat or you could treat larger areas like areas of melasma as well with this. It's loaded with ingredients not only for hyperpigmentation but also with soothing and moisturizing ingredients to try to offset some of that irritation. [...] It still can be very irritating, but it's in a heavier, moisturizing cream base. It's more effective than the Differin product and more robust in formulation."
"Topicals does have their Faded serum, which was a bestseller for so long and it does work so well. This actually includes a lot of those ingredients that are non-prescription that can help with pigmentation. Specifically, it has azelaic acid, licorice root, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid."
Sponsored
All 3 takes from Cassandra Bankson
How to Get Rid of Dark Underarms without Exfoliation!
"I have used things like this from Topicals. This is great because it has niacinamide and zinc PCA to actually help with oil control and with brightness. However this does have glycolic and lactic acids, so while this is great for ingrown hairs and I do use it on my legs and I have put it in my armpits, this isn't something that I would recommend if you have pigmentation in the underarm area."
The ONLY Ingredients That Stop Hyperpigmentation (And Reverse It)
"Topicals does have their Faded serum, which was a bestseller for so long and it does work so well. This actually includes a lot of those ingredients that are non-prescription that can help with pigmentation. Specifically, it has azelaic acid, licorice root, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid."
Dr Dray Made Me Buy These & This Is How It Went…
"This one has actually been quite lovely, and I did try and test this for quite a while on my body acne pigmentation. It is goopy and juicy. The problem is she does stink, and Dr Dre warned me about this. I think they actually came out with a fragrance free version. I use [...] this sparingly, which is why I still have some left."
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.
Azelaic acid has clinical evidence for both acne and rosacea, and it is one of the gentler options for calming redness while also working on marks left behind.
What is Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel?
A lightweight gel moisturizer designed to fade dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and acne scars using a blend of brightening and clearing actives including tranexamic acid, azelaic acid, niacinamide, and salicylic acid.
Is Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel worth it?
Mostly yes. 9 of the 14 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 81%.
What is Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel's Guru Score?
Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel holds a Guru Score of 81%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 14 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.
Who is Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel best for?
Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel is generally suited to oily skin and acne-prone skin.
Cheaper alternatives the gurus rate.
Lower-priced moisturizers the gurus still rate highly, versus this mid-range pick.
