After exposure to strong summer UV rays, or when spots and marks remain after a breakout, it can be hard to know how to look after your skin.
And when you’re choosing a brightening product, faced with all those different serums, you might ask yourself: “Which ingredients are really right for my skin?”
That’s why today we’re introducing the “No.5+ Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum”, a serum widely used in Korea to care for dark spots and skin tone.
In this article we’ll look at:
- The key ingredients
- Which skin types it suits best
- How to use it correctly to get the most out of your routine
First of all: why do spots, discolouration and marks appear on the skin?
Spots, discolouration and post-acne marks are often linked to increased melanin production or to melanin building up in certain areas of the skin.
UV exposure, hormonal changes, inflammation and irritation can stimulate melanin production, contributing to the appearance of spots and discolouration.
When the skin is irritated or damaged, melanocytes can become activated and produce more melanin. The causes can vary, including UV rays, inflammation, irritation and hormonal changes.
- Melasma → can be influenced by hormonal changes, UV exposure and other factors. It often appears as larger, irregular areas on the cheeks, forehead and above the upper lip.
- Dark spots → the term can refer, for example, to freckles and solar lentigines associated with sun exposure.
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation → can appear after acne, dermatitis or other forms of skin inflammation and irritation.
In any case, once they appear, these marks can be hard to fade quickly. That’s why it’s important to look after them consistently.
How to care for spots you already have?
To care for discolouration, you can use products containing ingredients such as niacinamide, vitamin C and tranexamic acid.
1. Niacinamide
It helps reduce the transfer of melanin to the cells on the skin’s surface, helping to improve the look of discolouration and skin tone.
2. Vitamin C
Thanks to its antioxidant action, it can help in caring for discolouration.
It is especially used to help the skin counter the oxidative stress caused by UV rays.
3. Tranexamic acid
It is an ingredient used in products for discolouration because it can help modulate some of the signals involved in melanin production, and it is especially common in products designed for melasma.
Which product contains these ingredients?
The Numbuzin No.5 Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum contains 5% niacinamide and 4% tranexamic acid, a combination designed to care for discolouration, dark spots and marks left by acne.
Click here to see the product!
Let’s discover the key ingredients for caring for discolouration
- Niacinamide (5%): helps reduce melanin transfer and improve the look of skin tone.
- Tranexamic acid (4%): an ingredient widely used in products for caring for discolouration.
- Alpha-arbutin: helps modulate the processes involved in melanin production.
- Glutathione: an ingredient with antioxidant properties.
How does it work on spots, discolouration and post-acne marks?
This serum works on several steps involved in the production and transfer of melanin, gradually helping to make discolouration less visible.
1. Niacinamide 5% →
helps reduce the transfer of melanin to skin cells, helping to prevent spots from getting more intense.
According to a study published on PubMed, using 5% niacinamide helped reduce hyperpigmentation. In a cell study, it also reduced the transfer of melanosomes from melanocytes to keratinocytes by 35–68%.
2. Tranexamic acid 4% →
helps modulate some of the signals involved in melanin production, helping in the care of discolouration.
According to a study published on PubMed, 23 people with melasma used 2% tranexamic acid for 12 weeks. The results showed an improvement in melasma and a reduction in melanin content in the epidermis. The researchers suggested that one of the possible mechanisms of action could be the inhibition of endothelin-1 (endothelin-1).
3. Alpha-arbutin
→ helps modulate the activity of tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in melanin production.
The study showed that alpha-arbutin can reduce melanin production by inhibiting tyrosinase activity, an important enzyme involved in melanin synthesis.
4. Vitamin C derivative →
thanks to its antioxidant action, it contributes to protecting the skin and caring for discolouration.
The study observed that 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid can inhibit several UVA-triggered processes involved in melanin production, reducing the expression of tyrosinase and other factors involved in melanogenesis, as well as melanin production.
However, the study involved cell and animal models; therefore, it cannot be stated with certainty that the same effects occur on human skin.
5. Glutathione →
thanks to its antioxidant action, it helps keep the skin in good condition for managing discolouration.
The study suggests that glutathione can influence tyrosinase activity, favour the production of pheomelanin, a relatively lighter type of melanin, and help neutralise reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Simply put, it helps limit the formation and spread of melanin, while the skin’s natural shedding and renewal gradually help make existing pigment less visible.
Product features
It has a milky, nourishing texture, with a soft, fluid consistency.
A “milky texture” means a soft, liquid consistency in which water and oily components are evenly combined.
It also contains soothing ingredients, which can be helpful for caring for areas of skin that have become sensitised after blemishes.
Who is it recommended for?
☑️ Those with brown marks left by acne
☑️ Those who want to care for persistent dark spots and discolouration
☑️ Those who want to improve the look of dull, uneven-toned skin
Who might it not suit?
❎ Those with extremely sensitive skin, a compromised skin barrier, intense redness or weeping lesions
The 5% niacinamide can feel intense on skin whose barrier is already compromised and, in these cases, it could cause stinging, a warm sensation or redness.
❎ Those with very oily skin who don’t like nourishing or slightly sticky textures
Compared with a purely water-based serum, this product has a slightly richer, more nourishing texture. People with very oily skin and excess sebum production might therefore find it too heavy or sticky.
How to use it to get the most out of your routine?
1. Try it in your evening routine
Applying the Numbuzin No.5 Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum in the evening makes it easy to fit into a routine focused on caring for discolouration.
2. Never forget sun protection
Even the best serum for discolouration can’t replace sun protection.
In the morning, always finish your skincare with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, ideally SPF 50+.
Protection from UV rays is essential because new sun exposure can further stimulate melanin production and make discolouration harder to manage.
Also discover similar products available on Piyonna
If you’re looking for products to care for spots, discolouration and post-acne marks, on Piyonna you can also find other formulas with similar ingredients and features.
Anua Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 Dark Spot Correcting Serum
10% niacinamide + 4% tranexamic acid + 2% alpha-arbutin
A formula designed for caring for discolouration and dark spots.
Celimax Pore+Dark Spot Brightening Serum
3% tranexamic acid + 5% niacinamide + Melazero V2
Designed to care not only for spots and discolouration, but also for the look of areas of the face where pores and hyperpigmentation are visible.
Pure Vita C Spot Toning Serum
Pure vitamin C + niacinamide + tranexamic acid
An option to consider if you want to focus mainly on vitamin C in your routine for spots and discolouration.
Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum
Formulated mainly with 5% niacinamide
Designed to help improve the look of spots, freckles, discolouration and uneven skin tone.
Discover the different options on Piyonna and choose the formula that best suits your needs and your skin.
Piyonna Global Beauty Supporters - Fiori · Jion Kim
