Skincare Cosmetics Retinol Advanced Brightening Serum

Packaging/Pricing:

~24$ for 30ml (1fl.oz). However if you are lucky, you can find it at TJMaxx for 13$! It is also sold on Ulta.com (here). The product comes in opaque plastic pump bottle (but I appreciate that you actually can tell how much product is left). Though the opalescent white-pink packaging looks quite high-end, the plastic is a bit cheap, and the bottle is not "weighty" (looks better on the shelf, than when you hold it in your hand). Not that it matters much, but something to note.

[I have to say, that ingredient list on the product I've purchased is very different from the one I've found on Ulta.com (official website does not provide the full list of ingredients). I assume, that the one I've purchased from TJMaxx features an old formula. Sadly I have to report that an older version, before reformulation, is much better. However I will be reviewing the newer version, since it is the one that is currently widely available.]

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearoxymethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Dimethicone, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Propanediol, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Morus Alba Root Extract, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Citric Acid.

Excellent (only beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial, not extensive research or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary, but not a skincare per se) 
Bad (irritants and anything bad that shouldn't be in a skincare, usually fragrance)

Ingredients discussion:

I would like to start with differences between old and new formulations. Why it makes me quite disappointed. In the old version vitamin C (an excellent skin brightening ingredient) was featured on the 4th place, making it roughly around 1% concentration. In the new version, it is only on the 19th place. So, in my opinion, this serum has lost its right to be called "brightening". Second significant difference is the amount of preservative phenoxyethanol. It moved from the 10th place in the old formula (which is still relatively high), to whopping 5th place in the new version. That makes it way too concentrated to be well tolerated by the skin. Also you would not get the anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin C to counteract irritation.

Now, let's discuss the current list of ingredients. The company offers rather plain formula, which doesn't have any brightening ingredients in significant amounts to really affect the skin. The lower half of ingredient list does contain a great amount of amazing skin calming and antioxidant rich plant extracts (licorice, willow bark, rice bran, green tea leaf, turmeric root, chamomile flower), but again, in a very very low concentration. Another extract, which is featured on the packaging as "Melavoid", is Boerhavia Diffusa root extract. It does have known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Slightly above all extracts are vitamins A and C, and slightly above them there is vitamin E (the only antioxidant in relatively significant amount, a.k.a in the top third of the list, but still in less than 1% concentration). This formulation doesn't have much else to offer, except glycerin (which is rather standard inexpensive humectant).

Good news is that there are no actual strong irritants in the formulation like essential oils or perfume, however preservative being present in such a high concentration can definitely cause problems for the skin.

Verdict:

If you come across the old version of this serum at TJMaxx, that has sodium ascorbyl phosphate (vitamin C) listed 4th in the list of ingredients, give this serum a try. Definitely a bargain product for ~13$. I found this serum quite moisturizing. The texture is closer to lotion that to fluid. It doesn't have a strong scent (in comparison to the Anti-Wrinkle serum from the same brand).

I am not recommending the revised version. It is mostly a light moisturizing lotion, with light antioxidant properties, and with potentially irritating amount of preservative. The claims to brighten the skin can't be supported by the actual ingredients (this and the amount of preservative made me give this product a lower grade).

3,5 out of 5 (old version is 4,5 out of 5)