RAPID TONE REPAIR® Dark Spot Corrector Serum
The Neutrogena RAPID TONE REPAIR® Dark Spot Corrector Serum is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 30 ingredients (25 low-risk) rates it Excellent (94/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
The Neutrogena RAPID TONE REPAIR® Dark Spot Corrector Serum is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 30 ingredients (25 low-risk) rates it Excellent (94/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Water
(Solvent) |
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Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
Silicone
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Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
(Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Increasingagent Nonaqueous, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
(Viscosity Controlling) |
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Trisiloxane
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Conditioning) |
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Nylon-12
(Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
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C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antimicrobial) |
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Ascorbyl Glucoside
(Antioxidant) |
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Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Mica
(Cosmetic Colorant, Opacifying) |
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Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant) |
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Titanium Dioxide
(Cosmetic Colorant, Opacifying, Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber) |
Good for Sensitive Skin
|
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Polyacrylamide
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Hair Fixing, Antistatic Agent, Binding) |
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Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
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C13-14 Isoparaffin
(Emollient, Solvent) |
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Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Sodium Lactate
(Buffering Agent, Exfoliant, Humectant, Keratolytic) |
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Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
(Skin Protecting) |
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Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
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BHT
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Masking) |
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Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
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Sodium PCA
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Laureth-7
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Retinol
(Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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Sorbitol
(Flavoring Agent, Fragrance, Humectant, Plasticizer, Skin Conditioning) |
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Proline
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
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Hinokitiol
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Antistatic Agent) |
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PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming) |
No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.
This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.
Retinol
L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.
Ascorbyl Glucoside
INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.
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