Ultimate Drops Of Brightening Serum

Trueve

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Trueve Ultimate Drops Of Brightening Serum is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 58 ingredients (41 low-risk) rates it Excellent (93/100). 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.

Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Serums, Essence, Ampoules
Ingredients
58
Low-risk
41
Fragrance
Contains fragrance
Origin
Indonesia

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 22/8
Good for dry skin
C13-14 Isoparaffin Glyceryl Stearate Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer Soluble Collagen Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Inositol Isononyl Isononanoate Sodium PCA Sodium Hyaluronate Glycerin Cholesterol Fructose Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid Hyaluronic Acid Cyclopentasiloxane Sodium Lactate Urea Lactic Acid
Caution for dry skin
Xanthan Gum Glycerin Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate Hydrogenated Lecithin Laureth-7 Sodium Hydroxide PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Alcohol Denat.
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Alcohol Denat.
Sensitive Skin 3/9
Good for sensitive skin
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Glycerin Allantoin
Caution for sensitive skin
Glycine Glycerin Sodium Benzoate PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Lactic Acid Alcohol Denat. Phenoxyethanol DMDM Hydantoin Butane

Ingredients list

58 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (7)
All58 Skin Conditioning51 Humectant20 Hair Conditioning13 Solvent8 Antistatic Agent8 Fragrance7 Film Forming6 Emollient6
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
3
A
Cyclopentasiloxane
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent)
Silicone
Silicone
1
A
Niacinamide
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing)
1
Methylpropanediol
(Solvent)
1
B
Isononyl Isononanoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antistatic Agent)
4
Alcohol Denat.
(Antifoaming Agent, Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent, Viscosity Controlling)
Bad for Dry Skin
Bad for Dry Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning)
Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
glycyrrhiza glabra root extract
(Bleaching, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient, Smoothing, Soothing)
1
A
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
(Flavoring Agent, Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
Glucosyl Ceramide
(Skin Conditioning)
Ceramide EOP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Ceramide NS
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
1
Ceramide NP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Ceramide AS
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Ceramide AP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
2
A
Hydrogenated Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant)
1
A
Cholesterol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Phospholipids
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant, Moisturising)
Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Hyaluronic Acid
(Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Antistatic Agent, Humectant, Moisturising)
1
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Skin Conditioning)
1
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
(Humectant, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
(Humectant)
1
Potassium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
(Film Forming, Humectant)
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning)
3
B
Sodium Lactate
(Buffering Agent, Exfoliant, Humectant, Keratolytic)
1
A
Glycine
(Buffering Agent, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Agent Miscellaneous, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Fructose
(Flavoring Agent, Humectant)
1
Inositol
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Humectant)
4
B
Lactic Acid
(Exfoliant, Fragrance, Humectant, Ph Adjuster, Skin Conditioning Agent Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Buffering Agent)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
A
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
B
Sodium PCA
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
3
A
Urea
(Buffering Agent, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning)
2
B
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
(Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Allantoin
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
1
Soluble Collagen
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Film Forming, Humectant)
1
Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
3
A
Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking)
3
B
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
(Fragrance, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Perfuming)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
4
B
Polyacrylamide
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Hair Fixing, Antistatic Agent, Binding)
7
A
DMDM Hydantoin
(Preservative)
1
B
C13-14 Isoparaffin
(Emollient, Solvent)
3
B
Laureth-7
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
7
A
Butane
(Propellant)
1
A
1,2-Hexanediol
(Solvent)
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
1
A
Pentylene Glycol
(Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
3
CI 19140
(Colorant, Cosmetic Colorant)

My Ingredient Notes

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Key ingredients

Cyclopentasiloxane
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Niacinamide
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Astringent
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning

Benefits

Good for dry skin
Good for oily/acne-prone skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains silicone
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
DMDM Hydantoin — higher EWG
Butane — higher EWG
May not suit sensitive skin

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 →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Niacinamide
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSmoothing
Methylpropanediol
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Isononyl Isononanoate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioningEmollientAntistatic agent
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 AntioxidantSkin conditioningEmollient
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
glycyrrhiza glabra root extract
Bleaching, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A BleachingPerfumingSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollientSmoothingSoothing
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Flavoring agent, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Flavoring agentSkin conditioningHumectant
Glucosyl Ceramide
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
Ceramide NS
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
Ceramide NP
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
Ceramide AS
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
Ceramide AP
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
+ 31 more — see the full ingredients list above
Cyclopentasiloxane
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningEmollientSolvent Silicone
Alcohol Denat.
Antifoaming agent, Antimicrobial
Causes moisture evaporation - prone to dry out skinRead moreShow less
EWG 4 Antifoaming agentAntimicrobialAstringentMaskingSolventViscosity controlling Bad for Dry SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningHumectant Good for Dry Skin
Lactic Acid
Exfoliant, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B ExfoliantFragranceHumectantPh adjusterSkin-conditioning agent -humectantSkin conditioningBuffering agent Bad for Sensitive Skin
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient, Emulsifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientEmulsifying Fungal-acne trigger
Sodium PCA
Hair conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Hair conditioningHumectantAntistatic agentSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Allantoin
Skin conditioning, Skin protecting
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningSkin protectingSoothing Good for Oily SkinGood for Sensitive Skin
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Fragrance, Emulsifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B FragranceEmulsifyingSurfactantPerfuming Fungal-acne trigger
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 7 CIR A Preservative
Butane
Propellant
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 7 CIR A Propellant

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Apply after toner and before moisturiser — thinnest to thickest.
  • 2 Evening, start slow: Best in the PM a few times a week to begin with; avoid layering with other strong actives the same night.
  • 3 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Vitamin C (ascorbic) 5–20%

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 Tetraisopalmitate, Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate

Niacinamide 2–5% (up to 10%)

Most research uses 2–5%; some formulas go to 10%. Very high levels can cause flushing in sensitive skin.

Niacinamide

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Lactic Acid

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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