Works for:
based on ingredients and %- Evens skin tone
- Moisturizing
- Anti-aging
- Anti-oxidation
Can it cause trouble?
- Irritation risk: high
- Comedogenic risk ingredients: 2
Key actives
Product Summary
"Clinicians Complex - 6% Skin Bleaching Cream" has a good moisturizing formula. The formulation is based on a combination of good humectants and emollients. Both are needed to increase the skin hydration level. Humectants in this product (glycerin) help to increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin. (These ingredients do so by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from within the deeper layers of the skin). Emollients in this formulation (paraffinum liquidum, cetyl alcohol, cetyl esters, ethylhexyl palmitate and glyceryl stearate) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.
Irritation risk
There are quite a few common irritants in this product, including ingredients without particular skin benefits. We would not recommend it for sensitive skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be high. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Price
The product retails for 49.00$ in the United States and for 65.10CA$ in Canada.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Anti-oxidation
This product contains antioxidants (kojic acid) that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they can lessen the damage the skin gets from the UV light (sun).
Helps to reduce hyperpigmentation and neutralize free radicals. Can be irritating
A plant extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin. It might be helpful in neutralizing free radicals in skin, but is less potent than the extract from the seeds
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
A derivative of vitamin C that is more stable, but less bioavailable than the pure form of vitamin C. It does not penetrate the skin well, but has been shown to convert to pure vitamin C once in skin. It can be helpful in stimulating collagen production and lightening the skin tone, but the required concentration is likely to be very high
Evens skin tone
What does the product description say?
Improve skin's tone with Clinicians Complex 6% Skin Bleaching Cream, a gentle yet potent solution that utilizes three skin-brightening ingredients to help reduce the appearance of pigmentation and discoloration.
Source: Skinstore
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: hydroquinone.
In addition, this product contains kojic acid. This ingredient (ingredients) might help reduce hyperpigmentation, but the effect, if any, is likely to be small.
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
Helps to reduce hyperpigmentation and neutralize free radicals. Can be irritating
A potent anti-pigmentation active. It can have serious side-effects though and ideally is used under supervision of a doctor. It should not be used over a long period of time (over a year).
A derivative of vitamin C that is more stable, but less bioavailable than the pure form of vitamin C. It does not penetrate the skin well, but has been shown to convert to pure vitamin C once in skin. It can be helpful in stimulating collagen production and lightening the skin tone, but the required concentration is likely to be very high
Moisturizing
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: paraffinum liquidum, cetyl alcohol.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: paraffinum liquidum
Mineral oil. One of the most effective and well studied occlusive and emollient moisturizing ingredients. Helps reduce moisture loss in skin and repair skin barrier function
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
A plant extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin. It might be helpful in neutralizing free radicals in skin, but is less potent than the extract from the seeds
Helps soften upper layer of the skin and can enhance penetration of other ingredients into the upper layer of the skin
An emollient that helps soften the skin and create a nice product texture
A non-drying alcohol that works to soften the skin and stabilize product formulations helping oil and water mix together
An emollient that softens the skin and forms a protective layer on its surface. Helps water and oil mix together
A fruit extract that might help to attract water to the upper layer of the skin, but there is no evidence for any other benefits to the skin
Anti-aging
This product contains kojic acid. This ingredient help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they might be able to prevent early signs of aging (like fine lines and wrinkles), at least to some extent. These ingredients will not be able to "reverse" signs of aging.
A derivative of vitamin C that is more stable, but less bioavailable than the pure form of vitamin C. It does not penetrate the skin well, but has been shown to convert to pure vitamin C once in skin. It can be helpful in stimulating collagen production and lightening the skin tone, but the required concentration is likely to be very high
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Moisturizing | |
| Evens skin tone | |
| Anti-aging |
Total Promises Fulfilled score: 91/100.
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Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
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| Product | Similarity | Price | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
 Clinicians Complex 6% Skin Bleaching Cream | Current | $-1.00 | |
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Honeysuckle | 51% | $36.00 | |
Boots Fragrance Free Moisturising Cream | 51% | $1.50 | |
 Cetaphil Rich Night Cream | 50% | $7.99 | |
 Avène Rich Skin Recovery Cream Very Sensitive Skin | 50% | $-1.00 | |
 Eau Thermale Avene Skin Recovery Cream | 50% | $13.12 |
Key Actives
Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
All ingredients
Ingredient list view
Water, Paraffinum liquidum, Glyceryl stearate, Sodium lauryl sulfate, Poloxamer 188, Alcohol, Rosa damascena extract, Ananas sativus fruit extract, Vitis vinifera fruit extract, Hydroquinone, Kojic acid, Unknown, Elaeis guineensis extract, Cetyl alcohol, Rosa damascena extract, Glycerin, Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, Stearyl alcohol, Ethylhexyl palmitate, Tocopheryl acetate, Cetyl esters, Peg-40 stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Propylene glycol, Sodium sulfite, Sodium metabisulfite, Diazolidinyl urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
- A review on the extensive skin benefits of mineral oil
- Safety Assessment of Vitis Vinifera (Grape)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics
- TOPICAL TREATMENT OF MELASMA
- Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation: a review of the epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment options in skin of color.
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions
- Stability, transdermal penetration, and cutaneous effects of ascorbic acid and its derivatives
- Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies
- Comparison of skin calming effects of cosmetic products containing 4-t-butylcyclohexanol or acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester on capsaicin-induced facial stinging in volunteers with sensitive skin
- Amended Safety Assessment of Alkyl Esters as Used in Cosmetics
- Surfactants and experimental irritant contact dermatitis
- Propylene Glycol
- Skin-sensitizing and irritant properties of propylene glycol
- Final report on the safety assessment of sodium sulfite, potassium sulfite, ammonium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, ammonium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite and potassium metabisulfite