Works for
MoisturizingNiacinamide, Glycerin + 5 moreWorks well
“It can also help balance skin's natural moisture levels, smoothing and illuminating skin tone.”
This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": glycerin, hyaluronic acid.
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. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: niacinamide
Evens skin toneNiacinamide, Epigallocatechin gallate + 1 moreWorks well
“It can also help balance skin's natural moisture levels, smoothing and illuminating skin tone.”
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: niacinamide
The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually can help even out the skin tone: epigallocatechin gallate.
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.
Anti-blemishSide benefit · Niacinamide, Epigallocatechin gallate + 1 moreWorks well
This product can help reduce breakouts and clogged pores because it contains the following ingredient: niacinamide. This ingredient is used for treating acne and can have a noticeable effect.
The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually works: epigallocatechin gallate
Anti-agingSide benefit · Niacinamide, Epigallocatechin gallate + 2 moreWorks well
This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains niacinamide.
These ingredients in the product can also be helpful, even though there is less evidence for their effectiveness: epigallocatechin gallate.
Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.
Anti-oxidationSide benefit · Camellia sinensis leaf extract, Epigallocatechin gallate + 3 moreMay help
This product contains antioxidants (camellia sinensis leaf extract, epigallocatechin gallate) that might be able to help neutralize free radicals in skin to lessen the damage it gets from the UV light (sun). There is not enough evidence to confirm their effectiveness in skin though.
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy6 flagged ingredientsMedium risk
ComedogenicClean of flagged comedogenic ingredientsNone flagged
User reviews
Be the first — your take helps the next person decide.
Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~40–60%
Caffeine~6.3–9.4%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Might be helpful in neutralizing free radicals. Can have a dehydration effect that might somewhat decrease the look of puffy eyes
More about CaffeineNiacinamide~4–6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Is proven to be effective in reducing blemishes, evening out skin tone and helping to improve lines and wrinkles. It helps the skin to repair sun damage, calm down inflammation and keep maintain good levels of moisture. The concentration of about 2% is effective for supporting the skin barrier and evening out the skin tone. Concentration of 4-6% is better for helping with acne and balancing the sebum production
More about NiacinamideButylene glycol~2.8–4.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
More about Butylene glycolGlycerin~2.2–3.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
More about GlycerinDimethyl sulfone~1.7–2.6%
Sodium hyaluronate~1.5–2.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Attracts water into the upper layer of the skin
More about Sodium hyaluronateHyaluronic acid~1.2–1.8%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Attracts water into the upper layer of the skin. Naturally present in skin. Typically has large molecule size unless advertised otherwise on the product label. Helps support skin's barrier function and may help to reduce inflammation
More about Hyaluronic acidPyridoxine hcl~1–1.45%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Might help neutralize free radicals in skin
More about Pyridoxine hclCamellia sinensis leaf extract~0.9–1.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
More about Camellia sinensis leaf extractHamamelis virginiana leaf extract~0.55–1.25%
- Irritation risk
- High
A plant extract that can help calm down inflammation in skin. Can, however, itself be irritating
More about Hamamelis virginiana leaf extractPanax ginseng root extract~0.45–1.1%
- Irritation risk
- High
A plant extract that might have some anti-inflammatory properties, but solid evidence is lacking. It can be irritating
More about Panax ginseng root extractEpigallocatechin gallate~0.35–0.85%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A polyphenol found in tea. This particular compound abbreviated EGCG is the most powerful antioxidant among those extracted from tea (usually green tea). Unfortunately, EGCG is unstable, requires a low pH (below 4) to prevent quick degradation, and does not penetrate the skin very well. This is why the full anti-oxidant effect of EGCG is typically not realized when it is added to topical skincare
More about Epigallocatechin gallateEgg~0.3–0.75%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Polysorbate 20~0.3–0.7%
Carbomer~0.15–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps create a thicker or gel-like product texture. It is not a surfactant but can be used in gentle cleansing formulations
More about CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin~0.1–0.5%
Phenoxyethanol~0.1–0.4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products
More about PhenoxyethanolSodium benzoate~0.05–0.3%
Sodium hydroxide~0.05–0.25%
Citric acid~0.05–0.15%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Can work as an exfoliant but is typically used to adjust the product pH
More about Citric acidIngredient list view
Water, Caffeine, Niacinamide, Butylene glycol, Glycerin, Dimethyl sulfone, Sodium hyaluronate, Hyaluronic acid, Pyridoxine hcl, Camellia sinensis leaf extract, Hamamelis virginiana leaf extract, Panax ginseng root extract, Epigallocatechin gallate, Egg, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium benzoate, Sodium hydroxide, Citric acid
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Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| TruSkinCaffeine Facial SerumYOUR PRODUCT | skinmadeHyaluronic Acid + Vitamin C serum | SkincallDaily Triple Serum | Cos De BAHATranexamic Acid 10% Serum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 99% | 98% | 97% |
| Price | — | $24.37 | — | $17.23 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 5 of 7 | 5 of 7 | 5 of 7 |
| Key difference | — | Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate | Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide | Madecassoside |
| Irritancy | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
More alternatives: SOUL APOTHECARY Alpha Arbutin PLUS SerumFrankly Sunday Glow Instant Radiance Glow Serum
Product summary
"TruSkin - Caffeine Facial Serum" is effective for: Anti-blemish, Moisturizing, Evens skin tone and Anti-aging
Ingredient callouts
- A good concentration of Niacinamide (4.00% - 6.00%). Niacinamide is a well-studied multi-tasking active. It is stable, and can work well in almost any hydrating formulation. There is solid evidence that Niacinamide can help support skin barrier, regulate oil production and reduce acne and clogged pores. It also helps to fight photodamage and improve the skin tone, reducing pigmentation marks.
- Humectants (hyaluronic acid 1.20% - 1.80%, sodium hyaluronate 1.50% - 2.20% and glycerin 2.20% - 3.30%). These ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve the skin hydration.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 12 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin agingncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5
- 6Efficacy of a New Topical Nano-hyaluronic Acid in Humansncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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