Kojic Acid Skin Lightening Cream 2%
$ 52.00
A kojic acid cream at 2 percent, made without hydroquinone, for skin that reacts easily to the usual dark spot products. Kojic acid does the work on the look of uneven tone, niacinamide and...
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Why We Love It
A kojic acid cream at 2 percent, made without hydroquinone, for skin that reacts easily to the usual dark spot products. Kojic acid does the work on the look of uneven tone, niacinamide and green tea sit alongside it, and aloe and glycerin keep the formula from feeling harsh. It is a lightening cream you can use daily rather than one you have to cycle on and off.
- Kojic acid: 2 percent
- Hydroquinone: none
- Also contains: sodium ascorbyl phosphate (stable vitamin C), niacin, green tea, chamomile, olive leaf, aloe vera, glycerin
- Texture: [[SUE: cream, lotion or gel cream]]
- Net size: [[SUE: oz or ml from the label]]
- Fragrance: [[SUE: confirm none]]
Directions
Apply to clean skin morning and night, or at night only if you are new to it. Follow with moisturiser. Wear a broad spectrum sunscreen every day while using this cream.
Ingredients
Kojic acid, 2 percent. Works on the look of dark spots and uneven tone.
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate. A stable form of vitamin C. Brightens the look of dull skin alongside the kojic acid.
Niacin. Supports the look of an even tone and a smoother surface.
Camellia sinensis, green tea. Antioxidant, and calming alongside the kojic acid.
Chamomile and olive leaf extracts. Calming botanicals.
Glycerin. Humectant, holds moisture so the formula does not feel drying.
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice. Soothes and hydrates.
Full list. Water (Aqua), Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Kojic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacin, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Sorbic Acid.
[[SUE: the live page says "Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)" in the benefits but the INCI list says Niacin. Those are different compounds. Confirm with the lab which one is in the formula, and I will match the copy to it. I have written Niacin because that is what the label says.]]
Common questions
What does a kojic acid cream do?
Kojic acid is used in skincare to work on the look of dark spots and uneven tone. In a cosmetic formula it targets the appearance of discoloration left behind by sun exposure and by past breakouts, so tone reads more even over time. It is a slower, gentler route than the harsh lightening products people usually try first.
Is this a skin whitening cream or a lightening cream?
The honest answer is that those words get used interchangeably in search and they mean the same thing to most people looking for them. What this product does is work on the look of dark spots and uneven tone. It does not change your natural skin colour and nothing that does that is something Kinetics would sell.
What is kojic acid at 2 percent, and is that strong enough?
Two percent is a standard cosmetic concentration for kojic acid and it is the level most commonly used in leave-on products. Higher is not automatically better, since the ingredient becomes more likely to irritate before it becomes meaningfully more effective. Two percent daily, used consistently, does more than a stronger cream you stop using after a week.
Kojic acid or hydroquinone?
Hydroquinone is regulated as a drug in the United States. According to the FDA, over-the-counter hydroquinone products are no longer covered by an approved monograph, so what is sold freely now is either prescription or imported. Kojic acid is a cosmetic ingredient and this formula is made without hydroquinone entirely. That is the reason people move to kojic acid, and it is why this one is formulated for daily use.
Can you use a kojic acid cream on acne-prone skin?
Many people do, particularly for the marks breakouts leave behind rather than the breakouts themselves. Patch test on the jawline first and give it time before deciding. Acne is a medical condition. If your skin is inflamed, painful or not responding, see a dermatologist. Nothing here replaces that.
How long before you see a difference?
Longer than the internet suggests. Skin turns over on its own schedule and any product working on the look of discoloration is limited by that. Use it consistently, wear sunscreen every day without exception, and give it more time than you think before you judge it. Without daily sunscreen, no dark spot product is worth buying, because sun exposure puts the tone back faster than anything can even it out.
