facetheory Mandelibright Serum S7 - Mandelic Acid Serum, Balance Skin and Refine Pores, Active Green Tea Extract, Simple Niacinamide Face Serum, Vegan and Cruelty-Free, Made in the UK | 1.0 fl oz

My skin sometimes has a bad reaction to certain acids but this product I find to be gentle on my skin yet effective. I am pleased thus far. I use only on my problem areas, and I am seeing improvement. Skin is radiant after use.

I have been using this product for over 6months and really haven't seen any changed in my dark marks. So I will be finding another product.

Overall, I’m not sure about this yet. I like the ingredients, but I haven’t noticed any effects yet. I haven’t been using it long enough where I’d expect to really see any yet though. I like how it applies and feels on the skin. It works well with my other skin care. So, I’m going to continue using it in hopes I see results! But, right now, I give it a middle 3 stars.I love that they included the percentages of mandelic acid and niacinamide. This has 10% mandelic acid and 2% niacinamide. It also has chamomile, licorice, and green tea. It has a nice small ingredient list (I included it at the end of this review).This glides onto the skin nicely. It is thin, so it’s pretty runny, but it is a little sticky so it doesn’t just go everywhere. I take some in my palms, rub my palms together, then tap it onto my face. I haven’t had any issues applying it this way. It feels nice going on, hydrating, but does feel a little sticky and takes about 30 seconds to a minute to absorb completely and lose that tacky feeling. My skin feels soft and smooth after it absorbs. It didn’t irritate my skin at all and didn’t dry it out. I didn’t feel it really hydrated but skin, but that’s not really what I got it for. I got it for brightening effects. I haven’t noticed any difference yet, but it always takes time with skin care to see results. I haven’t been using it long enough where I’d expect to notice a difference. But, it feels nice on the skin and works well with my other skin care products, so I’ll continue using it to see if I do have any noticeable results from it!This is made in the UK. It comes in a nice product box with all the product info. It is vegan, cruelty free, and free of parabens, silicones, PEGs, SLS, SLES, and mineral oils. There is a little insert included that has the full list of ingredients and a few warnings.Do not use if under the age of 18 or if breastfeeding, pregnant, or trying to get pregnant. Seek advice from your doctor. I’m not quite sure why this is a warning. I didn’t see anything in it that I immediately recognized as a risk like hydroquinone or alpha arbutin (a derivative of hydroquinone). There are no Retinoids, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or chemical sunscreens. But, there is licorice root, which hasn’t been proven safe or unsafe during pregnancy/breastfeeding, so it’s best to consult doctor first. Store in a cool, dark place. This is due to the mandelic acid, which is light sensitive so you want opaque packaging and to store it in a cool, dark place. Oddly enough, the bottle this comes in is a thick, glass bottle that has a darkened appearance, but isn’t completely opaque. It is kind of like a frosted black. I’m not sure why they did it that way instead of just making it opaque. But, that only protects it some so you definitely want to store this away.Do a patch test before using on your face. This is important with any new skin care!This may increase skin’s sensitivity to sun and particularly the possibility to sunburn. Use sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and limit sun exposure.This has 10% mandelic acid. Mandelic Acid is a gentle AHA. It is a bigger molecule, so it doesn’t go through the skin as easily, making it more gentle and a little less effective than glycolic acid (because glycolic acid can go deeper into the skin than mandelic acid). Since it is a gentle AHA, it is good for people with sensitive skin. Mandelic acid is also good to help brighten the skin and lighten hyperpigmentation. Another benefit of mandelic acid is its antibacterial properties, so it helps treat acne. The one downside is that it helps improve exfoliation and lower the risk of irritation when COMBINED with glycolic, lactic or salicylic acid, but it’s probably not enough in its own. Unfortunately, this doesn’t have any of those.It also has 2% niacinamide. That’s not a high percentage of niacinamide, but it’s still helpful. Niacinamide is a great ingredient. It helps fight aging, brighten skin, strengthen skin barrier, reduce redness and inflammation, increase hydration, etc. It really does so much! It’s a great ingredient to have in a product.Licorice root extract has skin-lightening properties. It has been suggested that licorice is more effective than the gold standard skin-lightening agent hydroquinone. Licorice is considered to be one of the safest skin lightening agents with the fewest side effects. It is also a potent anti-inflammatory.Chamomile is an anti-inflammatory and chock-full of antioxidants, which help protect against inflammatory agents. Plus, the plant-based ingredient feels calming and soothing on sensitive and irritated skin.Green tea extract (Camellia Sinensis leaf extract) is proven to be a great antioxidant, UV protectant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial. As a result, it is a great choice for anti-aging and for skin diseases like rosacea, acne, and atopic dermatitis.Sodium Hyaluronate is a form of hyaluronic acid. Helps skin hold onto water, making skin more plump and elastic.INGREDIENTSAqua, propanediol, mandelic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, sodium lactate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra root extract, Chamomilla Recutita flower extract, Camellia Sinensis leaf extract, sodium hyaluronate, citric acid, potassium sorbate

It's hard to find a serum that doesn't rely on synthetic glycols (propylene, butylene, pentylene, etc) or other cheap junk for moisturizing and thickening qualities. I would rate this 4 to 5 stars just for the relatively simple ingredients and no fragrance. But if you want real honesty, here it is:This is a pretty watery serum that is easily wasted when it drips onto the floor the minute you try to apply it. I don't like thick serums because they're mostly thick due to filler thickening compounds that don't help your skin but....this stuff is also sticky while still being watery which is the worst of both worlds. The stickiness comes mainly from glycerin, another very cheap filler that adds viscosity, so the company is able to make money off a diluted product. The active ingredients in this are great....in theory, but they aren't really potent enough to make a visible difference in your complexion even with religious daily application. I prefer using only herbal extracts on my face and this company is halfway there but this serum could use some improvements to match the price point and implied quality. I like it ...but I like it halfway. Does that make sense? I like the natural compounds in this serum but they don't do much for my complexion visibly and at the end of the day, this is still mostly expensive water that makes your face feel a little sticky. If you have the money to spend, I would definitely say sure, buy this over other serums that have more junk in them and give your face a break from nasty additives but don't expect to get a beautiful glowing and bright face from this purchase.