Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum : Propolis + Niacinamide vs Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled seven clinical studies of tea tree oil for acne (445 patients in total). Acne severity was lower with tea tree oil than with the control treatments (pooled odds ratio 0.74, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.88), adverse events were mostly local and mild, and the reviewers judged the overall risk of bias as low.

Review article · 2026 · 445 people · patients across seven clinical studies of acne · Acne severity across seven clinical studies of topical tea tree oil, the condition that most often starts in the teenage years. · The pooled result is a modest reduction in severity. The seven studies used different tea tree oil formulations and the follow-up was short; the authors call for larger trials with standardised formulas. It also reports more mild itching, dryness and stinging in some comparisons.

PMID 42098589

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 60 people with mild-to-moderate acne, 5% tea tree oil gel was 3.55 times more effective than placebo in improving total lesion counts and 5.75 times more effective in improving the acne severity index over 45 days.

Human trial · 2007 · 60 people · people with mild-to-moderate acne · Total acne lesion counts and acne severity index over 45 days. · Cochrane rates tea tree oil evidence for acne as low quality, based largely on this single 60-participant trial.

PMID 17314442

In a split-face randomized controlled trial of 50 women, a serum with 20% vitamin C, vitamin E and raspberry leaf cell culture extract significantly improved skin radiance measured by Glossymeter GL200, along with skin colour and elasticity, over 2 months.

Human trial · 2020 · 50 people · women aged 30-65 · Women aged 30-65 applying the serum to one side of the face for 2 months, with the untreated side as control. · Split-face with an untreated.

PMID 31975502

In 31 women aged 43-65, a serum combining vitamins C and E with green tea polyphenols produced statistically significant improvements in all clinically graded parameters over 12 weeks, including enhanced skin smoothness and radiance, plus an ultrasound-measured increase in skin density.

Human trial · 2021 · 31 people · healthy women aged 43-65 (mean 57.9) · Women aged 43-65 with photoaged facial skin, applying the serum twice daily for 12 weeks. · Radiance was a clinical grading parameter.

PMID 34491027

In a randomized trial of 50 female melasma patients, a topical 5% tranexamic acid cream applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced the Melasma Area and Severity Index by 50.88% (p=0.001).

Human trial · 2025 · 50 people · female melasma patients · Female melasma patients applying a 5% topical tranexamic acid cream twice daily for 12 weeks (compared with an oral tranexamic acid arm). · Small sample (50) and a single-centre study; the trial compared topical against oral tranexamic acid.

PMID 40923777

In a randomized study of 50 women with melasma, topical 3% tranexamic acid serum plus moisturizer reduced periorbital wrinkle grading significantly more than moisturizer alone at weeks 4, 8 and 12, with the benefit persisting after treatment stopped.

Human trial · 2026 · 50 people · women with melasma · Women with melasma applying 3% topical tranexamic acid serum plus moisturizer (vs moisturizer alone) for 8 weeks, follow-up to week 12. · The population is melasma patients.

PMID 42059427

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of 102 women with melasma or solar lentigo, a cream with 2.51% arbutin applied twice daily for 8 weeks lightened discolouration in 75.86% of the melasma group and 56.00% of the solar-lentigo group.

Human trial · 2015 · 102 people · women (54 study / 48 control) with melasma or solar lentigo · Women aged 26-55 with melasma or solar lentigo, applying a 2.51% arbutin cream twice daily for 8 weeks. · The active was an aqueous extract standardised to 2.51% arbutin.

PMID 26119285

In a randomized, double-blind, controlled study of 90 volunteers with melasma, the arbutin-cream arm showed a significant fall in melasma severity score from 12.65 to 10.84 over 12 weeks; two participants had mild erythema and itching that resolved after stopping the cream.

Human trial · 2019 · 90 people · volunteers with melasma · Volunteers with melasma using an arbutin cream twice daily for 12 weeks (one of three arms: herbal mixture, arbutin cream, placebo). · Small per-arm sample and a single active agent among three comparison groups; tolerability was good overall with two mild irritation events.

PMID 30980618