Super Drops 5% Niacinamide & Vitamin C Brightening Serum

These describe what an ingredient is, not whether it is a problem. The stance marks above are the ratings; these are not.

• fragrance materialLimonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Citral, Linalool

  • Limonene: A citrus-smelling fragrance component named separately on the label; the one name covers three related isomers. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 88: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk. That entry carries transition footnote (37): stock that does not comply, lawfully placed on the Union market before the 31 July 2026 cut-off, may still be made available until 31 July 2028. It is marked on the racemic dl-limonene/Dipentene line and the (S)-(l-limonene) line, but NOT the (R)-p-mentha-1,8-diene (d-limonene) line, CAS 5989-27-5, whose duty was already running as entry 88 before Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 and so needed no transition. All three isomers are declared under the single glossary name "Limonene", so that name on a label does not identify which of them is present.
  • Citronellol: A rose-and-citrus fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 86: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.
  • Geraniol: A rose-scented fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 78: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.
  • Citral: A lemon-scented fragrance component named separately on the label; the one name covers three related substances. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 70: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk. As replaced by Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/909 of 27 April 2026, the entry is a GROUPED one covering citral, geranial and neral, declared collectively as "Citral", with per-product-type caps from 0,032% in deodorant to 1,2% in rinse-off and leave-on hair products. Its three substances carry two different sell-through dates: products not complying may not be placed on the Union market from 1 January 2027 in every case, and may not be made available from 1 July 2028 for citral, footnote (**), or from 1 August 2028 for geranial and neral, footnote (***). In the consolidated text those two footnotes are renumbered (46) and (47); both are worded "these substances", where the footnotes that attach to a single named substance say "that substance".
  • Linalool: A floral fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 84: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.

• exfoliating acidLactic Acid

  • Lactic Acid: An alpha hydroxy acid that loosens surface skin cells; it also makes skin more sun-sensitive while you use it. FDA, "Guidance for Industry: Labeling for Topically Applied Cosmetic Products Containing Alpha Hydroxy Acids as Ingredients" (announced at 70 FR 1721, 10 January 2005; FDA web pages title it "Labeling for Cosmetics Containing Alpha Hydroxy Acids"), which names this acid and recommends the statement "Sunburn Alert: This product contains an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun and particularly the possibility of sunburn."

• humectantGlycerin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate

  • Glycerin: A humectant, and one of the two ingredients a comparison of moisturiser components found made a significant difference to skin hydration. FDA OTC skin protectant monograph, 21 CFR 347.10(h), lists glycerin as a skin protectant at 20 to 45%. On the humectant half: Jeong CB, Han JY, Cho JC, Suh KD, Nam GW, "Analysis of electrical property changes of skin by oil-in-water emulsion components", Int J Cosmet Sci 2013;35(4):402-410, DOI 10.1111/ics.12059, PMID 23621673, found that "glycerine and urea showed significant skin hydration effects compared with other humectants".
  • Panthenol: A provitamin B5 humectant used in products aimed at irritated and healing skin. On the humectant half: Ferreira VTP, Silva GC, Martin AA, Maia Campos PMBG, "Topical dexpanthenol effects on physiological parameters of the stratum corneum by Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy", Skin Res Technol 2023;29(9):e13317, DOI 10.1111/srt.13317, PMID 37753694, PMCID PMC10504581, open access, Introduction: "As a humectant, it has been shown to retain water more efficiently than other humectants during the last stages of dehydration..." On the soothing half, which that paper does NOT support: Cho YS, Kim HO, Woo SM, Lee DH, "Use of Dexpanthenol for Atopic Dermatitis—Benefits and Recommendations Based on Current Evidence", J Clin Med 2022;11(14):3943, DOI 10.3390/jcm11143943, PMID 35887707, open access, section 3.5: "To facilitate wound healing, dexpanthenol reduces inflammation, and promotes cell proliferation and epithelial remodeling."
  • Sodium Hyaluronate: A humectant that holds a large amount of water at the skin surface. Chylińska N, Maciejczyk M, "Hyaluronic Acid and Skin: Its Role in Aging and Wound-Healing Processes", Gels 2025;11(4):281, DOI 10.3390/gels11040281, PMID 40277717, open access: hyaluronic acid's "high osmotic activity and anionic structure enable it to bind large amounts of water", and "sodium and potassium hyaluronate are widely used in moisturizing products". The same review notes that high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid does not penetrate the deeper layers.

• soothingNiacinamide, Panthenol, Allantoin

  • Niacinamide: A vitamin B3 form that supports the skin barrier and has anti-inflammatory activity; it turns up in products aimed at acne, rosacea and eczema. Camillo L, Zavattaro E, Savoia P, "Nicotinamide: A Multifaceted Molecule in Skin Health and Beyond", Medicina (Kaunas) 2025;61(2):254, DOI 10.3390/medicina61020254, PMID 40005371, open access: it "is extensively used in ... the treatment of dermatological conditions such as blistering diseases, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, and acne vulgaris", and contributes to reducing inflammation. On the acne evidence specifically: Liu H, Yu H, Xia J, Liu L, Liu GJ, Sang H, Peinemann F, "Topical azelaic acid, salicylic acid, nicotinamide, sulphur, zinc and fruit acid (alpha-hydroxy acid) for acne", Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020;5:CD011368, DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD011368.pub2, PMID 32356369, records "low-quality evidence" for every nicotinamide comparison it could pool, and none of its four nicotinamide studies measured the physician global assessment at all.
  • Panthenol: A provitamin B5 humectant used in products aimed at irritated and healing skin. On the humectant half: Ferreira VTP, Silva GC, Martin AA, Maia Campos PMBG, "Topical dexpanthenol effects on physiological parameters of the stratum corneum by Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy", Skin Res Technol 2023;29(9):e13317, DOI 10.1111/srt.13317, PMID 37753694, PMCID PMC10504581, open access, Introduction: "As a humectant, it has been shown to retain water more efficiently than other humectants during the last stages of dehydration..." On the soothing half, which that paper does NOT support: Cho YS, Kim HO, Woo SM, Lee DH, "Use of Dexpanthenol for Atopic Dermatitis—Benefits and Recommendations Based on Current Evidence", J Clin Med 2022;11(14):3943, DOI 10.3390/jcm11143943, PMID 35887707, open access, section 3.5: "To facilitate wound healing, dexpanthenol reduces inflammation, and promotes cell proliferation and epithelial remodeling."
  • Allantoin: A skin protectant used at low levels in products aimed at irritated skin. FDA OTC skin protectant monograph, 21 CFR 347.10(a), lists allantoin as a skin-protectant active at 0,5 to 2%. Its labelled indications are 21 CFR 347.50(b)(1), "temporarily protects minor: cuts, scrapes, burns", and (b)(2), which covers chafed, chapped or cracked skin. The monograph does not give it the "minor skin irritation and itching" wording; that one belongs to colloidal oatmeal, sodium bicarbonate and one combination, and to topical starch without the itching half.