Review Lightning Wand Brightening Serum from Hero Cosmetics

Lightning Wand from Hero Cosmetics is a serum, but it is designed in the shape of a ballpoint pen. Its use is to fade post-acne marks with ingredients containing many plant extracts, free of artificial scents and parabens. According to the announcement, this product can be used for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

With its unique design, Lightning Wand Brightening Serum has created excitement and curiosity for many customers. However, after gathering feedback from hundreds of users, we discovered some notable issues.

I. Combination of clinically active ingredients and natural extracts

To brighten the skin and fade post-acne marks, the product combines a series of main active ingredients listed below. Analysis from Cosdna shows they are safe (some substances have a yellow mark meaning safety depends on the concentration in the product):

1. Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): Known for its ability to improve skin texture and tone, niacinamide is a powerful ingredient that helps to visibly reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanosome transfer from melanocytes to keratinocytes.
2. Tranexamic Acid: This is a newer ingredient in the skincare world that has shown promising results in treating hyperpigmentation. It works by minimizing the reoccurrence of discoloration and fading dark spots, particularly those caused by inflammation or UV exposure.
3. Glycolic Acid: As an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), glycolic acid exfoliates the surface of the skin, helping to remove dead skin cells and reveal brighter, more even-toned skin underneath. This action can help to fade dark spots over time.
4. 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)¹: A stable form of vitamin C, this antioxidant helps to brighten the skin, reduce the appearance of dark spots, and protect against damage from free radicals. Vitamin C inhibits the enzyme tyrosinase, reducing melanin production.
5. Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract: Licorice root extract is known for its skin-soothing and brightening properties. It contains an active compound called glabridin, which inhibits tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for the production of melanin, thereby helping to reduce hyperpigmentation.
6. Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract: Turmeric contains curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can help to brighten the skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots.
7. Acetyl Glucosamine: This ingredient is often used in conjunction with niacinamide to enhance its skin-brightening effects. Acetyl glucosamine helps to reduce the appearance of dark spots and even out skin tone by inhibiting the production of melanin.

By the Cosdna’s report, you can see the ingredients that ensure safety. Hero Cosmetics has cleverly combined clinical active ingredients with plant extracts.

Ingredients

Water/Aqua/Eau, Propanediol, Tromethamine, Glycolic Acid, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, 1.2-Hexonediol, Tranexamic Acid, Niacinamide, Sodium Citrate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Acetyl Glucosamine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Beta-Glucan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Allontoin, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cellulose Gum, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonote, Buteth-3, Tributyl Citrate, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) Citrate, Alcohol, Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate.

II. Texture of Lightning Wand Brightening Serum

This serum has a light yellow color, mainly from 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid. Some customers said that after a period of use, the liquid inside turned brown. According to personal judgment, this phenomenon may be due to 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) being exposed to air, so it oxidizes and changes color. Although this is a fairly stable derivative and easier to preserve than pure vitamin C, that does not mean it is immutable.

When the color changes and the effect of the product is no longer strong, it is better to throw it away. For this reason, when buying products containing vitamin C, especially serum, you should carefully check the color of the solution before paying.

Serum has a relative fluidity, meaning it is still moderately viscous and not as liquid as water. The permeability is quite good. In some cases (possibly depending on each person’s skin type), it leaves a sticky feeling after drying; this feeling does not last long. Be sure to let the serum dry completely before applying makeup.

Read more: How to distinguish and choose products containing Vitamin C

III. Advantages and disadvantages of design

I have briefly introduced the impressive design of Lightning Wand Brightening Serum. Its shape is similar to that of a ballpoint pen, consisting of three main parts: the serum container, the button with valve, and finally the metal rolling ball.

The button separates the serum container and the roller ball. When using it, the customer will press a button to open the valve, allowing a small amount of liquid to flow down the metal ball.

Profit:

• Control the amount of serum each time you use it.
• This design helps isolate the liquid from the environment, avoiding Vitamin C from being oxidized.
• Take it everywhere without worrying about it breaking or leaking fluid.
• Use it quickly and conveniently many times a day.

But in reality, there are customers who report that the product’s finish is not good, and some losses are caused by the delivery unit, specifically:

• Pressed the button many times, but the solution was clogged and wouldn’t flow out. Some people return it; others pour the liquid into another bottle to use.
• When the product is standing upright for a long time, the liquid leaks out, possibly because the lock valve is open.
• In some cases, the roller ball gets stuck and does not work.

Going back to some complaints about the serum changing color, it is most likely because the product’s finish is not good; it is not airtight, causing air to get inside and cause the Vitamin C to oxidize.

I also don’t rule out the thin cover, so it doesn’t block light. When customers store the product in a place with lots of light for a long time, it also causes vitamin C to change color.

The company needs improvement

In short, there are two points that Hero Cosmetics needs to improve: improving the control valve and increasing the light-blocking ability of the cover. There is still a percentage of defective products on the market. This may not be too serious and can be easily overcome if the company strengthens its monitoring of the production chain.

In addition to the large 10 mL version priced at 19 USD in the US market, the company also offers a mini version priced at 10 USD. I think the mini version is mainly for customers to try out to see if they have any reactions before deciding to buy the larger size.

IV. The ability to fade dark spots

*We surveyed 140 customers.
Although this product is indicated for all skin types, there is certainly a proportion of customers who will encounter unwanted situations. In fact, out of a total of 140 feedbacks we received, only 2 cases reported tiny whiteheads on the skin while using the serum (one case was 16 years old, at the age of many hormonal changes), even though the acne situation is not complicated.

Additionally, there were no complaints about this serum making the skin red or burning. It is possible that the concentration of two very irritating substances, Glycolic Acid and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, is calculated just enough, along with this product adding many moisturizing and skin-brightening nutrients extracted from plants. The average time to notice effects is about 6 weeks.

We provide a 5 star scale to evaluate customer satisfaction with Lightning Wand Brightening Serum. The results collected are as follows:

• The total rating of 4 and 5 is 65%
• 3 stars represent 10.7% of rating
• The total rating of 1 and 2 is more than 23.57%, of which 10 reflect product design errors (clogging, leaking, broken, or torn packaging), so the remaining 16.43% of customers responded “Product has no effect”.

These reviews cover all aspects such as color, design, scent, and the product’s effects. Therefore, they may not clearly reflect the effectiveness of the serum, meaning that a customer might favorably rate it high due to being overly fond of its design, even though they do not highly regard its ability to fade dark spots!

V. Who should use Lightning Wand Brightening Serum?

This product is suitable for all skin types and is used to erase post-acne marks. This has been noted by Hero Cosmetics on their website, and the full name of the product on Amazon also shows this (Lightning Wand from Hero Cosmetics – Brightening Serum for Fading Post–Blemish Dark Spots).

Going back to the figure of 16.43% of customers saying the product was ineffective, maybe they used it to treat melasma, so it didn’t work?

VI. Notes on product usage

There are complaints about not being able to control the amount of serum each time you use it. Here is the company’s recommendation to avoid that situation:

• When not in use, you should turn the jar upside down.
• When using: Hold the bottle upside down, then press the button. When you see the serum flowing back onto the ball, you can use it.
• When you have to carry the product out, before using it, tap the bottom on a hard surface so that the liquid accumulates at the bottom of the bottle before pressing the use button.

Limit working in the sun and use sunscreen to enhance skin-lightening performance. This is also a general note when treating dark spots. Storing serum in the refrigerator will help stabilize serum quality and make the liquid thicker.

1. 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid: Characterisation and investigation of single solvent systems for delivery to the skin – PMC (nih.gov) ↩︎