Face Serum Causes Stinging but Effective on Body

Question

I have formulated a serum with the following ingredients and percentages:

Rose Water: qs
Safe-B3™ (Vitamin B3, Niacinamide): 5%
Willow Bark Extract (Natural Salicylic Acid): 5%
Snail Secretion: 4%
Tranexamic Acid: 3%
Reservoir-Tech: 3%
Sym-White: 0.5%
Pro Polymer™ (Gel Maker): 1%
Mild Preserved Eco: 1%
French Pine Bark Extract 25 (Liquid): 2%
Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum) Light type: 5%

When I use this serum on my face (combination skin, oily T-zone), I experience a stinging sensation every time. I'm concerned if this repeated stinging could cause long-term skin problems. However, when another user with dry skin tried it on their face, they didn't feel any stinging and their face became brighter, although melasma still needs more time.

I decided to use the serum on my body instead. After about a week, my body skin became noticeably brighter, dark spots and scars faded, and people commented on how much whiter my skin was and how smooth and soft it felt.

Could you please advise on why the stinging occurs on my face but not on dry skin, and if the stinging indicates potential harm? Also, is it acceptable to continue using this formula on my body given the positive results?

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Hello,

Thank you for the updated formula and sharing the results. We understand that the serum causes a stinging sensation on combination/oily T-zone skin but not on dry skin.

The stinging sensation indicates skin irritation. In this formula, some whitening ingredients such as Tranexamic Acid and Sym-White, as well as Willow Bark Extract (containing Natural Salicylic Acid), could be the cause.

Each individual's skin tolerance to irritating ingredients varies, which explains why the user with dry skin did not experience stinging.

We do not recommend continuously using a product that causes stinging on facial skin, as accumulated irritation can lead to other skin problems in the long term.

The appropriate solution is to adjust the concentration of the ingredients likely causing the irritation. You may consider:

Reducing the percentage of Tranexamic Acid (currently 3%) and/or Sym-White (currently 0.5%).
Choosing less irritating whitening ingredients as partial substitutes.

Adding anti-irritant ingredients (Anti-Irritant) can help soothe the sensation but does not resolve the underlying irritation.

However, we are glad to hear that the formula has shown excellent results on body skin, making it brighter and smoother!

If you decide to adjust the formula for facial use, we recommend always patch testing on a small area before applying it to the entire face.

Thank you.