Philosophy • Miracle Worker Dark Spot Corrector • Treatments

Where To Buy?

Overload on 5/3/2013 12:44:00 PM more reviews by Overload

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium Brown, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I have combination to oily, acne-prone, Indian (NC44) skin. All my blemishes leave scars on my skin, that are significantly darker than my skintone. I also suffer from hyperpigmentation around my mouth and chin.
I have tried many different dark spot correctors over time, and Philosophy is another one that did not work for me. I decided to pick it up because it was raved about on Paula's Choice/Beautypedia, and it had a high dosage of niacinamide, which is a good skincare ingredient with lightening properties, that I had never tried before.

The product itself is a bit heavier than other dark spot correctors that I have used, it is less of a serum and more of a cream but still light enough to wear under a moisturizer. I think the packaging was good (opaque pump bottle) for the ingredients, and it did not break me out at all.

I used the entire 30 ml, and only used it on the parts of my face with scarring and/or hyperpigmentation, and it changed absolutely nothing for me. My blemishes did not get significantly lighter, except for very slight gradual changes, that I am almost sure are just the results of time and sunscreen.

For me this product did not work, but I've learned that skin lightening/brightening is extremely personal and has different results for everyone. You really have to find out which ingredients work for your skin. I think it is worth the try to see how your skin reacts to niacinamide, or if you are experimenting with dark spot correctors and want to avoid hydroquinone.

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waters2 on 4/29/2013 7:34:00 AM more reviews by waters2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this to fade a scar on the body, and it works great in a short amount of time! I also dotted some on a small mark on the face every other day for two weeks, and it reduce color by half. I can't imagine using this on large areas of the face, or on anything less than on the random, bad scar or mark, as other reviewers did, because it's quite emollient and find that light marks just take patience to fade, and don't need chemicals-natural or not. Love the pump dispenser, but at the rate at which I've used this, I would not buy again. There will be better products out there by the time I'm done, which would be several years.

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kitajenn on 8/2/2012 1:40:00 PM more reviews by kitajenn

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

Unfortunately, this clogged my pores so badly I had to discontinue use after just a week. (It did manage to lighten a stubborn post-acne mark on my chin in that short amount of time, so I'm giving it two lippies instead of just one.)

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sarahelaine2 on 7/21/2012 6:24:00 PM more reviews by sarahelaine2

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I had high hopes for this product but I had to stop using after 2.5 weeks because it was causing tiny clogged pores all on my face. I did not see any lightening, mostly due to the fact I only used it for 2.5 weeks, but it wasn't worth it to continue if my face was reacting to it. This is the only new product I introduced to my skincare routine so I am positive this was the cause of the tiny bumps.

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judibean on 6/12/2012 6:49:00 PM more reviews by judibean

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I have been using this for the past 4 months every night to deal with some sunspots on my cheeks. It has done nothing to lighten the spots. However, it does live up to its claim as a face brightener. My skintone is more even, giving me less reason to put makeup on. Hence the 3 stars. Still, I bought it for my spots, so no, I will not buy it again since it failed in that department.

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suukyi on 6/5/2012 1:22:00 AM more reviews by suukyi

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

In short, it's effective on causing acne.
I'm certain that this caused me to breakout since on my clear skin days I'd wake up with acne when I go to bed with clear skin and apply this. I've tried this as a spot treatment, and wherever I've used this I break out by the morning.
The only good thing is that it made my face shiny and looking bright by the morning and remains bright during the day, but that's it. I might as well just use makeup or a brightening moisturizer. This did not erase any of my acne marks. Also, this smells horrible, highly medicinal. The product is a strange light brown paste-like substance.
P.S. Other reviewers mentioned using the retinol along with this. I tried the retinol too (alone), and the effect on me was more breakouts.
Please go with some other brightening product from companies like Shiseido, Clarins, Estee Lauder, Origins, or Clinique. I've used all the above, and they didn't damage my skin.

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traxfever on 5/28/2012 8:47:00 PM more reviews by traxfever

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this for my post acne marks. I have been using it for two months now, and it's working for me! I only started seeing a difference after a month of use but it's been working great so far. My face is not mark free by no means (Probably need procedures for that...) but I think this is will get me close to it if I continue to use it. I use two pumps all over my face and jaw/neck area where I have marks every night after cleansing and toner. My only complaint is the packaging. I can't tell how much is left and also little amount always dries around the pump area exposed to air.
I decided to try this after not seeing results with many hydroquinone products, and I am so glad I did. Little expensive but definitely a must have for me.

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BES on 5/16/2012 4:34:00 PM more reviews by BES

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Used this product faithfully for 5 months, morning and night, on my sunspots. Absolutely no results. I do not recommend and would certainly not buy again.

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Jellyblob on 5/12/2012 1:53:00 PM more reviews by Jellyblob

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this product with the retinoid pads and have been using it every night for a month. I did not see any fading of my dark spots which only lightened considerably after I used the Talika Duo. It doesn't sting and it is easily absorbed into the skin. It also didn't break my skin out but, for me, it isn't the "Miraculous all-over brightener and dark spot corrector" it claims to be. (Actually, I bought it for the dark spot corrector aspect of the cream - I am already fair as it is - unfortunately, that means any dark spot on my face contrasts greatly with it!) :(

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ksasi04 on 5/6/2012 4:25:00 PM more reviews by ksasi04

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I have been using this without the retinoid pads. But I do use this twice per day. I like that it doesn't break me out and that it comes in a pump bottle. Since it's a retinoid, it technically shouldn't break you out because it's similar to what's used in Accutane. But anyway, it didn't make me break out, but be careful if your skin is sensitive. Does it work? I've been using it for about 2 weeks, and my acne scars have faded slightly. Will update after more time has passed. Make sure to apply sunscreen with this, it makes skin very photosensitive!

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*TOP REVIEWER* peunwha on 4/23/2012 12:15:00 AM more reviews by peunwha

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

his one broke me out terribly!!!
usually my skin is sensitive but I'm fine with most of products ..but this one was horrible. it took me a while to get recovered from the damage this product gave. all over my face was covered by little pimples...
I had to see the dermologist.

besides that, it's expensive ,I throw this out :(

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xmermaid on 4/21/2012 4:57:00 PM more reviews by xmermaid

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

Bough this in the package that came with the retinoid pads. Applied it faithfully until I was out of both products. I know this is technically for dark age spots, but the girl who recommended it to me swore it worked on acne scars as well. Sadly, these products did NOTHING. In fact, it caused me to break out. Would not repurchase.

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hafiza1 on 4/1/2012 11:37:00 AM more reviews by hafiza1

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I heard such rave reviews on the dark spot corrector that I decided to buy the entire system with the Retinoid pads. Boy was I sorry I did! Ladies, if you have extremely sensitive and oily skin, this is not the product for you! After 2 weeks, I began breaking out and getting dark spots in places that I never break out at! For $85, such a waste of money. Try organic, better for the environment and skin!

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clfrank2002 on 3/29/2012 10:44:00 AM more reviews by clfrank2002

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I used this product for over 4 weeks on acne spots on my face and some dark lines on my neck. I always put it on at night on my face and neck. My ethnicity is black and my skin is a caramel colored. After using this consistently, I saw absolutely no results. NOTHING. The fourth week I noticed tiny bumps on my neck where I had been applying. That was the last straw. I dug up my receipt and returned it for a full refund. It wasn't cheap either.

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Ravishingx3 on 2/13/2012 3:54:00 AM more reviews by Ravishingx3

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I'm using this in conjunction with the miracle worker pads. Its actually called the dark spot corrector kit (available @ Sephora). I have been using it for 2-3 weeks on dark body scars I've had since I was a child as a result bumping&bruising/ mosquito bites/ chicken box/ acne/ and even scares which I'm not quite sure how I got! Let me tell you! IT IS WORKING! My scars ARE ALL fading away! The smaller ones are 100% gone! The rest are in the process of disappearing :) I am so excited to flaunt my legs more this summer! It IS NOT marketed for use on the body but I took a shot @ it and hey! its working :) I am SO pleased with the results! For years I thought I'd be STUCK w/ all my scars FOREVER! I even used to worry about it when I was in my teens but lo and behold here I am after 2 weeks of effort in AWE @ how much my scars are disappearing :) Try this one out!!

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slugsbee on 1/11/2012 2:47:00 PM more reviews by slugsbee

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

I've always had peaches and cream skin, but I got melasma after being pregnant last year and my face pretty much looked like a giraffe (according to my husband, and verified by pictures he took). The dark patches were all around my hairline and creeping into my cheeks and forehead. Initially I considered going with fraxel laser treatments, but at $3k and the possibility of making it worse, I opted to try something topical first. I started seeing ads for this pop up in magazines at exactly the same time I was looking, so I went to Sephora and picked it up. The sales guy said he'd seen others use it with success and if it didn't give results in 4 weeks to bring it back. Pretty safe bet, so I tried it out. I was diligent with it for the entire 4 weeks (missing only a couple nights over the holidays) and I have to say, it worked pretty well. I'd say about 60% of it was gone within 5 weeks. I stopped using it for awhile and I'm about to give it another round to see if I can get the rest to fade.

One thing I want to mention is that I used it in conjunction with Retinol (high grade) about 1/2 the time, and I'm pretty sure it gave me some wicked acne issues. I don't know for sure, because I was really stressed out at the same time, but its very possible.

Other than that, I'd say to give it a try. $60 is a lot less costly than $3000. :)

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*TOP REVIEWER* MaryEllen on 11/2/2011 1:35:00 PM more reviews by MaryEllen

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This is a cautious, early (just over two weeks of use) review, but I want to share my thoughts on this product. I've been battling melasma for years, and though NIA-24 worked well for me for a long time, I felt its effectiveness for my skin had peaked. I'm always skeptical of Philosophy's skin care claims (miracle worker? How do they get away with that?), but decided to give this product a try after reading up on the ingredients. It contains niacinamide (5th ingredient); undecylenoyl phenylalanine (14th ingredient), which interferes with the pathways in skin that cause excess melanin production; and hexylresorcinol (15th ingredient), which has recently been shown to target pathways in the skin that lead to hyperpigmentation; plus two forms of Vitamin C--all pretty impressive.


This is not a serum, but rather a light, tan-colored cream. I've been using it as a spot treatment instead of an all-over treatment so I could gauge the results more easily. It's working (for me). I've had noticeable lightening of my spots since I started use, and it's continuing. Frankly, I'm surprised that I've seen a change so quickly, and I hope it continues with continued use.


I've had no breakouts or skin irritation from this formula, although it is a little drying. I detect no scent. I use it morning and night, as recommended. In the AM I apply it under my PSF Vitamin C serum and sunscreen; at night I apply it and use Replenix 3x All Trans-Retinol Smoothing Serum on top, plus CDLM as needed. (I do not use it with Philosophy's Retinoid Pads, which they recommend, because I hated the slimy feel the pads left on my skin.) One of the nice things about this product is that it's not heavy with silicones (although it does contain them), so it doesn't feel slick or as though it's sitting on top of your skin. It is packaged in a plastic pump that protects the product, but makes it difficult to dispense a small amount. (Hey, Philosophy, you couldn't spring for a nice metal pump at this price?) It's expensive at $62 for 1 oz., but I use so little, even with twice-daily application, that it will last quite a while.


As of now, I'm cautiously pleased, and will update as time passes.


Update 8/16/12--I can hardly believe it, but I just finished this (a 1 oz. pump) about two weeks ago. That was about 9 months of twice-a-day spot application. Impressive, even for the price.


This product definitely lightened my melasma/sun damage, although not so much that it was unnoticeable. Since I stopped use, the spots have gotten noticeably darker (although there's no rebound--the spots are not darker than they were before).


Overall, I recommend this product, despite the price. I'm now trying GoW's Majik Lightening Gel and will see how that works. If it doesn't, I will repurchase the philosophy product.


Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Olivate, Hexyldecanol, Sorbitan Olivate, Butylene Glycol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascorbyl Linoleate, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Hexylresorcinol, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Resveratrol, Tocopheryl Ferulate, Ethyl Linoleate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cychohexasiloxane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Safflower Glyceride, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rumex Occidentalis Extract, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Bisabolol, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Arginine, Heptapeptide-12, Beta-Glucan, Retinyl Palmitate, Lysolecithin, Methyl Dihydroxybenzoate, Disodium Edta, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol.

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