I have genuinely dry skin and live in Canada, which is not exactly a kind climate for faces. Between heaters in winter and random dry air the rest of the year, my skin loses brightness fast and any dark marks hang around longer than I’d like. On paper, the ANUA Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 Serum sounded perfect for me: niacinamide for overall tone, TXA for dark spots, and a formula built for brightening. It felt very this could finally be the one that makes my skin look more awake.

After using it on and off for a while, I’d sum it up like this: I like what it does, but my skin never lets me forget that it’s an active serum, so I stay careful and I don’t use it every night.

The first evening I tried it, I remember standing in my bathroom after a long day, face already a bit tight from the cold outside and the dry indoor air. The serum itself looked harmless enough when I pumped it out—light, smooth, and slightly thicker than water, more like a fluid lotion than a classic runny toner. It spread easily over my skin and sank in without leaving a greasy layer, which is always a good sign for me. My cheeks felt slightly hydrated, not bare, which I appreciated since dry skin plus “treatment” product can be a scary combo.

Then came the part that still makes me cautious: the little sting. Almost every time I apply it, there’s a mild prickly feeling that shows up within seconds. It’s not enough to make me rinse it off, but it’s obvious enough that I’m very aware something active is happening. The sensation hangs around for a minute or two and then fades, and my face doesn’t go bright red or start burning. Still, it’s just sharp enough that I automatically start planning the rest of my routine around it—no strong acids, no retinoid, nothing risky afterwards. On nights I use this, everything else has to be gentle and simple.

That being said, the reason I keep the bottle in rotation is because the brightening is real. On mornings after I’ve used it, I notice small but clear differences. When I splash my face with water, my skin looks a bit more awake and slightly clearer, like someone quietly turned up the exposure just a notch. The dull areas around my cheeks and jawline don’t look as flat, and overall my complexion feels less tired. It’s not a dramatic, overnight transformation, but it’s enough that I can tell when I’ve had an “ANUA night” versus when I’ve skipped it for a few days.

Over a longer stretch of consistent use—those weeks when I manage to reach for it two or three times—I’ve seen my overall tone look a bit more even. Some of the stubborn, lingering dullness has softened, and my bare skin looks more “alive” even when I’m only wearing sunscreen. It still absolutely needs help from a proper moisturiser, but as a brightening step, it does what it promised better than a lot of other serums I’ve tried.

The catch is that I never quite relax around it. That mild sting means I’m always aware I’m walking a line with my dry skin. So far I haven’t had a clear “this broke me out” moment from it—no obvious new clusters of pimples directly tied to the serum, no big rash, no peeling days. But the fact that my skin reacts with that little tingle almost every time keeps me from treating it like something I can just slap on without thinking. I find myself mentally checking in: has my face been a bit more sensitive this week? Did I exfoliate yesterday? Is the air drier than usual? If the answer to any of those feels like “yes,” I’ll usually skip this serum and reach for something more comforting instead.

Because of that, I’ve settled into using it more like a special guest than a permanent roommate in my routine. On evenings when my skin feels relatively stable—no angry dry patches, no post-exfoliation grumpiness—I’ll cleanse, pat my face dry, and apply a thin layer of the ANUA serum. I give it a moment to sink in, feel that light sting come and go, and then follow immediately with a richer moisturiser that I know my skin loves. I don’t try to layer multiple treatment serums on those nights. This one gets the main “active” spotlight and everything else is there just to keep my barrier feeling supported.

From a dry-skin perspective, it’s important to say that this serum is not the step that makes my face feel comfortable on its own. Once it’s absorbed, my skin doesn’t feel stripped, but it also doesn’t feel particularly cushioned. For me, it behaves very much like a focused treatment: it brings the brightening and pigment work, and then I have to bring the nourishment and barrier care with the next step. In Canadian weather especially, there’s no world where I can use this without a proper moisturiser on top and have my skin feel okay.

There are small, practical adjustments I’ve made too. I never apply it right after using anything too strong, I avoid it on nights when the wind has already dried my face out, and if my skin is going through a sensitive patch, I’ll park the bottle for a week or two. When I do work it in, my routine stays short and boring: gentle cleanser, ANUA serum, hydrating cream. No toner with acids, no extra brightening serum, nothing that might team up with it and push my skin over the edge.

Am I glad I tried it? Honestly, yes. It’s one of the few brightening products where I can actually see both an immediate and gradual effect on my skin, and that’s rare enough that I don’t say it lightly. My face looks a bit clearer and more even when this is in the mix, and for dark-spot-prone, dull-looking dry skin, that feels like a win.

At the same time, I don’t think I’ll ever treat it like a daily staple. For me, ANUA Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 is a “use with respect” kind of serum: helpful, noticeably brightening, but always used with a bit of caution and always paired with a good, comforting moisturiser. If your skin is anything like mine—dry, a little sensitive, and easily pushed too far—I’d say it’s worth trying, as long as you go slow, keep the rest of your routine gentle, and listen carefully to how your skin reacts instead of forcing it into a strict schedule.