PRODUCT REVIEW
Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5%
5% tranexamic acid and 5% niacinamide — the same actives as SkinCeuticals' $115 serum, at higher strengths, for under $20.
Key facts
Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5% at a glance.
Tranexamic acid 5% + niacinamide 5%
Key active
Lightweight serum
Texture
Melasma, dark spots, uneven tone — alongside daily sunscreen
Best for
$15–$20
Approximate price
Fragrance free
Fragrance
2.03 oz
Size
$19.54
Price
Serum
Type
What is it?
Top things to know about Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5%
- Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5% is a lightweight pigment serum from a small Korean brand, about $15 to $20 online. It is an adjunct to daily sunscreen, not a treatment on its own, and it does not remove melasma. Nothing you put on the surface does.
- Tranexamic acid at 5 percent interrupts a signal skin cells send to pigment cells. Niacinamide at 5 percent, a form of vitamin B3, slows the handover of finished pigment. Aloe leaf extract stands in for water, with sodium hyaluronate and allantoin. Fragrance free, absorbs in seconds.
One of the few pigment serums dosed to the research rather than the marketing: 5% tranexamic acid and 5% niacinamide, both at studied levels, hitting the pigment pathway at two points. Wear sunscreen daily or it does very little. It will not remove melasma, and nothing you rub on will.
— Dr. Schwarz
Skin fit
Is it right for your skin?
Melasma
Melasma is a chronic, relapsing pattern of pigment driven by UV and visible light, and the pigment cells involved switch on easily. Tranexamic acid interrupts the signal that wakes them up, which is the most specific case here. It is still an adjunct — daily tinted sunscreen is the treatment.
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
The brown mark left after a spot heals is pigment dropped into the surrounding skin during the inflammation. Niacinamide slows new pigment while the stained cells work their way up and shed, which takes months.
Sensitive Skin
Both actives sit at studied doses, and 5 percent niacinamide stings far less than the 10 percent many brands reach for. The list is short and fragrance free. Cos de BAHA is a small brand with scattered reports of stinging, so patch test on the jawline first.
Texture
What it feels like on skin.
Serum
A thin, slightly slippery serum that absorbs in seconds and leaves nothing behind. Fragrance free. Most people feel nothing, though a mild tingle in the first few days is not unusual. The base is aloe leaf extract rather than water, with sodium hyaluronate and allantoin. It layers under sunscreen without pilling.
Alternatives
If this isn’t the right product for you
Naturium Tranexamic Topical Acid
Also 5% tranexamic acid, plus kojic acid and licorice root for extra pigment routes. Kojic acid can sensitize.
Anua Dark Spot Correcting Serum
4% tranexamic acid with alpha-arbutin at a similar price. Its niacinamide is 10%, above the studied dose, so stinging is likelier.
SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense Serum
The same actives at $115, with 3% tranexamic acid — a lower dose than this, and no trial supports the price.
Ingredients · Interactive
What’s in it, and where each ingredient works.
Full ingredient list · 15 ingredients, in label order. Click one.
A form of hyaluronic acid. Its molecule is large, so it stays on the surface and holds water there.
A thickener that keeps the texture even.
How to use it
How to use it.
How to apply it
- How muchA few drops on clean skin, before moisturizer.
- Patch testA small patch on the jawline for three days.
What to pair it with
- LayeringSunscreen over the top in the morning. That pairing is the point: the serum slows new pigment, the sunscreen stops the light that causes it.
What to expect
- What to expectNot much for the first month. Pigment fades only as stained cells shed, so give it eight to twelve weeks. Melasma returns with sun exposure, so the result holds only while the sunscreen habit does.
Questions
Common questions.
Will Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5% remove melasma?
No. No topical serum does. It works alongside sunscreen.
Do I need sunscreen with Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5%?
Yes. Pigment is driven by light.
How does Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5% compare to pricier pigment serums?
Same actives, equal or higher concentrations, for much less.
Is Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5% fragrance-free?
Yes.
Should I patch test Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5%?
Yes. Some users report stinging.
References
Sources.
- 1. The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer (https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.04834.x) — This is the landmark pigmentation study the page references: it used a 5% niacinamide moisturizer, which significantly decreased facial hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness versus vehicle, working by inhibiting melanosome transfer. Link
- 2. Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1524-4725.2005.31732) — A 12-week double-blind, split-face randomized trial applying 5% niacinamide showed significant reduction in hyperpigmented spots, supporting the use of niacinamide at 5% for pigmentation. Link
- 3. Comparative study between topical tranexamic acid alone versus its combination with autologous platelet rich plasma for treatment of melasma (https://doi.org/10.1080/09546634.2020.1781755) — A randomized trial using topical tranexamic acid 5% cream twice daily produced significant improvement in modified MASI melasma scores, supporting 5% as an effective topical tranexamic acid concentration. Link
- 4. Melasma treatment: a systematic review (https://doi.org/10.1080/09546634.2021.1914313) — A systematic review of melasma treatments identifying tranexamic acid as an effective agent for the pigmentation disorder the product targets. Link