Fade Acne Scars and Hyperpigmentation with numbuzin No. 5 Dark Spot Line

Originally published on April 15, 2025. This review is re-shared with permission from Gudeiary. Read the full article here.

 

Fade Acne Scars and Hyperpigmentation with numbuzin No. 5 Dark Spot Line

Do you deal with acne scars and hyperpigmentation, struggling to fade those stubborn dark spots? Trust me, I’ve been there too.

For the past few months, I’ve been dealing with what feels like severe hormonal acne breakouts, and honestly, it hasn’t been easy. My skin is oily, dehydrated, and prone to fungal acne, which makes finding the right skincare even trickier, since the majority of K-Beauty products contain fermented ingredients. While fermented skincare has amazing benefits like anti-aging, pore care, and firming, it’s a no-go for those of us with fungal acne-prone skin because these ingredients can actually feed the problem instead of fixing it.

While my breakouts have lessened (thanks to Tretinoin for preventing new acne from forming), I’m now left with numerous scars, dark spots, and hyperpigmentation—especially on my cheeks, where breakouts tend to occur. So when the numbuzin team generously invited me to try and review their popular No.5 Dark Spot range, I was thrilled! I remember loving their No. 5 serum, which I’ll also be reviewing today.

Disclaimer: I received these products in exchange for my review. However, no affiliate links are included in this post.

numbuzin No. 5 Dark Spot Line

What is it?

This range is designed to target dark spots, blemishes, and hyperpigmentation with powerhouse brightening ingredients like niacinamide, glutathione, tranexamic acid and Vitamin C. It’s especially great for oily skin types—like mine—and anyone looking to even out their skin tone.

numbuzin No. 5 Vitamin Niacinamide Concentrated Pad
(70 pieces)

Key Features

A multi-purpose, dual-sided toner pad (hypoallergenic) soaked in niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and glutathione. One side gently exfoliates (embossed), while the glutathione jelly-textured side doubles as a quick brightening mask. These toner pads also contain PHA & AHA, further helping with gentle exfoliation.

Full Ingredients (extracted from numbuzin Official Website)

Water, Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Betaine, Panthenol, Ethylhexylalycerin, Gluconolactone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ammonium Acryloydime thylaurate/VP Copolymer, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbic Acid, Pantolactone, Tocopherol, Capryloyl, Salicylic Acid, Tranexamic Acid, Tremella Fuciformis (Mushroom) Extract, aprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ubiquinone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Magnesium Chloride, Alcohol, Glutathione, Polysorbate 80, Calcium Gluconate, Pyridoxine HCl, BHT, Yeast Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Disodium EDTA

Note: Some ingredients may vary depending on the country’s regulations. Please check the box packaging for accuracy.

Texture

Embossed Gauze Side: non-abrasive, soft and gentle on skin
Jelly Side: super soft, bouncy jelly texture that sits on the cheek comfortably without slipping

How to Use

numbuzin suggests using the jelly side as a mask for 3–5 minutes, followed by a gentle wipe with the embossed side.

How I use: I like to start by wiping my face with the embossed side, then flip over to the jelly-side and place them on my cheeks for 3 minutes. Feels like baby’s skin after! I sometimes cut a pad in half to prevent wastage since my face isn’t that big.

My Thoughts

I love this to biiiiits! I usually find toner pads to be okay – not great, not revolutionary and they do the job. However, this one is super drenched, and I could actually see the difference after 30 days of use. I also love that it comes in a tub of 70 pads, now that’s bang for your buck.

Rating: 10/10

Where to Buy

Malaysian: numbuzin Official Mall on Shopee / Lazada
International: Amazon / numbuzin Website / Stylekorean / Olive Young Global

numbuzin No. 5 Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum

Key Features

A brightening serum that is potent in niacinamide, glutathione, tranexamic acid and vitamins helps lighten hyperpigmentation. The serum is also hydrating, improves dull skin and gives an even, glowy complexion.

Full Ingredients (extracted from numbuzin Amazon Store)

Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Tranexamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitol, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Alpha-Arbutin, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Tremella Fuciformis (Mushroom) Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, 3-0-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Bisabolol, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Allantoin, Glutathione, Ceramide Np, Beta-Glucan, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Ubiquinone, Thioctic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Behenyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA.

Note: Some ingredients may vary depending on the country’s regulations. Please check the box packaging for accuracy.

Texture

Light and white-yellowish, absorbs quickly with zero stickiness. Comes with a separate sealed pipette to keep the vitamins fresh (we love a stable and fresh Vitamin C!).

My Thoughts

I’ve been using this religiously for about 3 weeks now and I’m genuinely impressed with the results (check out the before-and-after at the end of this post!). It reduces fresh, new acne scars in just a month. While older, deeper scars take longer to fade, I’ve definitely seen gradual improvement. It’s pretty moisturising and works well under any moisturiser I layer on without pilling.

If you look through the ingredients list, bifida ferment is present lower down the list. I was wary at first, patched test a couple of times around the cheek to see if it triggers any small bumps/fungal acne. Thankfully, it didn’t trigger any issues—likely because it’s used at a very low concentration. So, if you have fungal-acne prone skin like me, good news – it doesn’t irritate the skin. Probably my top 3 serums I’ve tried thus far. The best part, it’s perfectly priced for the effectiveness it delivers to my skin. I’m definitely repurchasing this soon.

Rating: 10/10

Where to Buy

Malaysian: numbuzin Official Mall on Shopee / Lazada
International: Amazon / numbuzin Website / Stylekorean / Olive Young Global

numbuzin. No. 5 Glutathione C Facial Spa Cleanser

Key Features

A first step, rich cleansing oil that formulated with natural oils (jojoba oil, sunflower oil, olive oil) that helps to remove makeup, impurities and melts blackheads. Also rich in Vitamins and Glutathione to help in brightening up our overall skin tone.

Full Ingredients (extracted from numbuzin Official Website)

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate Glycerin Triethylhexanoin Polyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate Dipropylene Glycol Diisostearyl Malate Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil Stearoyl Inulin Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil Polyglyceryl-10 Behenate/Eicosadioate Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Cedrus Atlantica Wood Oil Caprylyl Glycol Ethylhexylglycerin Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil Water Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment Tocopherol 1,2-Hexanediol Ascorbic Acid Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin Glutathione Disodium EDTA Niacinamide Pantothenic Acid Linolenic Acid Biotin Tocopheryl Acetate Cyanocobalamin

Note: Some ingredients may vary depending on the country’s regulations. Please check the box packaging for accuracy.

Texture

Rich and luxurious cleansing oil that smells like a spa in a bottle—soothing hints of lavender, citrus, and rosemary that instantly relax your senses. Definitely adds a nice sensation whenever I use this at the end of the day to remove my makeup. Like any cleansing oil, it emulsifies into a milky texture on contact with water.

My Thoughts

I love the spa-like sensation whenever I use this. The texture is rich and thick, which is a tad bit too thick for my liking. The cleansing power is great! However, it doesn’t really remove my waterproof mascara (I use the Romand All Fix Mascara) completely.

Rating: 7/10

Where to buy

Malaysian: numbuzin Official Mall on Shopee / Lazada
International: Amazon / numbuzin Website / Stylekorean

Results:
Before and After

So, after a month of incorporating the numbuzin No. 5 Dark Spot range, here’s an unfiltered before and after for comparison.

Am I happy with the results? Definitely a yes. As you can see, the deeper scars are still around, but gradually fading. Like I always say, skincare is not an eraser! Magic doesn’t happen overnight (or under a month, as a matter of fact) and consistency is key. Stick with what works for you and have some patience 🙂

Final Thoughts

If you’re dealing with acne scars, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or dull skin, the numbuzin No. 5 Vitamin line is definitely worth checking out. Bonus points for being gentle and suitable for my fungal acne-prone skin without causing any irritation.

Have you tried this range before? Let me know your thoughts or results in the comments! Thanks again to the numbuzin team for sending this over and saving my skin.

Till the next post! xx