Murad Lightening Serum | Lighter dark spots in under a week?

As you all may know, I'm currently focusing on the aspect of my skin care journey that addresses  acne scarring.  My initial strategy was to focus on manual exfoliation via my Riiviva microderm kit.  My strategy shifted somewhat after a recent trip to my local Sephora store.

After ringing my order, the sales woman informed me that I had amassed enough reward points to obtain a free gift.  I carefully assessed my options. "That one", I told her as I pointed at the orange and white box.  Inside was 0.25fl size sample of Murad's Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightning Serum.

The active ingredient is 2.0% hydroquinone.  I'm not a fan of this ingredient but I made an exception after reading the product claims.  "Reduces the appearance of sun spots and age spots by 33% in 1 week."  "I thought to myself, I'll try it for a few weeks. If I see no improvement, I'll stop."

The first night I tested my new product after cleansing with my Clarisonic Pro. Immediately after toning with apple cider vinegar, I pumped a couple of drops in my hand.  The consistency is like that of a thin serum. This made it very easy to spread and absorb into the skin.  The serum also had a moisturizing effect which I really liked.  If given the choice, I'll pick a serum over a cream any day. Back in the day, I would try hydroquinone creams but was never consistent enough to see results.  I was hoping that the serum would help me stay on course.   By the time I go to bed,  most of it has been absorbed.  When I wake up the next day, my skin feels smooth and soft.

Along with hydroquinone, this lightening serum also contains water as the first ingredient, glycolic acid, glycerin, rice amino acids, aloe leaf juice, yeast amino acids, zinc, vitamin C, grape seed extract, castor oil, vitamin e,  etc. As I'm writing this post, it's been less than a week since I first tried it.  I'm here to sing the praises of the results I am experiencing so far.  I really wish I had taken before photos because I swear that my skin is experiencing improvements in under 5 days!

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that this wonder serum can help me have blemish free skin without the help of foundation.  Two years ago, I had to use my Studio Fix (MAC) foundation to try to cover up flaws and acne.  Last year, I dealt with my acne but still relied on my Studio Fix to cover scarring & blemishes.  Now, I can use something a light as Iman BB Cream to create the look of even skin tone.  Although it's not perfect, this is much more progress than I could ever expect.  Soon, I'll have clear, even toned skin whether I'm wearing foundation or going natural.