T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Price and formula checked July 2026
A well-formulated leave-on acid serum in good airless packaging, with a broad AHA and BHA blend doing well-evidenced surface work. The price is prestige and the total acid percentage is disclosed only as a blend. If you want a nightly exfoliant and do not mind paying for the finish, it performs.
- Evidence26 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Glycolic Acid: strong evidence
- Salicylic Acid: moderate evidence
The average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency21 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Glycolic Acid: dosed at a studied level
- Salicylic Acid (1%): dosed at a studied level
How strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability16 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: standard
- Packaging: airless, opaque
- No fragile actives here, so packaging barely moves the score.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- Formulation4 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 1 of 2 actives disclose a concentration
- 2 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- No current-generation or synergy bonus
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- Value10 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $27 per month to use
- $90 for 30 ml, used about once a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 3.3 months
- Frequency is set by Glycolic Acid, which is used no more than 7x a week, so a bottle stretches further
What a month of use costs: full marks at $6 a month or less, the floor at $60 a month or more.
Tap any row to see how its score was built.
Ranks #12 of 26 exfoliating acids serums we have scored.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Glycolic Acid | n/a | Studied |
| Salicylic Acid | 1% | Studied |
A blend of AHAs (glycolic, tartaric, lactic, citric) at 12% total with 1% salicylic acid, in an airless opaque pump. It is a leave-on night exfoliant aimed at the appearance of a smoother, brighter, more even surface, buffered to be gentler than the raw acid load suggests. The airless pump protects the formula and doses it cleanly. As with any acid, follow with daytime sunscreen.
How it’s delivered
Air- and light-sensitive actives (vitamin C, copper peptides) lose potency fast in the wrong packaging, so delivery and the bottle are scored, not just what’s on the label.
The actives, explained
What the research says
Topical glycolic acid was linked to a smoother, more evenly toned looking appearance in sun exposed skin in a small clinical study.
Improving the cosmetic appearance of photoaged skin with glycolic acid. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1997. PubMed ↗
A 1.5% salicylic acid cream was linked to visibly clearer looking, blemish-prone skin after 4 weeks in an open clinical study.
Clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of an antioxidant optimized 1.5% salicylic acid (SA) cream in the treatment of facial acne: an open, baseline-controlled clinical study. Skin Research and Technology, 2013. PubMed ↗
A study of the active, not this exact product. What matters for the score is whether this serum uses it at a comparable dose.
Higher-scoring alternatives
Same category, better SerumProof score. Worth a look before you buy.
Revision history
- July 11, 2026Price and formula rechecked
- July 10, 2026Review published
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Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. The SerumProof score reflects our reading of publicly available research and formulation disclosures. See how scoring works.