Farmacy 10% Waterless Vitamin C Serum for dry skin
Ascorbic Acid
Alpha-Arbutin
Ferulic Acid
Betaine
Citrus Extracts
Average
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate brightening for your dry skin due to the presence of Ascorbic Acid and Alpha-Arbutin, which promote evening skin tone and offer general hydration through glycerin.
- While glycerin provides humectant action, the formula lacks sufficient emollient and occlusive ingredients to fully address your dry or flaky skin concerns.
- The product is safe for your dry skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsUsers with dry or dull skin frequently praise this serum for its ability to visibly brighten the complexion and fade dark spots without causing irritation, thanks to its gentle, waterless formula. Those with oily or combination skin often find the texture too heavy and greasy, noting that it leaves an oily residue that takes a significant amount of time to fully absorb.
Highlights
Visibly brightens skin Mostly Mentioned
- “Gave my skin an incredible glow”
- “Results showed improvement in dark spots”
- “Visibly brighter skin after 1 use”
Hydrating texture Often Mentioned
- “Feels smoother after application”
- “Provides a nice layer of hydration”
- “My skin feels noticeably softer”
Greasy residue Often Mentioned
- “Leaves an oily finish”
- “Takes a long time to sink in”
- “Felt like an oil slick”
Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes Noted
- “Experienced no sensitivity whatsoever”
- “Gentle on skin”
- “Did not irritate my sensitive skin”
Stable packaging/formula Sometimes Noted
- “Love that it is fully recyclable”
- “Waterless formula is more stable”
- “Pump is convenient and sanitary”
Slow absorption Sometimes Noted
- “Hard to layer with other products”
- “Products slip and slide on top”
- “Takes about an hour to sink in”
Unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smells like hot dog water”
- “Has a weird metallic scent”
- “Scent is not the best”
Leaky packaging Rarely Noted
- “Bottle leaks oil everywhere”
- “Packaging does leak a bit”
- “Messy pump mechanism”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, farmacybeauty.com, amazon.com, skinsort.com, spacenk.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Farmacy Waterless Vitamin C Serum work for dry skin?
Farmacy 10% Waterless Vitamin C Serum works moderately well for dry skin, offering some brightening and hydration through Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, and glycerin. While it is safe and unlikely to cause irritation, it lacks enough softening and sealing ingredients to fully address dry or flaky skin. A treatment for dry skin needs rich, soothing ingredients, ceramides, or nourishing plant extracts that provide deep hydration and support the skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry skin?
Ascorbic acid and alpha-arbutin help brighten your dry skin, while glycerin provides general hydration. However, a product of this type needs rich softening ingredients and barrier-supporting components like ceramides, niacinamide, or peptides to properly address dry or flaky skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Vitamin C do for dry skin?
Vitamin C helps dry skin by boosting moisture and keeping the surface smooth and soft. It may also improve skin hydration and support the outer protective barrier over time.
Skin Research and Technology, 2008Experimental Dermatology, 2008
What does Alpha-Arbutin do for dry skin?
Alpha-arbutin is not primarily designed to hydrate dry skin, but advanced formulations containing it may help improve moisture content and elasticity while brightening dark spots. A dry skin type needs rich moisturizers with ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and facial oils to properly nourish the skin barrier.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though this type of product needs extra smoothing and softening ingredients like rich butters and barrier-protecting oils to fully care for dry skin.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol, but it is best to apply retinol at night and this vitamin C serum in the morning or on alternating days to avoid irritation on dry skin. To properly care for dry skin, this type of treatment needs to be paired with rich softening and sealing ingredients that lock in moisture.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. It is safe for your skin and unlikely to cause irritation.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin. It has a safe formula that avoids harsh ingredients, though it may leave a greasy residue.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A topical serum containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and raspberry leaf cell culture extract improved skin color, elasticity, radiance, smoothness, scaliness, and wrinkles compared to the untreated contralateral side in fifty female volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Soaps containing betaine caused the least skin irritation compared to other tested soaps in twenty-eight healthy subjects, though irritation did not decrease with increasing concentrations of betaine.
Skin Research and Technology, 2003Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A non-hydroquinone topical formulation (SKNB19) improved hyperpigmentation by 28.5% in patient self-assessment and 27% in independent reviewer assessment compared with 4% hydroquinone in 18 adult subjects, while showing significantly less irritation and better tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Encapsulation of alpha arbutin in an optimized ethosomal gel significantly improved skin melanin reduction, moisture content, and elasticity in human volunteers compared to conventional formulations.
Heliyon, 2023Combining a home-based radiofrequency device and arbutin cream reduced mMASI scores by 25.6% and melanin index by 22.8% at 8 weeks compared to baseline in 38 participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Treatment with 14% ferulic acid and 12% l-ascorbic acid significantly reduced pigmentation and erythema while improving hydration and elasticity in 20 women with photoaged skin, with neither acid proving definitively more effective overall though ascorbic acid showed slightly greater skin lightening.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Combining fractional microneedle radiofrequency with a topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced wrinkle severity by 29.9% versus 18.0%, increased elasticity by 12.9% versus 2.3%, and improved aesthetic outcomes in 31 participants compared to radiofrequency and placebo.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025Pretreatment with a topical antioxidant mixture of vitamin C, ferulic acid, and phloretin attenuated ultraviolet-induced sunburn cell formation, thymine dimer formation, matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression, p53 protein expression, and the suppression of CD1a-expressing Langerhans cells in human skin compared to vehicle control.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008Topical dry mouth products containing olive oil, betaine, and xylitol significantly increased unstimulated whole salivary flow rates, reduced xerostomia complaints, and improved quality of life in adults with polypharmacy-induced xerostomia compared to their normal routine care, with no clinically significant adverse events.
Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 2007A combination of Aloe barbadensis leaf extract and trimethylglycine in a 1:1 mass ratio synergistically increased aquaporin 3 expression by up to 380% in keratinocytes and safely improved skin hydration in healthy volunteers.
Molecules, 2024Mixed surfactant systems of sodium dodecyl sulfate and dimethyl dodecyl amido betaine significantly reduce acute skin irritation potential in human volunteers compared with the individual surfactants, demonstrating that irritation potential cannot be predicted by simple summation.
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 1998
Why other serums fit dry skin better
Treatment with cross-linked hyaluronic acid-based microneedle patches combined with acetyl hexapeptide-8 or epidermal growth factor significantly improved wrinkles and skin hydration compared to the patch alone in Korean females over 29 days.
Annals of Dermatology, 2019
Ingredients
Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Betaine, Alpha-Arbutin, Ferulic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Amara Fruit Extract, Citrus Reticulata Fruit Extract Tangerine Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Sinensis Peel Extract, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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