Murad Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum for mature skin
Ascorbic Acid
Glycolic Acid
Glutathione
HexylresorcinolAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for mature skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with mature skin: fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. 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 exfoliation and brightening for your normal skin due to glycolic acid and ascorbic acid, which promote skin renewal and antioxidant protection to support your wrinkles and fine lines.
- The presence of glycerin and trehalose provides essential hydration, further benefiting your skin's texture and appearance.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week, and work up to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply this serum after your toner and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- You can apply the serum on dry skin for the best results against fine lines.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the sensitive eye area.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users report this serum quickly provides a noticeable glow and smoother skin texture. It is effective at fading dark spots and hyperpigmentation over time. However, many reviewers mention the high price point and occasional issues with the dual-chamber pump mechanism.
Highlights
Brightens and adds radiance Mostly Mentioned
- “instant glow”
- “skin looks radiant”
- “banishes dullness”
Lightweight absorption Often Mentioned
- “absorbs quickly”
- “non-sticky”
- “satin finish”
Smoothes skin texture Often Mentioned
- “velvety soft”
- “improves texture”
- “skin feels smoother”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “incredibly pricey”
- “expensive for size”
- “costly investment”
Fades dark spots Sometimes Noted
- “reduces hyperpigmentation”
- “cleared blemishes”
- “evens skin tone”
Good for makeup prep Sometimes Noted
- “smooth canvas”
- “sits well under makeup”
- “non-greasy”
Packaging pump issues Sometimes Noted
- “pump dispenses unevenly”
- “hard to finish”
- “wasteful packaging”
Low Vitamin C % Rarely Noted
- “low concentration”
- “mostly glycolic feel”
- “undisclosed percentage”
Oxidation concerns Rarely Noted
- “clear bottle risk”
- “turns brown over time”
- “needs dark storage”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “tingles upon application”
- “caused redness”
- “too strong for sensitive skin”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, murad.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Murad Vita-C Brightening Serum work for mature skin?
This treatment works moderately well for mature skin, offering helpful antioxidant protection and renewal to keep your skin smooth and bright. It is unlikely to cause irritation, but a treatment for this skin needs higher concentrations of potent antioxidants and hydrating ingredients to deeply target wrinkles and fine lines.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for mature skin?
Ascorbic acid and glycolic acid help smooth and brighten mature skin by supporting cell renewal and protecting against damage, while glycerin and trehalose provide essential hydration. For an even better fit, mature skin needs a treatment with higher concentrations of potent antioxidants, peptides, and humectants that intensely target wrinkles and improve skin elasticity.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Skin Research and Technology, 2024
What does Vitamin C do for mature skin?
Vitamin C helps mature skin by smoothing out wrinkles, brightening dark spots, and boosting firmness. It works by encouraging collagen production to keep skin looking youthful and radiant.
What does Glycolic Acid do for mature skin?
Glycolic acid helps smooth mature skin by encouraging fresh skin renewal and supporting firmness. It may also help improve signs of photoaging and increase moisture levels over time.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for mature skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. To best support mature skin, a product of this type needs antioxidant protection and exfoliating ingredients to smooth fine lines and brighten the complexion.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2012
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying them on alternate nights or using this serum in the morning and retinol at night to help avoid irritation. To properly care for mature skin, a product of this type needs antioxidants and exfoliating acids for brightening and smoothing, alongside nourishing moisturizers for hydration.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Skin Research and Technology, 2024
How often should I use this serum?
Start by using this treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you may carefully use it more often. This gentle approach helps prevent irritation while supporting your skin with antioxidants and renewal benefits.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Skin Research and Technology, 2024
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for mature skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for mature skin, and the glycolic acid may cause mild skin renewal rather than true purging. It is safe for your skin, with low risk of irritation.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Oleyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
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, 2020Sodium trehalose sulfate decreased transepidermal water loss and increased stratum corneum water content in participants with low stratum corneum water content when applied for 4 weeks compared to placebo.
Skin Research and Technology, 2024A 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, 2017Topical 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, 2022Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Glutathione amino acid precursors effectively increase cellular glutathione levels, reducing oxidative stress, ATP depletion, and DNA damage in human keratinocytes, clinical subjects, and ex vivo skin compared to controls.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024Topical oxidized glutathione significantly decreases the skin melanin index and improves moisture content, smoothness, wrinkle formation, and elasticity compared to placebo in healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Topical glutathione improves hyperpigmentation, reduces ultraviolet-induced erythema and wrinkles, decreases transepidermal water loss, and enhances antioxidant capacity.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025A formulation combining 4-hexylresorcinol and niacinamide significantly improved hyperpigmentation, skin tone, fine lines, wrinkles, and firmness compared to niacinamide alone in Chinese subjects without adverse events.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2022Topical 1% hexylresorcinol is equivalent to 2% hydroquinone in significantly reducing the appearance of facial and hand pigmentation in healthy female participants over 12 weeks, with both treatments showing no adverse effects.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2023A novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to 0.02% tretinoin and reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing in female adults while causing less skin irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Sodium Hydroxide, Hdi Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Diisopropyl Sebacate, C13-16 Isoparaffin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ascorbic Acid, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Glutathione, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Oleyl Alcohol, Silica, Hexylresorcinol, Polysilicone-11, Triheptanoin, Polyisobutene, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower, Butylene Glycol, Mica, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Surfactin, Xymenynic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Peg-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sorbitol, Tin Oxide, Xanthan Gum, T-Butyl Alcohol, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Gold, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Titanium Dioxide Ci 77891
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.