The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% for acne-prone skin
Ascorbyl Glucoside- Vitamin C Derivative
Propanediol
Xanthan Gum
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 combination skin due to Ascorbyl Glucoside, which provides antioxidant protection and helps even skin tone, while Propanediol offers humectant action.
- While the formula is generally supportive, its primary benefits are not directly targeted at addressing your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your acne-prone skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine and start 3x/week before working up to daily use.
- Apply this treatment after cleansing and toner, and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product on clean, dry skin to help manage your breakouts safely.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.1Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers frequently praise this serum for brightening dull complexions and evening skin tone, noting its gentle formulation suitable for sensitive or oily skin. While its lightweight texture and stable formula are appreciated, many users report a sticky finish and that results require patience compared to more potent alternatives.
Highlights
Affordable Often Mentioned
- “Absolute steal”
- “Great price point”
- “Unbeatable value”
Brightens & evens tone Often Mentioned
- “Skin looked noticeably brighter”
- “Evens out complexion”
- “Restores radiance to dull skin”
Gentle & non-irritating Often Mentioned
- “No adverse reactions”
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “Less irritating than pure Vitamin C”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs quickly”
- “Lightweight water-based”
- “Non-greasy finish”
Sticky/tacky finish Often Mentioned
- “Feels a bit sticky”
- “Leaves a tacky film”
- “Sticky until moisturizer is applied”
Stable formula Sometimes Noted
- “Does not oxidize”
- “Stays clear longer”
- “Great shelf life”
Slow results Sometimes Noted
- “Takes a bit to see results”
- “Not as potent”
- “Plateaued quickly”
Breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused whiteheads”
- “Skin broke out”
- “Did not help congestion”
Pilling Rarely Noted
- “Pills under makeup”
- “Balls up with sunscreen”
- “Hard to layer”
Unpleasant smell Rarely Noted
- “Dead fish smell”
- “Strong metallic scent”
- “Smells off”
Sources: lovi.care, theordinary.com, sephora.com, ulta.com, reddit.com, beautybay.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution work for acne-prone skin?
This product is an average fit for your acne-prone skin because its main benefits brighten skin tone rather than directly target breakouts, though it is very safe and unlikely to cause irritation. To work better for this skin, a treatment needs effective ingredients like niacinamide and propolis or zinc pca that help clear blemishes while keeping your skin balanced and hydrated without excess oil.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2024
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This serum works for your skin because Ascorbyl Glucoside helps even your skin tone and Propanediol keeps your face hydrated. However, it is only an average fit for your acne-prone skin because it lacks specific ingredients like niacinamide and propolis that directly target breakouts and blemishes.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Journal of Periodontology, 2009
What does Ascorbyl Glucoside do for acne-prone skin?
Ascorbyl Glucoside helps acne-prone skin by providing antioxidant protection and supporting overall skin clarity. Vitamin C derivatives like this are known to improve inflammatory skin disorders and help keep skin calm.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2012International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2021
What does Vitamin C do for acne-prone skin?
Vitamin C helps protect acne-prone skin and calm redness while working to fade dark spots left behind by breakouts. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may improve overall skin tone when used consistently in your routine.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2014Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2024
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer. It is unlikely to cause irritation for your acne-prone skin, though it does not directly target breakouts and blemishes.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying the Vitamin C derivative first in your routine and following it with retinol, provided your skin is comfortable with both. The formula has an excellent safety profile and is unlikely to cause irritation for your acne-prone skin. However, since this product is not directly targeted at blemishes, acne-prone skin needs products containing targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and retinoids to effectively treat breakouts.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this serum in the evening, applying it once a day or a few times a week as your skin adjusts. It is unlikely to cause irritation for your acne-prone skin, though acne-prone skin also needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients to see the best results.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause irritation for your acne-prone skin because it lacks harsh ingredients, though a few reviewers note a rare chance of breakouts. Acne-prone skin needs a treatment that directly targets blemishes and excess oil with specialized active ingredients.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical application of 1,3-propanediol at various concentrations, alone or combined with butylene glycol and/or glycerol, increased skin hydration and reduced trans epidermal water loss in 30 healthy female subjects over an 8-hour period, with the 15% concentration and the addition of glycerol providing greater benefits.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Treatment with ascorbyl glucoside-arginine complex lotion significantly decreased pigmentation scores and melanin index while increasing lightness in solar lentigos of Japanese females compared to placebo over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2024A mixture of propanediol, xylitol, and caprylic acid demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity against C. acnes and S. aureus, reduced 5-alpha reductase expression, and decreased skin oiliness, porphyrin, and inflammatory lesions in participants over 28 days.
Molecules, 2021Topical 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, 2003Topical 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, 2022Topical treatment with 5% vitamin C and 0.1% madecassoside significantly improved clinical scores for wrinkles, suppleness, firmness, roughness, and skin hydration, along with functional and structural remodeling of the elastic fiber network in 20 female volunteers with photoaged skin after 6 months compared to baseline.
Experimental Dermatology, 2008Sustainable cosmetic products formulated with renewable PDO-based emulsifiers showed equivalent performance in sensory and moisturization evaluations compared to those formulated with petroleum-derived PEG-based emulsifiers.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Biodegradable wound dressings functionalized with silver nanoparticles showed >99% pathogen growth inhibition, bactericidal effects, free radical scavenging, reduced inflammatory response in macrophages, and accelerated wound healing in animals.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022A topical xanthan gum nanogel containing gamma-oryzanol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers and nanosized TiO2 and MBBT filters demonstrated high photoprotection with an SPF of 34 and no skin irritation or sensitization in a rat model.
Pharmaceuticals, 2023Dense chitosan-xanthan membranes associated with multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells accelerated wound healing in Wistar rats compared to untreated conditions, demonstrating safety and feasibility for dermo-epidermal wound treatment.
Journal of Biomaterials Applications, 2015
Why other serums fit acne-prone skin better
Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Niacinamide and ferulic acid incorporated in a stable multiple emulsion successfully reduced melanin, sebum, and skin erythema while improving skin elasticity and hydration in human skin compared to a placebo.
BioMed Research International, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Triethanolamine, Isoceteth-20, Xanthan Gum, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethoxydiglycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
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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Medical Board
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
How does it fit your skin?
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