Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum for dry sensitive skin
Ascorbic Acid
Glutathione
Ergothioneine
TocopherolAverage
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014
- Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, 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 and evening of skin tone due to tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and glutathione, which are beneficial for your dry and sensitive skin by providing antioxidant support and improving radiance.
- The inclusion of glycerin and sodium hyaluronate offers essential hydration, supporting your dry or flaky skin by attracting and retaining moisture.
- The product is safe for your dry and sensitive skin as it contains no harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate.
How to apply
- Use this PM routine for your evening skincare. Start using the serum 3 times a week and increase to daily use if your skin feels comfortable.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer. This step locks in deep hydration for dry skin.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin using your palms. Let it absorb completely for a minute ⏱ before applying your next product.
- Since your skin is sensitive, apply the serum on completely dry skin for better tolerance and less irritation.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Always do a patch test before your first use to ensure your skin reacts well.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsMany reviewers report a noticeable glow, improved skin bounce, and the fading of stubborn sun spots and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after consistent use.
Highlights
Gentle & non-irritating Mostly Mentioned
- “Finally a vitamin C product I can use”
- “no sensitivity”
Effective brightening Often Mentioned
- “Discoloration almost gone”
- “faded old acne spots”
- “skin looks more radiant”
Elegant texture Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs like a dream”
- “silky lotion texture”
- “doesn't feel sticky or wet”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “Sooooo expensive”
- “can't justify the price”
- “getting outpriced”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “Doesn't smell at all”
- “mild pleasant smell”
- “no weird pungent odor”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused breakouts”
- “irritated my skin”
- “bumps appeared after use”
Heavy for oily Rarely Noted
- “Extremely greasy”
- “too heavy for oily skin”
- “shiny under makeup”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, paulaschoice.com, spacenk.com, cultbeauty.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum work for dry sensitive skin?
This serum works moderately well for dry sensitive skin by brightening your tone and providing essential hydration, though other products fit it better. To achieve a top-tier fit for this skin type, a treatment needs maximum hydrating and nourishing ingredients, an optimal texture and pH, and a gentle formula that protects the skin barrier without causing irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
This serum works for your skin because glycerin and sodium hyaluronate help attract and retain moisture, while tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and glutathione provide antioxidant support and improve radiance. To fit dry sensitive skin just as well as top-rated treatments, a product like this also needs soothing and barrier-supporting ingredients that deliver deep hydration without any risk of irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Vitamin C do for dry sensitive skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten and smooth dry sensitive skin while reducing wrinkles and improving elasticity. It is generally well tolerated and unlikely to cause irritation when properly formulated, leaving the skin looking more radiant.
What does Glutathione do for dry sensitive skin?
Glutathione helps improve moisture content and smoothness while reducing oxidative stress, making it a helpful option for dry sensitive skin. This ingredient may enhance hydration and elasticity while maintaining a gentle profile. To properly care for dry sensitive skin, a product of this type needs soothing and hydrating ingredients that support the skin barrier.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after your toner and before your moisturizer. Dry and sensitive skin of this type needs a gentle, fragrance-free formula rich in soothing hydrators like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture without causing irritation.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol, but apply retinol at night and this vitamin C treatment in the morning to help prevent irritation on dry and sensitive skin. To truly thrive, dry and sensitive skin needs products of this type that also deliver rich, soothing hydrators and gentle barrier-supporting ingredients.
How often should I use this serum?
Apply this treatment in the evening as part of your routine to keep things simple and safe around sun exposure. Dry and sensitive skin of this type needs products packed with calming ingredients and deep moisture like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your dry and sensitive skin, as reviewers rarely report these issues. To work best for this skin type, a product of this type needs soothing components and hydrating ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical 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, 2014Glutathione 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, 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, 2022Topical glutathione improves hyperpigmentation, reduces ultraviolet-induced erythema and wrinkles, decreases transepidermal water loss, and enhances antioxidant capacity.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025RayGel reduced skin reaction severity with a lower average score of 93.7 compared to 123.3 for the placebo group in patients undergoing whole breast external-beam irradiation.
American Journal of Surgery, 2005Combining high-intensity focused ultrasound with a topical agent containing glutathione and hyaluronic acid significantly improves skin quality, fine wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, hydration, and brightness in female volunteers compared to the topical agent alone.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2024A targeted skincare regimen containing active ingredients such as rhodophyceae extract, ergothioneine, and L-carnosine significantly reduced transepidermal water loss by 24.09%, improved skin elasticity, and decreased redness, dryness, and desquamation in thirty-five female Chinese participants over 4 weeks following advanced optimal pulse technology treatment.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025A triple combination of ergothioneine, collagen peptides, and sodium hyaluronate attenuated UV-induced skin damage ex vivo and improved facial skin hydration, elasticity, barrier function, and wrinkles in Chinese women.
Frontiers in Nutrition, 2026Ergothioneine at nanomolar concentrations ameliorated UVA-induced skin damage, reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis in human keratinocyte-derived HaCaT cells by upregulating Nrf2/ARE-mediated antioxidant genes.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2015Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, C9-12 Alkane, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Silica, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Rice Bran Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lysine Carboxymethyl Cysteinate, Coco Caprylate Caprate, Tocopherol, Glutathione, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract Sunflower Seed Extract, Urea, Mannitol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Pca, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract Rosemary Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trehalose, Ascorbic Acid, Glucose, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Ergothioneine, Triacetin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol
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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