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buttah Vitamin C Serum for oily acne-prone skin

High

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few serums fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 high suitability for your oily skin, as ascorbic acid and ferulic acid provide antioxidant protection and mild exfoliation to help manage oiliness and breakouts. Retinyl palmitate further supports cell turnover, addressing acne and blemishes effectively.
  • Chamomilla recutita extract and camellia sinensis leaf extract offer soothing benefits, complementing the active ingredients for your skin.
  • The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh or prohibited ingredients.

How to apply

  • Could be used as part of your PM routine. Start 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply your serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2 to 3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the serum on clean, dry skin to help manage your blemishes safely.
  • Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area.

People Say

★4.7Overall rating based on 2.3k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this Vitamin C serum is frequently praised for its ability to brighten dull skin, smooth skin texture, and fade dark spots, leading to a radiant and smooth complexion. Some users report a moderate frequency of an orange tint on the skin, while a low frequency of users mention a watery consistency and an unpleasant smell.

Highlights

  • Brightens skin Often Mentioned
    • “give a brightening effect”
    • “noticed less dullness”
    • “skin did feel more radiant”
    • “skin looks brighter”
  • Smooths texture Often Mentioned
    • “absorbs well into skin”
    • “texture is really lightweight”
    • “improves overall texture”
    • “leaves a nice soft finish”
  • Fades dark spots Sometimes Noted
    • “improve the appearance of dark spots”
    • “face has completely healed”
    • “fading dark marks over time”
    • “complexion had a noticeable change”
  • Orange tint Sometimes Noted
    • “leave an unexpected orange tint”
    • “experience a slight tint initially”
    • “paints face orange”
    • “notice a slight tint after application”
  • Unpleasant smell Rarely Noted
    • “unpleasantly strong smell”
    • “smell of rubbing alcohol”
    • “carries a very unpleasantly strong smell”
  • Watery consistency Rarely Noted
    • “extremely watery”
    • “same consistency of the Rosewater Toner”
    • “no longer a true serum”

Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, walmart.com, lemon8-app.com, buttahskin.com, dermapproved.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes Buttah Vitamin C Serum a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?

Buttah Vitamin C Serum is a great fit because ascorbic acid and ferulic acid help manage oiliness and breakouts through antioxidant protection and mild exfoliation, while retinyl palmitate supports cell turnover to address blemishes. Chamomilla recutita and camellia sinensis leaf extracts offer soothing benefits to complement these active ingredients safely without irritation.

International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?

Ascorbic acid and ferulic acid help manage oiliness and breakouts, while retinyl palmitate supports cell turnover to address blemishes. Chamomilla recutita and camellia sinensis leaf extracts also offer soothing benefits to complement these active ingredients for your skin.

International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019

What does Vitamin C do for oily acne-prone skin?

Vitamin C helps brighten skin, smooth out texture, and improve uneven spots for oily acne-prone skin. It may also help fade marks left behind by blemishes.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023

What does Retinyl Palmitate do for oily acne-prone skin?

Retinyl Palmitate helps clear blemishes and reduce bumps on oily, acne-prone skin with minimal irritation. It works to manage acne lesions effectively while keeping the skin comfortable.

International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2021

Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This treatment serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure. It is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin, as ascorbic acid and ferulic acid help manage oiliness and breakouts while soothing extracts keep skin calm.

Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?

It is best not to use this vitamin C serum at the same time as a separate retinol product to avoid overwhelming your skin. Instead, use this serum in your evening routine on nights when you are not using retinol, or apply this serum in the morning and your retinol at night.

How often should I use this serum?

This treatment serum fits your oily acne-prone skin well and is used in the evening routine. Lovi routines start treatments once a week for safety, and people who tolerate them well can carefully use them more often.

International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2021Facial Plastic Surgery, 2014

Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?

This serum is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin and is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts. Its ingredients help manage oiliness and support cell turnover while soothing the skin, with no risk of harsh irritation.

International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2021Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021

Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol and parfum).

What the research says

  • Retinyl palmitate ethosomal hydrogel reduced non-inflammatory and total acne lesion counts significantly better than marketed tretinoin while improving tolerability with minimal skin irritation in patients with acne vulgaris.

    International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2021
  • An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
  • Dermatological 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, 2021
  • Hyaluronic acid extracts are safe and efficacious products for skin repair when used in tissue regeneration alone or in combination with herbal or Western medicine.

    Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015
  • Topical 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, 2003
  • Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.

    Journal of Periodontology, 2009
  • Topical 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, 2022
  • Over-the-counter retinol products provided only weak evidence for a mild ameliorating effect on fine facial skin wrinkle lines in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials, and major methodological flaws call the validity of positive results into question.

    The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021
  • A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.

    The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010
  • A 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
  • Topical 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, 2025
  • Topical 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
  • A topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced air pollution-induced skin pigmentation and proinflammatory gene expression ex vivo, and improved skin aging signs in 40 healthy adult females after 90 days of daily use.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
  • Treatment 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, 2022
  • Combining 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, 2025
  • Pretreatment 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, 2008
  • Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
  • Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

    Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022
  • Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

    BMC Oral Health, 2019

Ingredients

Water Deionized Water, Ethoxydiglycol, Ascorbic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Propylene Glycol, Retinyl Palmitate Vitamin A, Phenoxyethanol, Peg Ppg-18 18 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Laureth-23, Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid, Chamomilla Recutita Extract Matricaria Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract Grape Seed Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Parfum

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.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.