HYDRINITY Vivid Brightening Serum for combination skin
Glycerin
Niacinamide
Ascorbic AcidAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- Low RiskSafety
Works for combination skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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, as niacinamide and ascorbic acid work to even skin tone and provide antioxidant activity, though the hydration from glycerin and hyaluronic acid is not directly targeted for your oily shine.
- The formula is generally safe for your combination skin, with ascorbic acid posing a slight risk of irritation.
- This serum provides general skincare benefits that are supportive rather than directly addressing your primary concern of oily shine.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, and right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏳for it to soak in.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive.
- Always do a patch test before using the serum for the first time, and avoid the eye area .
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsThis serum is highly effective at fading hyperpigmentation, melasma, and post-acne marks, while also providing significant hydration and calming redness. Users with sensitive skin find it gentle and non-irritating, leading to improved overall skin tone and luminosity.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Often Mentioned
- “and for hydration.”
- “Makes my face feel and look hydrated”
- “Moisturizing, light scent, love it!”
- “Feels very nice.”
- “plus it's super hydrating.”
Fades dark spots Often Mentioned
- “Its great for my redness and PIE/PIH”
- “I noticed my skin feels smoother and brighter.”
- “fading post-acne marks”
- “This has done wonders for my skin.”
- “Vivid really helped with stubborn PIE”
Calms skin redness Sometimes Noted
- “Its great for my redness”
- “calming overall redness”
- “seemed to bring my skin back to normal”
- “without the irritation”
- “No redness or irritation.”
Expensive price Sometimes Noted
- “Other than expensive this is great”
- “5x more expensive than it should be.”
- “Just wish it wasn't so expensive”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “It does cause me to break out around my t-zone”
- “I'm not sure if it's breaking me out or not.”
- “Can clog pores or trigger breakouts.”
- “I would not recommend it if you are breakout prone.”
No visible results Rarely Noted
- “I don't see any results yet”
- “I haven't seen a difference in the brightness yet.”
- “it did absolutely nothing for my dark spots.”
- “Waiting to use it for a few months for full results.”
Sources: lovi.care, savvyderm.com, lazskincare.com, artofskincare.com, mariposaskincare.com, skinclique.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Hydinity Vivid Brightening work for combination skin?
This serum works moderately well for your combination skin by evening out your skin tone and providing antioxidants, though it may cause a slight risk of irritation and does not directly target your oily shine. A treatment of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA that balance and hydrate your skin while actively regulating oiliness without any risk of irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for combination skin?
Glycerin, niacinamide, and ascorbic acid make this serum a fit by brightening your skin tone and providing moisture, though a product of this type needs ingredients like zinc PCA or propolis to properly balance oily shine.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine, applied after cleansing toner and before moisturizer. A product for this skin needs ingredients that balance oil and hydrate without heavy shine.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol, but apply your retinol first and follow with this treatment to help keep irritation low. Combination skin works best with this type of product when it also balances oil and controls shine without heavy moisture.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in your evening routine, as niacinamide and ascorbic acid help brighten your skin while ascorbic acid may occasionally cause mild irritation. To properly fit combination skin, this type of product needs ingredients that balance oil and shine while hydrating dry areas.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts for combination skin, though reviewers occasionally report this issue. The formula is generally safe for your skin, but a product of this type needs lightweight, oil-controlling ingredients to properly manage oily shine.
What the research says
Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002A 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, 2020Optimized transfersomes loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate and hyaluronic acid increased cell viability while reducing lipid peroxidation, intracellular ROS, and MMP expression in HaCaT cells, and exhibited higher skin permeation and deposition compared to plain EGCG.
Drug Delivery, 2017Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022A 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, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Topical 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, 2022
Why other serums fit combination skin better
Niacinamide 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, 2022A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Ascorbic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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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