Murad Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum for sensitive skin
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 normal skin due to glycolic acid and ascorbic acid, which provide exfoliation and antioxidant protection. Glycerin and Glycolic Acid offer general hydration and exfoliation, but are not targeted for your redness and irritation.
- The serum is highly suitable for normal skin types, with ingredients like Ascorbic Acid and Glycolic Acid offering exfoliation and antioxidant benefits.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like Gold and Chlorella Vulgaris Extract.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
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 Glycolic Brightening Serum work for sensitive skin?
This serum works for sensitive skin, though other products fit it better. A product of this type needs ingredients that target redness and irritation while avoiding extra sensitivity.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
This serum works for sensitive skin because it includes soothing components like gold and chlorella vulgaris extract and lacks harsh ingredients. Treatments that fit sensitive skin better need ingredients like niacinamide and snail secretion filtrate that target redness and irritation.
What does Vitamin C do for sensitive skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin, smooth out fine lines, and fade dark spots. Clinical studies show it is generally safe and well-tolerated when improving overall skin quality.
What does Glycolic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Glycolic acid can be too harsh for sensitive skin, leaving it dry and irritated, so this type of skin needs a gentler exfoliating ingredient and calming plant extracts to keep the skin barrier safe and comfortable.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This treatment serum goes in the evening routine for sensitive skin, applied after the soothing toner and before the moisturizer. A product of this type needs calming ingredients and gentle hydrators to soothe redness and irritation.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum in your routine, but apply retinol and this exfoliating treatment on alternating nights to keep sensitive skin calm and prevent irritation. A product for this skin needs gentle hydrators and soothing plant extracts to support the skin barrier while brightening.
How often should I use this serum?
This serum works for sensitive skin once a week to start, as acids can sometimes cause irritation. If your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin, though the exfoliating ingredients may cause mild purging when you first start using it. A treatment of this type needs soothing components and gentle hydrators to keep sensitive skin calm and comfortable.
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, 2020A 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
Why other serums fit sensitive skin better
Topical application of TAT-SOD significantly suppresses UVB-induced erythema formation, blood flow rise, and apoptotic sunburn cell formation in human volunteers compared to a vehicle control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016
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.
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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
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