innisfree Green Tea Enzyme Vitamin C Brightening Serum for acne-prone skin
Green Tea Enzymes
Ascorbic Acid
Niacinamide
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glutathione
Superior
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- SuperiorEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best serums for acne-prone skin.
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
- Excellent suitability for your combination skin and acne concerns is provided by 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide, which effectively target inflammation and sebum production while brightening your skin tone. Lactobacillus Lysate Ferment and Protease further support desquamation and barrier function, complementing the potent antioxidant activity of Ferulic Acid. The formulation is safe for your acne-prone skin, with soothing ingredients like Allantoin and Madecassoside ensuring no irritation.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly praised for its gentle, lightweight formula that effectively brightens dull complexions and fades dark spots without causing irritation, making it a favorite for sensitive skin. Most users report a radiant glow and improved skin texture. A small number of users experienced breakouts or found the product slightly sticky or slow to show dramatic results.
Highlights
Lightweight formula Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs instantly”
- “watery texture”
- “not sticky”
- “lightweight formula”
- “sinks in quickly”
Brightens skin Often Mentioned
- “instant glow”
- “faded dark spots”
- “brighter complexion”
- “glass skin effect”
- “radiant look”
Gentle on skin Often Mentioned
- “no irritation”
- “good for beginners”
- “didn't burn”
- “soothing”
- “safe for sensitive skin”
Hydrating Sometimes Noted
- “hydrates deeply”
- “plumped skin”
- “doesn't feel dry”
- “moisturizing”
- “good hydration”
Improves texture Sometimes Noted
- “smoother texture”
- “softens skin”
- “refined pores”
- “even skin tone”
- “makeup applies smoothly”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “broke me out”
- “caused redness”
- “tiny bumps”
- “bad reaction”
- “irritated my skin”
Expensive Rarely Noted
- “pricey”
- “expensive for size”
- “small bottle”
- “average value”
- “finish quickly”
Slow results Rarely Noted
- “didn't do anything”
- “no difference”
- “slow progress”
- “not strong enough”
- “expected more”
Sticky residue Rarely Noted
- “tad sticky”
- “oily sheen”
- “tacky finish”
- “sticky feeling”
- “greasy residue”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “herbal scent”
- “fragrance added”
- “smell isn't great”
- “strong scent”
- “dislike the smell”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, nykaa.com, influenster.com, yesstyle.com, spacenk.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Innisfree Green Tea Enzyme Vitamin C Brightening Serum one of the best fits for acne-prone skin?
This serum is a great fit because ingredients like 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide help calm inflammation and balance oil while brightening your skin tone. Soothing additions like Allantoin and Madecassoside ensure a safe routine that is unlikely to cause irritation on acne-prone skin.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This serum is a great fit for acne-prone skin because ingredients like 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide help target inflammation and control oily areas while brightening your skin tone. Soothing additions like Allantoin and Madecassoside ensure a safe routine that is unlikely to cause irritation.
What does Green Tea Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Green tea extract helps calm acne-prone skin and keeps breakouts under control by reducing oil and swelling. Applying it topically may significantly lower the number of pimples and make skin less oily over time.
Phytotherapy Research, 2021Archives of Dermatological Research, 2020
What does Vitamin C do for acne-prone skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin, smooth out uneven tones, and fade dark spots left behind by breakouts. It is also packed with antioxidants that may help protect acne-prone skin from everyday environmental stress.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2024
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This treatment serum goes in your evening routine, applied after cleansing and before moisturizing. Putting it in the evening routine helps keep things simple and gives you extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying this vitamin C treatment in the morning and your retinol at night to avoid overwhelming your skin. Using them separately like this helps reduce the likelihood of irritation while still letting you target both breakouts and uneven skin tone.
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment fits your acne-prone skin exceptionally well and belongs in your evening routine. Start using it once a week, and if your skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you may carefully use it more often.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This serum is a superior fit for acne-prone skin because ingredients like vitamin C and niacinamide help calm inflammation and balance oil without clogging pores. Soothing components such as allantoin and madecassoside help ensure that irritation and breakouts are unlikely to happen.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023Niacinamide 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, 2020Topical 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 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 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, 2011Topical 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, 2022Treatment 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, 2019Glutathione 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, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus Lysate Ferment, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Dextrin, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Gluconolactone, Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract Tangerine Peel Extract, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Allantoin, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract Carrot Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Metaphosphate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Cyclodextrin, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Madecassoside, Hydrogenated Poly C6-20 Olefin, Protease, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Glutathione, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Hdi Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Beta-Carotene, Ferulic Acid
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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.