Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer for dry skin
Ascorbic Acid Ester
Titanium Dioxide
Glycerin
BisabololHigh
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for dry skin; a few sunscreens fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, 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
- Highly suitable for your dry skin as glycerin and hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine provide humectant and barrier repair actions, while Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Astaxanthin offer antioxidant and brightening benefits for dry or flaky skin.
- Titanium Dioxide ensures excellent sun protection, shielding your skin from UV rays.
- The formula is safe for your dry skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen daily in your AM routine. Use it every morning as the final step of your skincare routine.
- Apply after your moisturizer and before putting on makeup. This ensures proper sun protection for your skin.
- Gently spread an even layer over your face and neck. Avoid rubbing too hard to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply on completely dry skin for the best coverage and protection. Make sure your face is clean before application.
- Avoid the immediate eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 900+ reviewsUsers consistently praise this moisturizer for its lightweight, whipped texture that absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue, making it ideal for daily use under makeup. Many reviewers with mature or dull skin report a noticeable "glow" and improvement in skin texture, with some noting a reduction in dark spots and fine lines over time, though a minority experienced pilling or sensitivity.
Highlights
Lightweight & Non-Greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “whipped airy consistency”
- “absorbs immediately”
- “no oily residue”
- “feels weightless”
- “perfect for summer”
Brightening & Radiance Often Mentioned
- “gives nice glow”
- “skin looks brighter”
- “iridescent shine”
- “faded dark spots”
- “healthy radiance”
Effective SPF Protection Sometimes Noted
- “great mineral SPF”
- “no white cast”
- “protection without heaviness”
- “icing on cake”
- “good daily defense”
Pleasant Application Sometimes Noted
- “mild citrus scent”
- “goes on smooth”
- “refreshing feel”
- “little goes far”
- “silky finish”
Skin Texture Improvement Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels softer”
- “smoother complexion”
- “tightens skin”
- “minimized pores”
- “improved elasticity”
Pilling issues Sometimes Noted
- “rolls off skin”
- “pills under makeup”
- “clumps if rubbed”
- “flakes off”
- “doesn't layer well”
Insufficient hydration Rarely Noted
- “not moisturizing enough”
- “need extra serum”
- “drying for dry skin”
- “skin felt tight”
- “accentuated dry patches”
Packaging concerns Rarely Noted
- “heavy glass jar”
- “lid breaks easily”
- “unhygienic jar”
- “hard to close”
- “prefer pump bottle”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused stinging”
- “burning sensation”
- “redness after use”
- “broke me out”
- “irritated eyes”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “smells like seashells”
- “fishy odor”
- “weird chemical smell”
- “scent lingers”
- “changed formula smell”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, perriconemd.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, lookfantastic.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer a great fit for dry skin?
This moisturizer is a great fit for dry skin because glycerin and hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine help hold in moisture and repair the skin barrier, while vitamin C and astaxanthin brighten and protect dry or flaky skin. Titanium Dioxide provides reliable sun protection, and the formula is safe with no harsh ingredients that might cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin and hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine make this cream a great fit for your dry skin by holding in moisture and repairing your skin barrier, while tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, astaxanthin, and titanium Dioxide brighten, protect against sun damage, and bring antioxidants to flaky areas. The formula is safe for your dry skin with no risks of irritation.
What does Ascorbic Acid do for dry skin?
Ascorbic Acid helps dry skin by improving moisture levels and hydration in the outer layer of the skin. It also helps support the skin barrier function to keep moisture locked in.
Experimental Dermatology, 2008Skin Research and Technology, 2008
What does Titanium Dioxide do for dry skin?
Titanium dioxide sits on top of dry skin to block UV rays without sinking in or clogging pores. A product of this type needs rich, moisturizing ingredients like shea butter to keep dry skin soft and comfortable.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2000Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2001
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This moisturizing sunscreen goes in the morning routine after a hydrating toner and before sun protection, though this product combines both moisturizing and sun-shielding steps. Applying it daily helps keep dry skin hydrated and protected from UV rays.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream in the morning after your retinol routine or on its own with sunscreen because it provides both moisture and UV protection. Using a hydrating moisturizer with barrier-repair ingredients helps keep dry skin calm and supports your skin while using strong treatments like retinol.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing spf every morning as part of your daytime routine. Daily application helps keep your skin protected from the sun while delivering steady moisture and brightening benefits.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This moisturizing spf is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin. Its formula is safe and gentle for this skin type, with no harsh ingredients that typically cause irritation.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).
What the research says
Combining oral and topical astaxanthin in 30 healthy females improved skin wrinkles, age spots, elasticity, texture, and moisture, while 6 mg daily oral supplementation in 36 healthy males improved crow's feet wrinkles, elasticity, and transepidermal water loss.
Acta Biochimica Polonica, 2012Microfine titanium dioxide does not penetrate human skin when formulated in an oil-in-water emulsion with the pigment dispersed in the aqueous phase, compared to oily dispersions and liposomal encapsulation which allow deeper skin penetration.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2000Topical 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, 2022Replacing microsized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide with nanoparticles in sunscreens eliminates opaqueness and alters UV protection balance while inducing (photo)cyto- and genotoxicity and penetrating viable skin layers during long-term exposures.
Nanotechnology, Science and Applications, 2011Microfine zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do not penetrate the stratum corneum of porcine skin in vitro, indicating that their use in sunscreens does not pose a health risk from internal exposure.
Toxicology in Vitro, 2006Hyaluronic acid-grafted titanium dioxide nanoparticles increased SPF from 13.3 to 19.1 while demonstrating low photocatalytic activity, exceptional thermal stability with >95% SPF retention, enhanced moisturization with >80% hydration retention, and minimal cytotoxicity with 88.5% cell viability in HaCaT keratinocytes compared to unmodified nanoparticles.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025A 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, 2001Application of an alpha-bisabolol-containing cream produced a significant skin-lightening effect in pigmented skin compared to a vehicle control in the majority of female subjects after 8 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2010The combination of allantoin, bisabolol, D-panthenol and dipotassium glycyrrhizinate reduces UVB-induced PGE2, inflammatory cytokines, and mitochondrial superoxide in human epidermal keratinocytes.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
Ingredients
Titanium Dioxide, Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Polyester-8, Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Isohexadecane, Bisabolol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysilicone-11, Polysorbate 60, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Thioctic Acid, Astaxanthin
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.