Drunk Elephant C-Luma™ Hydrabright Serum for oily skin
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Hyaluronic Acid
Glutathione
SqualaneAverage
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 and evening of skin tone for your oily skin, as Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Glucoside provide antioxidant activity and aid in seboregulation. Squalane and hyaluronic acid offer general hydration and antioxidant protection, which are supportive for oily skin.
- The formula is generally safe for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients, ensuring no risks of irritation.
- While it provides good hydration and antioxidant benefits, it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address oily shine.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsThis serum is highly regarded for its gentle, hydrating formula that effectively brightens dull skin and fades hyperpigmentation without causing irritation. Users with sensitive and acne-prone skin particularly appreciate its lightweight texture and non-drying finish. Some users reported issues with pilling and found the price point to be high.
Highlights
Brightens dark spots Mostly Mentioned
- “stubborn dark spots have noticeably started to fade”
- “helped brighten my skin tone, reduce my hyperpigmentation”
- “face looks brighter, and the texture feels smoother”
- “helping to brighten up the overall look”
Gentle and non-irritating Mostly Mentioned
- “gentle 10% vitamin C blend... without any irritation”
- “use this twice a day no irritation”
- “doesn't burn my skin or seem to cause irritation”
- “great alternative for anyone that is very sensitive”
Hydrating and moisturizing Often Mentioned
- “doesn't leave my skin dry at all”
- “improves my skin's overall level of hydration”
- “super moisturizing”
- “Leaves skin hydrated, radiant, and glowing”
Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often Mentioned
- “light on the skin and doesn't leave me feeling sticky”
- “super lightweight and feels nice”
- “lightweight silky texture”
- “absorbs quickly”
Expensive product Sometimes Noted
- “price point was the huge deterrent”
- “it is a little bit more pricey”
- “wouldn't pay this much for a vitamin C serum”
Chemical scent Rarely Noted
- “little bit of a chemical scent”
- “does have a scent to it”
- “smelling the product as it smells”
Pilling issues Rarely Noted
- “terrible pilling”
- “pills so much, with SPF”
- “pills with makeup and even on its own”
Slow or no results Rarely Noted
- “didnt help with dark spots been using it for 3-4 months now”
- “didn't notice any brightening benefits”
- “didn't notice any benefits with my acne”
Sources: lovi.care, drunkelephant.com, cultbeauty.com, lookfantastic.com, sephora.sg, boots.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Drunk Elephant C-Luma™ Hydrabright Serum work for oily skin?
This serum works moderately well for oily skin, offering good hydration and antioxidants that help manage oil and brighten your tone, though it lacks specialized ingredients to directly tackle oily shine. An oily skin type needs products with ingredients like niacinamide, zinc PCA, and soothing extracts to control excess oil and pores while maintaining comfort.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Glucoside make this serum a good fit for oily skin because they help control excess oil and provide antioxidant protection. Squalane and hyaluronic acid also support this skin type by offering light, comfortable hydration without heavy oils. To be an even better fit for oily skin, this treatment needs ingredients like niacinamide or zinc PCA to more actively manage shine and target pores.
What does Vitamin C do for oily skin?
Vitamin C helps oily skin by reducing unwanted oil production and preventing oil from oxidizing on your face. It also provides effective antimicrobial action that keeps breakouts under control and helps clear up acne lesions.
Drug Research, 2017International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005
What does Ascorbyl Glucoside do for oily skin?
Ascorbyl Glucoside helps brighten skin and fade dark spots, making it a good fit for oily skin when you want a more even complexion. It is unlikely to feel heavy or greasy, but oily skin also benefits from lightweight hydrators and gentle exfoliants to keep pores clear.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Putting treatments in the evening helps keep things simple and adds extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol, applying this treatment first and following with your retinol once it absorbs. The formula is unlikely to irritate oily skin, but this type of skin needs ingredients that directly control shine.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening, and a product of this type needs mattifying ingredients to properly control oily shine for oily skin.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin because it lacks harsh ingredients and includes lightweight hydrators like squalane and hyaluronic acid. However, since it is an average fit, oily skin often needs oil-controlling ingredients like niacinamide or salicylic acid to help reduce shine and better manage breakouts.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Combined ascorbyl palmitate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate treatment significantly reduced facial sebum secretions in healthy female volunteers compared to a placebo control over 90 days.
Drug Research, 2017Treatment with ascorbyl glucoside-arginine complex lotion significantly decreased pigmentation scores and melanin index while increasing lightness in solar lentigos of Japanese females compared to placebo over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2024Topical 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 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, 2025Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025
Why other serums fit oily skin better
A 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, 2024Niacinamide 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, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Propanediol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Squalane, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, C9-12 Alkane, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Coco-Caprylate Caprate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Glutathione, Hyaluronic Acid, Sorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Phloretin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Ppg-8-Ceteth-20, Gluconolactone, Acrylates Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Silica, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Chondrus Crispus Extract
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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