Good Molecules Daily Brightening Serum for dry skin
Beta Arbutin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Licorice Root Extract
GlycerinHigh
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for dry skin; a few serums 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, this serum effectively brightens and evens skin tone with high concentrations of arbutin and licorice root extract, while glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide essential hydration to combat dryness and flakiness.
- The inclusion of hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid further enhances moisture retention, ensuring your dry skin remains supple and comfortable.
- This formula is safe for your skin, as it contains no harsh or irritating ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 800+ reviewsUsers describe this serum as a gentle, entry-level brightening option that excels at hydrating and plumping the skin while slowly evening out overall skin tone. While it is highly praised for being non-irritating and affordable, many reviewers note that it requires patience for fading dark spots and is less potent than the brand's Discoloration Correcting Serum for stubborn acne scars.
Highlights
Gentle & non-irritating Mostly Mentioned
- “never stings my sensitive skin”
- “very gentle formula”
- “no irritation even with daily use”
Affordable price Often Mentioned
- “unbeatable for the price”
- “so cheap for good ingredients”
- “great budget skincare”
Hydrating & plumping Often Mentioned
- “makes my skin look plump”
- “great hydration boost”
- “leaves a nice dewy glow”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “sinks in instantly”
- “layers perfectly under makeup”
- “watery and lightweight”
Slow results Often Mentioned
- “took 3 months to see a difference”
- “very slow progress”
- “don't expect overnight miracles”
Improves overall tone Sometimes Noted
- “skin looks less dull”
- “helped even out my redness”
- “woke up with brighter skin”
Not for deep scars Sometimes Noted
- “didn't touch my dark spots”
- “better for glow than scars”
- “discoloration serum works better”
Small bottle size Sometimes Noted
- “finished in 3 weeks”
- “wish it came in a bigger bottle”
- “goes too fast if used 2x daily”
Needs moisturizer Rarely Noted
- “skin felt tight after drying”
- “need to layer a cream on top”
- “not emollient enough”
Potential breakouts Rarely Noted
- “broke me out in tiny bumps”
- “caused whiteheads on my chin”
- “skin texture got worse”
Sources: lovi.care, goodmolecules.com, beautylish.com, influenster.com, skinsort.com, ulta.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Good Molecules Daily Brightening Serum a great fit for dry skin?
This serum is a great fit because it brightens your skin with arbutin and licorice root extract while using glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to bring much-needed moisture to dry, flaky skin. It also includes hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid to help lock in hydration so your face stays soft and comfortable throughout the day.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid make this serum a great fit for dry skin by providing essential moisture and helping it stay smooth and comfortable. Beta arbutin and licorice root extract brighten your skin safely without harsh or irritating ingredients.
What does Beta Arbutin do for dry skin?
Beta arbutin is unlikely to directly improve dry skin, as it focuses on fading dark spots rather than adding moisture. To properly care for dry skin alongside brightening treatments, you need hydrating and softening ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry skin?
Hyaluronic acid draws moisture into dry skin, giving an immediate and lasting boost in hydration that helps smooth out fine lines and soften rough patches. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation while improving overall skin smoothness and plumpness.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before your moisturizer. Putting it at night keeps it simple and safe around sun exposure, while helping brighten your skin and keep it soft and comfortable.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying this brightening treatment first in your evening routine, letting it absorb, and then following with your retinol and a moisturizer. This combination is generally safe and unlikely to irritate dry skin when introduced gradually.
How often should I use this serum?
This serum is used in the evening as part of your routine for dry skin. It contains hydrating ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate that help keep dry skin comfortable and well-moisturized.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin, as its formula avoids harsh or irritating ingredients. It uses hydrating ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate that help keep dry skin comfortable without heavy oils.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A 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, 2017Profhilo treatment led to significant improvements in superficial skin hydration and transepidermal water loss over time in Chinese females, while demonstrating good product tolerability.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2026A non-hydroquinone topical formulation (SKNB19) improved hyperpigmentation by 28.5% in patient self-assessment and 27% in independent reviewer assessment compared with 4% hydroquinone in 18 adult subjects, while showing significantly less irritation and better tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Encapsulation of alpha arbutin in an optimized ethosomal gel significantly improved skin melanin reduction, moisture content, and elasticity in human volunteers compared to conventional formulations.
Heliyon, 2023Combining a home-based radiofrequency device and arbutin cream reduced mMASI scores by 25.6% and melanin index by 22.8% at 8 weeks compared to baseline in 38 participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical 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, 2019Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2015Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.
Advanced Science, 2025The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Arbutin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, T-Butyl Alcohol
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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