Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum for oily skin
Ascorbic Acid
Glutathione
Ergothioneine
TocopherolAverage
- 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 due to the presence of tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and glutathione, which provide antioxidant and brightening effects. Ascorbic acid and ergothioneine further support collagen synthesis and offer antioxidant protection, though these ingredients do not directly address oily shine.
- The formulation is safe for your oily skin as it lacks harsh ingredients and is unlikely to cause irritation.
- It provides general skincare benefits like hydration and antioxidant support, making it a suitable addition to your routine.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsMany reviewers report a noticeable glow, improved skin bounce, and the fading of stubborn sun spots and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after consistent use.
Highlights
Gentle & non-irritating Mostly Mentioned
- “Finally a vitamin C product I can use”
- “no sensitivity”
Effective brightening Often Mentioned
- “Discoloration almost gone”
- “faded old acne spots”
- “skin looks more radiant”
Elegant texture Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs like a dream”
- “silky lotion texture”
- “doesn't feel sticky or wet”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “Sooooo expensive”
- “can't justify the price”
- “getting outpriced”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “Doesn't smell at all”
- “mild pleasant smell”
- “no weird pungent odor”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused breakouts”
- “irritated my skin”
- “bumps appeared after use”
Heavy for oily Rarely Noted
- “Extremely greasy”
- “too heavy for oily skin”
- “shiny under makeup”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, paulaschoice.com, spacenk.com, cultbeauty.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Serum work for oily skin?
This serum works moderately well for oily skin by brightening your tone and providing antioxidant support, though it does not directly control oily shine. A treatment for this skin needs ingredients like niacinamide and zinc to manage excess oil and enlarged pores while keeping the skin balanced and comfortable.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
This serum works for your oily skin because tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and glutathione offer moderate brightening and antioxidant effects, while ascorbic acid and ergothioneine support collagen. To be a better fit for oily skin, a product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, ferulic acid, and zinc PCA to control sebum production and manage oily shine.
What does Vitamin C do for oily skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin tone and smooth texture while providing antioxidant protection that prevents sebum oxidation. For oily skin, this type of product typically needs to be paired with oil-controlling or pore-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid or plant extracts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
What does Glutathione do for oily skin?
Glutathione helps protect oily skin from everyday damage and oxidative stress. It may also help keep your skin looking bright and smooth.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Oily skin also benefits from ingredients that control shine and balance oil production.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying retinol first and following with this treatment, or by using one in the morning and the other at night. This formulation lacks harsh ingredients and is unlikely to cause irritation, making it a suitable addition to your routine. For oily skin, a product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and oil-controlling ingredients to keep shine in check while brightening.
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment serum works well in the evening for your oily skin, and you can start using it once a week to see how your skin reacts. Nonprescription topical antioxidants serve as a low-risk addition to your routine and help brighten your skin tone safely over time.
Facial Plastic Surgery, 2014Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores on oily skin because it lacks harsh ingredients and has a safe profile, though an oily skin type also needs lightweight, oil-balancing ingredients that control shine.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical 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, 2014A 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, 2022Glutathione 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 glutathione improves hyperpigmentation, reduces ultraviolet-induced erythema and wrinkles, decreases transepidermal water loss, and enhances antioxidant capacity.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025RayGel reduced skin reaction severity with a lower average score of 93.7 compared to 123.3 for the placebo group in patients undergoing whole breast external-beam irradiation.
American Journal of Surgery, 2005A targeted skincare regimen containing active ingredients such as rhodophyceae extract, ergothioneine, and L-carnosine significantly reduced transepidermal water loss by 24.09%, improved skin elasticity, and decreased redness, dryness, and desquamation in thirty-five female Chinese participants over 4 weeks following advanced optimal pulse technology treatment.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025A triple combination of ergothioneine, collagen peptides, and sodium hyaluronate attenuated UV-induced skin damage ex vivo and improved facial skin hydration, elasticity, barrier function, and wrinkles in Chinese women.
Frontiers in Nutrition, 2026Ergothioneine at nanomolar concentrations ameliorated UVA-induced skin damage, reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis in human keratinocyte-derived HaCaT cells by upregulating Nrf2/ARE-mediated antioxidant genes.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2015Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
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, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, C9-12 Alkane, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Silica, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Rice Bran Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lysine Carboxymethyl Cysteinate, Coco Caprylate Caprate, Tocopherol, Glutathione, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract Sunflower Seed Extract, Urea, Mannitol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Pca, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract Rosemary Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trehalose, Ascorbic Acid, Glucose, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Ergothioneine, Triacetin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol
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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