Youth to the People 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum for oily acne-prone skin
Ascorbic Acid
Clean Caffeine
Squalane
GlycerinAverage
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 exfoliation and pH modulation suitable for your oily skin, with gluconolactone and citric acid helping to manage excess sebum. While it provides excellent brightening and evening of skin tone due to multiple forms of vitamin C like 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, these benefits are not specifically targeted for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The inclusion of glycerin and squalane offers general hydration, which is supportive for your skin. Caffeine and squalane contribute to a good safety profile with no risks of irritation for your oily skin.
- The product is safe for your skin as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients and contains soothing components.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your PM routine. Start 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply your serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2 to 3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on clean, dry skin to help manage your blemishes safely.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.7k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with dull, tired, or sensitive skin frequently praise this serum for its ability to visibly brighten the complexion and reduce morning puffiness without causing irritation. While many report a "healthy glow" and improved skin tone, results regarding hyperpigmentation vary, and the product is often noted for its unique, lightweight texture that layers well under makeup.
Highlights
Visibly brightens skin Mostly Mentioned
- “skin appeared brighter and had a healthy glow”
- “fading my post-acne dark spots”
- “complexion looks more awake”
- “gave a subtle brightening effect”
Gentle formula Often Mentioned
- “didn't break me out”
- “gentle on sensitive skin”
- “no tingling or stinging”
- “stable vitamin C not sensitizing”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “absorbs quickly into skin”
- “layers well with no pilling”
- “non-sticky and lightweight”
- “milky gel-like consistency”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “price feels a bit steep”
- “a little overpriced”
- “better options for cheaper”
- “expensive for the size”
Reduces puffiness Sometimes Noted
- “minimized morning puffiness”
- “helps look less puffy in mornings”
- “face looks more awake”
- “great for depuffing eyes”
Strong ginger scent Sometimes Noted
- “strong ginger scent”
- “smells like ginger root”
- “scent is too strong”
- “not a fan of the smell”
Lack of results Rarely Noted
- “no noticeable results after 4 weeks”
- “didn't see a difference”
- “no real results”
- “didn't do anything for me”
Sticky finish Rarely Noted
- “leaves a sticky residue”
- “feels a bit tacky”
- “texture is slightly sticky”
- “sticky finish before drying”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, cultbeauty.com, youthtothepeople.com, spacenk.com, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Youth to the People 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum work for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is an average fit for oily acne-prone skin, as it brightens and helps manage excess oil, but it does not specifically target blemishes and breakouts. To work better for this skin type, a treatment needs ingredients like niacinamide and propolis that control oil and tackle breakouts without causing irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum works for your skin because gluconolactone and citric acid help manage excess oil, while multiple forms of vitamin C brighten your tone. To better fit oily acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide and propolis that directly target blemishes and breakouts while controlling excess oil.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013
What does Vitamin C do for oily acne-prone skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin, smooth out texture, and improve uneven spots for oily acne-prone skin. It may also help fade marks left behind by blemishes.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
What does Caffeine do for oily acne-prone skin?
Caffeine helps reduce puffiness and calm redness in oily, acne-prone skin. It is unlikely to cause breakouts and may help refresh tired-looking areas.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though an average fit for oily acne-prone skin means this type of product works best when it also includes ingredients that target breakouts directly.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the vitamin C serum in the morning and your retinol at night to avoid irritation. To work well for oily acne-prone skin, this type of product needs ingredients that directly target breakouts and blemishes alongside oil control and brightening.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening, and some similar serums may also be used in the morning or twice a day. For oily acne-prone skin, this product works, though an acne-focused serum with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or retinoids would fit your skin better.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores on oily skin because it lacks harsh or prohibited ingredients and includes soothing components with a good safety profile. However, because it does not specifically target acne and blemishes, oily acne-prone skin needs a product that includes targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing agents.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A 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, 2020Combining 10% gluconolactone chemical peeling with oxybrasion or microneedle mesotherapy increased skin hydration and decreased sebum, pH, and TEWL in twenty-one Caucasian women, with no significant differences between the two methods.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Topical 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, 2022A topical cosmetic slimming product containing tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol significantly reduced body circumferences and improved skin aspect compared with placebo in 78 women over 12 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2011Topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine combined with UV filters increased in vivo anti-UVB protection by approximately 25% and showed higher SPF values compared to caffeine-free sunscreen, while being well tolerated by the skin of healthy subjects.
Frontiers in Physiology, 2019Caffeine gel combined with choline geranate showed high skin permeation capacity and superior clinical results in cellulite treatment compared to caffeine gel without ionic liquid.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021Squalane 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, 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, 2001
Why other serums fit oily acne-prone skin better
A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Niacinamide 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, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Ascorbic Acid, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Squalane, Triethyl Citrate, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Benzoate, Lauroyl Lysine, Passiflora Edulis Extract, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Ilex Guayusa Leaf Extract, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Pullulan, Mannitol, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale Oil Root, Calcium Gluconate, Silica, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ergothioneine
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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