Youth to the People 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum for sensitive skin
Ascorbic Acid
Clean Caffeine
Squalane
GlycerinAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 antioxidant benefits for your normal skin, as multiple forms of vitamin C like 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate work to enhance radiance and protect against environmental stressors.
- Glycerin and caffeine provide general hydration and a revitalizing effect, supporting overall skin health without specifically targeting your redness and irritation.
- The product is safe for your normal skin with sensitivity, as it contains no harsh or prohibited ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
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 sensitive skin?
This serum works moderately well for sensitive skin, offering brightening and antioxidant benefits, but it does not specifically target redness and irritation. A product of this type needs soothing and calming ingredients like niacinamide and snail secretion filtrate to properly care for sensitive skin.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
This serum works for sensitive skin because it contains glycerin for hydration and squalane to support overall skin health. However, a product for this skin needs calming ingredients that specifically target redness and irritation.
What does Vitamin C do for sensitive skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin, smooth out fine lines, and fade dark spots. Clinical studies show it is generally safe and well-tolerated when improving overall skin quality.
What does Caffeine do for sensitive skin?
Caffeine is unlikely to irritate sensitive skin, as it has a very safe profile and low risk of causing trouble when applied topically. It helps calm the skin and protect it against everyday stressors while keeping your skin barrier comfortable and smooth.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after your toner and before your moisturizer. Putting it in the evening keeps things simple and provides extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum alongside retinol by applying the vitamin C in the morning and saving your retinol for your evening routine. This spacing helps prevent overwhelming your skin with too many strong active ingredients at once.
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment may be used in the evening once a week for sensitive skin, and can be used more often if your skin tolerates it well without redness or irritation. A product for this skin needs soothing ingredients like centella asiatica, allantoin, or ceramides to calm irritation while providing hydration.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin because it contains no heavy or pore-blocking ingredients. It is safe for your skin type, though products with extra calming ingredients to soothe redness and irritation fit sensitive skin even better.
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, 2020A 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, 2017Topical 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, 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
Why other serums fit sensitive skin better
Topical application of TAT-SOD significantly suppresses UVB-induced erythema formation, blood flow rise, and apoptotic sunburn cell formation in human volunteers compared to a vehicle control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016In 50 participants with sensitive skin, a Ceramide NP C15-containing emollient improved skin barrier function with a significant reduction in transepidermal water loss and induced modest changes in skin microbiota compared to the vehicle.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2026Laser-assisted delivery of vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid serum decreased postoperative edema and erythema and increased basic fibroblast growth factor expression in fifteen healthy adults compared to vehicle control.
Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 2016
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
How does it fit your skin?
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