Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum for dry skin
Ascorbic Acid
Glutathione
Ergothioneine
TocopherolAverage
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other serums fit it 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
- Offers moderate brightening and evening of skin tone due to the presence of tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and glutathione, which are beneficial for your dry skin by improving barrier function. Ascorbic acid and sodium hyaluronate further support hydration and skin barrier health, addressing your dry or flaky skin concerns.
- The formula is highly suitable for dry skin, with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate providing humectant action, while trehalose and urea enhance hydration.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your dry skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh 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 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 Clinical Serum work for dry skin?
This product works for your dry skin, though other products fit it better. It helps improve moisture, smoothness, and skin tone, and is unlikely to cause irritation. A product of this type needs rich hydrating and soothing ingredients, such as ceramides, niacinamide, peptides, or propolis, along with nourishing antioxidants to give dry skin the best care.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry skin?
Ascorbic acid, glutathione, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, glycerin, and sodium hyaluronate help brighten skin, support the moisture barrier, and improve dry or flaky skin. To fit dry skin even better, this type of product needs soothing ingredients, ceramides, niacinamide, or peptides that provide deep hydration and skin-repairing benefits without irritation.
What does Vitamin C do for dry skin?
Vitamin C helps dry skin by boosting moisture and keeping the surface smooth and soft. It may also improve skin hydration and support the outer protective barrier over time.
Skin Research and Technology, 2008Experimental Dermatology, 2008
What does Glutathione do for dry skin?
Glutathione helps dry skin by improving moisture levels and smoothness while keeping the skin barrier strong against daily stress. Topical application of glutathione may also reduce water loss through the skin, helping your face feel softer and more hydrated.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though products of this type for dry skin generally need extra rich hydrators, soothing oils, and moisture-locking ingredients to keep flaky areas soft and comfortable.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying this treatment first and following with your retinol, or alternating nights to keep your dry skin calm. A product for this skin needs rich hydrating ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to lock in moisture and prevent flaking.
How often should I use this serum?
This serum works well in your evening routine, and a product of this type for dry skin needs deep moisturizers like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to keep skin soft.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts for dry skin since reviews rarely mention clogged pores and the formula has a very safe profile. However, because dry skin needs extra moisture and rich barrier-supporting ingredients to feel completely smooth and soft, this treatment works best when paired with a deeply nourishing cream.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
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, 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, 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
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
How does it fit your skin?
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