SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF for dry skin
Phloretin
Ascorbic Acid
Ferulic AcidCaution
- LowDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A poor match for dry skin; the serums alongside 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 antioxidant protection due to phloretin and ferulic acid, but the presence of alcohol denat may exacerbate dryness for your dry skin.
- While Ascorbic Acid provides general skincare benefits, the formula lacks sufficient hydrating ingredients to address your dry or flaky skin concerns.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 3.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly regarded for brightening the complexion, evening skin tone, and reducing discoloration such as dark spots and melasma, particularly benefiting those with normal, oily, combination, or acne-prone skin. Many users report achieving smoother, more radiant skin and a decrease in fine lines. However, a significant number of reviews mention the high cost, a strong scent, and occasional issues with stickiness or packaging.
Highlights
Brightens skin Mostly Mentioned
- “I really love this product, as my skin is brighter.”
- “It has evened out my skin tone and helped the overall look of my skin!”
- “Noticeably smoother, more even toned skin.”
- “I immediately notice how much brighter and more even my skin looks when I add it back in.”
Fades discoloration Often Mentioned
- “Really fades brown spots, perfect for men and a little goes a long way!”
- “I have really bad melasma and this had helped to keep it under control.”
- “It also worked synergistically with azelaic acid to fade my dark spots.”
- “I have seen an amazing improvement in discoloration and uneven skin tone.”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “It is a light weight, fast absorbing serum.”
- “It feels lightweight and absorbs quickly.”
- “Absorbs well and doesn't leave a greasy finish.”
- “The formula glides onto skin easily and penetrates quickly.”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “It's not bad by any means but it's also kinda meh at a high price point.”
- “It's ridiculously expensive, but it lasts a long time.”
- “Expensive but worth the buy.”
Good for oily skin Sometimes Noted
- “If you have oily skin, this is a great vitamin C to try.”
- “Fantastic and effective vitamin c serum for acne prone skin.”
- “I like the Phloretin better because it keeps my skin from getting too oily.”
- “Great for sensitive or acne prone skin.”
Unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “The scent is strong and smells like alcohol mixed with something burnt.”
- “This product smells strongly like alcohol which is quite unpleasant.”
- “Has strong fragrance... not my HG.”
- “The scent reminds me of burnt sugar and wood burning.”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Spills fast and I cannot control the nozzle.”
- “Sometimes it makes my skin so sticky after massage.”
- “The liquid dropper is my least favorite part.”
- “Spreading in palms is essential before applying with fingers.”
Sources: lovi.care, skinceuticals.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, bluemercury.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF for dry skin?
Lovi advises caution because alcohol denat may make your dry skin even drier, and the formula lacks enough hydrating ingredients to help with dry or flaky patches. A treatment for dry skin needs soothing and hydrating ingredients that support the skin barrier, such as propolis, niacinamide, ceramides, or peptides, without any conflicting drying components.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2008
Which ingredients make this serum a poor fit for dry skin?
This serum is a poor fit for dry skin because it contains alcohol denat, which may make dryness worse, and lacks enough hydrating ingredients to care for dry or flaky skin. Dry skin needs formulas rich in soothing and hydrating ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, propolis, or peptides that provide deep moisture and support the skin barrier without irritation.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2008Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008
What does phloretin do for dry skin?
Phloretin is not primarily designed to moisturize dry skin, but its antioxidant properties help protect skin from everyday environmental stress. Dry skin of this type needs rich, nourishing ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft and smooth.
What does vitamin C do for dry skin?
Vitamin C helps improve moisture and hydration in dry skin while making it feel smoother and softer. It supports skin barrier function and helps protect against daily damage.
Experimental Dermatology, 2008Skin Research and Technology, 2008
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This serum is a poor match for your dry skin because the alcohol in it may make your dryness worse and lacks enough hydrating ingredients. A product for this skin type needs soothing, moisturizing ingredients and extra hydration to keep skin soft and comfortable.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You should use caution when combining this serum with retinol on dry skin because it contains alcohol, which may worsen dryness and flakiness. To care for dry skin properly, this product needs to be paired with soothing hydrators and rich moisturizers to keep the skin comfortable.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2008Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008
How often should I use this serum?
You should use this serum with caution or avoid it on dry skin, because the alcohol in it may worsen dryness and flakey areas. This type of product needs extra hydrating ingredients and gentle moisture to care for dry skin properly.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2008Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin, but its alcohol content may make existing dryness or flakiness worse. Dry skin needs formulas with rich hydrating ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid to keep skin soft and comfortable.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
A topical antioxidant solution of 15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% alpha-tocopherol, and 0.5% ferulic acid provides significant photoprotection against solar-simulated UV radiation in human skin compared to its vehicle.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2008Pretreatment with a topical antioxidant mixture of vitamin C, ferulic acid, and phloretin attenuated ultraviolet-induced sunburn cell formation, thymine dimer formation, matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression, p53 protein expression, and the suppression of CD1a-expressing Langerhans cells in human skin compared to vehicle control.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008Phloretin inhibits the growth of acne-related bacteria, attenuates P. acnes-induced inflammatory mediators in vitro, and significantly reduces comedo counts, sebum output, and porphyrin levels in subjects with whiteheads compared to before treatment.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2016Phloretin 3',3-disulfonate attenuated UVB-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer formation, glutathione depletion, apoptosis, and inflammatory mediator release in skin cells by enhancing nucleotide excision repair gene expression.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2014Compound 11c showed potent inhibitory activity against tyrosinase at nanomolar concentrations and reduced melanin content in a UV-induced skin pigmentation guinea pig model.
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2023Topical 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, 2022Treatment with 14% ferulic acid and 12% l-ascorbic acid significantly reduced pigmentation and erythema while improving hydration and elasticity in 20 women with photoaged skin, with neither acid proving definitively more effective overall though ascorbic acid showed slightly greater skin lightening.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Combining fractional microneedle radiofrequency with a topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced wrinkle severity by 29.9% versus 18.0%, increased elasticity by 12.9% versus 2.3%, and improved aesthetic outcomes in 31 participants compared to radiofrequency and placebo.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025Topical ferulic acid-containing formulations effectively reduce skin erythema, hyperpigmentation, and signs of aging in adults compared to baseline or alternative conditions.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat, Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Triethyl Citrate, Phloretin, Ferulic Acid
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.