COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum for sensitive skin
High
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best serums for sensitive skin.
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 excellent brightening and evening of skin tone for your normal skin due to the presence of ascorbic acid and 3-0-ethyl ascorbic acid, which promote skin tone improvement.
- Panthenol and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract provide hydration and soothing benefits that support your redness and irritation.
- The formulation is safe for your sensitive skin, as it lacks prohibited or harsh 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
★4.6Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsThis serum is a gentle and effective option for sensitive and acne-prone skin, frequently praised for its ability to brighten the complexion and fade dark spots without causing irritation. Users often note a hydrating and plumping effect, though a significant number find the strong, fishy scent and sticky finish to be considerable drawbacks. Some also mention the need for refrigeration due to the formula's instability and occasional packaging issues.
Highlights
Gentle formula Mostly Mentioned
- “no irritation at all”
- “perfect for sensitive skin”
- “didn't feel any stinging”
Brightens skin Often Mentioned
- “faded my acne marks”
- “skin looks radiant”
- “dark spots seem to be fading”
Unpleasant scent Often Mentioned
- “smells like tuna”
- “scent is funky”
- “metallic smell”
Good value Sometimes Noted
- “quality and affordable”
- “great price point”
- “delivering way better than expected”
Hydrating and plumping Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels hydrated and plump”
- “gives a gorgeous inner glow”
- “moisturizing feel”
Sticky finish Sometimes Noted
- “feels really sticky”
- “hair sticks to face”
- “tacky finish”
Storage requirements Sometimes Noted
- “needs to be kept in fridge”
- “oxidizes quickly”
- “turned yellow fast”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “leaked in the box”
- “hissed when opened”
- “dropper is too runny”
Sources: lovi.care, cosrx.com, sokoglam.com, iherb.com, lyko.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes COSRX Vitamin C 13 a great fit for sensitive skin?
This serum is a great fit for sensitive skin because it brightens and evens tone using vitamin C while avoiding harsh ingredients that typically trigger irritation. It also includes panthenol and licorice root extract, which help soothe redness and keep the skin calm and comfortable.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
This serum is a great fit for sensitive skin because it includes panthenol and licorice root extract, which help hydrate and calm redness and irritation. The formula is also safe and unlikely to cause irritation because it avoids harsh ingredients.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
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.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm and hydrate sensitive skin while supporting the skin barrier to keep it soft and comfortable. Clinical studies show it improves surface moisture and reduces dryness, roughness, and redness without irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2018
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine for sensitive skin, placed after cleansing and toning and before moisturizing. The formulation lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing components that make it a great fit, helping to brighten skin tone while keeping redness and irritation calm.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol, but it is best to apply them on alternate nights or use the vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night to avoid redness and irritation.
How often should I use this serum?
This serum is used in your evening routine once a week to start, as active treatments fit best then for extra safety and simplicity around sun exposure. People who tolerate it well and see good results may carefully use it more often.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on sensitive skin, as its formulation lacks harsh ingredients that typically cause irritation. It also includes panthenol and licorice root extract to help keep skin calm and hydrated.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
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, 2020Vitamin C mesotherapy produced a significant and earlier reduction in gingival pigmentation and higher patient satisfaction compared to topical gel in twenty healthy non-smokers with hyperpigmented gingiva, with both methods reducing the mean area fraction of melanin-forming cells at 6 months without causing pain.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2021Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 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, 2022Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Topical 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, 2024Glutathione 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 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, 2014Topical glutathione improves hyperpigmentation, reduces ultraviolet-induced erythema and wrinkles, decreases transepidermal water loss, and enhances antioxidant capacity.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005
Ingredients
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Tromethamine, 3-0-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Acetyl Glucosamine, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Sulfite, Disodium Edta, Glutathione, Adenosine, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Dextrin, Squalane, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Palm Oil, Arginine, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract
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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