Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum for skin with dark spots
Ascorbic Acid
Phas
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Extract
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for skin with dark spots; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dark spots: hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. 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 smoothing benefits for your normal skin due to the presence of 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Gluconolactone, which help refine texture and improve radiance.
- While Tocopherol provides antioxidant support, the formula lacks targeted ingredients like hydroquinone or azelaic acid to effectively address your specific pigmentation concerns.
- The product is safe for your normal skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this serum as part of your PM routine starting 3x/week and build up to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toning, but before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute for it to absorb.
- Apply the serum on dry skin to help fade pigmentation effectively.
- Avoid the eye area and always use SPF 30+ during the day.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 2.7k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with dull or aging skin frequently praise this serum for its ability to instantly brighten the complexion and provide a glass skin glow, often noting improvements in texture and hydration. A moderate number of users report severe allergic reactions, including redness and swelling, suggesting it may be potent or irritating for sensitive skin types.
Highlights
Instant brightening Mostly Mentioned
- “gives a beautiful radiant glow”
- “skin looks glass-like”
- “instantly brightens dull areas”
- “complexion felt clearer and bouncier”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “absorbs fast without being sticky”
- “layers well under SPF”
- “makeup glides right over it”
- “feels lightweight going on”
Pleasant scent Often Mentioned
- “smells like fresh orange juice”
- “scent is lightly sweet”
- “refreshing citrus smell”
- “mood-boosting scent”
Hydrating and plumping Sometimes Noted
- “plumps the skin”
- “feels like a drink of water for my face”
- “helped with dryness”
- “skin feels dewier”
Allergic reactions Sometimes Noted
- “eyes and face were swollen”
- “red burning rash around nose”
- “tiny blistering pimples”
- “caused chemical burn”
Sticky residue Sometimes Noted
- “leaves face sticky for hours”
- “can't stand the stickiness”
- “feels tacky on the skin”
- “hair sticks to my face”
Misleading name Rarely Noted
- “expected banana scent”
- “smells nothing like bananas”
- “misleading name”
- “just smells like vitamin C”
Orange tint Rarely Noted
- “looks like orange juice”
- “stained my hands orange”
- “left an orange cast”
- “oxidized quickly”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, ulta.com, sephora.com, olehenriksen.com, boots.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum work for skin with dark spots?
This serum offers moderate brightening and smoothing for dark spots, though other products fit this skin better. To properly target stubborn dark spots, this skin type needs potent antioxidants, soothing ingredients, and specific brightening agents like niacinamide, hydroquinone, or azelaic acid.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for skin with dark spots?
This serum contains 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Gluconolactone, which help brighten dark spots and smooth the skin. To work best for skin with dark spots, a product of this type needs powerful antioxidants like niacinamide and soothing ingredients that fade pigmentation without causing irritation.
What does Vitamin C do for skin with dark spots?
Vitamin C helps fade dark spots and brightens uneven skin. It works by slowing down pigment production and boosting overall skin clarity.
What do PHAs do for skin with dark spots?
PHAs help brighten dark spots while smoothing skin, and they are generally well tolerated by sensitive skin. This type of ingredient needs gentle exfoliating and brightening components to effectively treat uneven skin tone.
Cutis, 2004Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2010
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Skin with dark spots needs products of this type with targeted ingredients like hydroquinone or azelaic acid to effectively address specific pigmentation concerns.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying this vitamin C treatment in the morning and your retinol at night to help avoid irritation. When used together safely in a routine, they may help improve skin radiance and texture over time.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine, or occasionally apply it more often if your skin tolerates it well. To better address dark spots, this type of product needs targeted brightening ingredients like hydroquinone or azelaic acid.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for skin with dark spots because it has a safe formula with no harsh ingredients. However, it may cause a mild allergic reaction for some people.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene, linalool, and citral).
What the research says
A multi-component dissolving microneedle patch loaded with glabridin, 3-O-ethyl-L-ascorbic acid, and tranexamic acid effectively reduced chloasma and age spots while demonstrating safety in clinical evaluation, alongside significant antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, and melanin-reduction effects in vitro and in vivo.
Polymers, 2023A 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, 2020Topical 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, 2019A 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 skin with dark spots better
Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Daily application of a serum containing tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and acetyl zingerone significantly decreased skin pigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, and transepidermal water loss while increasing smoothness, firmness, and elasticity in 35 healthy individuals compared to baseline over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Gluconolactone, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Triethyl Citrate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Betaine, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Aminomethyl Propanol, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Gluconic Acid, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Succinoglycan, Phytic Acid, Mica, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caramel, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Phytate, Lemon Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Titanium Dioxide Ci 77891, Yellow 5 Ci 19140, Red 4 Ci 14700
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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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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