Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Serum For Face, Brightening Serum With Pure Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin E, Reduces Fine Lines, Smooths Skin Texture, Improves Radiance, Anti Aging

I have spent well over a year + trying to find a vitamin C serum that checked all the boxes. Vichy is a French brand that I know well but I never considered it because I do read reviews- a lot, from everywhere & none of the “this is the best you can ever find “ was heavily used for many of the serums I tried. Either I had a reaction (some much worse than others) or it just sat on my skin & did absolutely nothing ( I’m talking to you M-love). I take very good care of my skin but I’m fair/light olive & no one told me frolicking in the ocean with no SPF, would impact my face down the road. I’m 50+ & thanks to entering the initial troll stage of menopause, my skin simply demanded more targeted attention. It doesn’t help that my first job was a photojournalist which was long, weird hours, days, traveling and again I took my genetic blessing for granted. So here we are: last year I decided that I was going to try lasers and each experience was amazing but because I have that cool yet touch of olive- it’s apparently the hardest skin color to treat hyperpigmentation. I was beginning to wonder if I could ever make a dent in my changed skin…The Vichy has turned out to be the one vitamin C serum that doesn’t cause any irritation, it’s super light but not oily or sticky and dries down in seconds. The scent is extremely faint and fresh, I listened to the pro tip & keep it in the fridge (no it doesn’t change its efficacy) but feels so good when I put it on after my toner. It doesn’t pill when I add my moisturizer and SPF 50, and genuinely my skin has taken to it so well it’s already provided major improvement. This serum is top notch quality and the value is unquantifiable because it get to work asap and for me it’s price tag is more than worth it & reasonable especially since I simply can’t look elsewhere. It’s exhausting trying to find products that work for your skin because everyone is different. I have drier skin now & live in jungle type humidity (Florida) so that plays a role in how products work for me. I really recommend giving this serum a try if like me you feel as though you’ve been doing everything to find a vit c serum that doesn’t work for the changes that come in your 50’s. You might be really surprised how well this product works in the best way. Hope this helps anyone struggling with the same issue I had! Cheers🥳

I love this serum. My skin is so much brighter, my skin is smoother and more evenly toned since I began using the product. I am sensitive to smells and this has a very light, delicate scent which is well-tolerated.

TL/DR: great price for the clinically validated quality, I see no validity in complaints, follow-up with moisturizer after 1 minute to entirely eliminate residual (minor!) tackiness, AWESOME for healing scars. I've been using this on surgery scars. In October 2023, I had surgery on my scalp. The surgery itself went well, but the aftercare I received was *awful*. I ended up with several truly atrocious scars that were —lobster— red. My PCP recommended vitamin C serum to remove the redness and help with the healing process, as it would also boost collagen production. My skin tone has dramatically improved!! Thanks to this serum, you have to reeeally know where to look to see my scalp scars, rather than them being visible from across the room! So I HAPPILY purchased this again for my hysterectomy scars as soon as it was safe to apply it. (Do not apply to broken skin!) The rich blood supply to the scalp makes healing occur fairly quickly (if you're getting proper care). The pigmentation correction on my hysterectomy scars is taking a little longer given their location. I can't believe it took me so long to consider it. But I also have a very prominent red scar on my wrist from a type of benign growth that was removed. That scar is still the most pigmented, but it's THE BEST it's looked in MANY years. It's seemed to help with flattening the scar, too?? CAVEAT: I don't know if vitamin C is capable of flattening scars; it may be a coincidence. It also reduces blemish redness when I get an acne flare. I'm REALLY happy with my results for each use. I purchased this the first time after failed attempts at finding a high quality, high percentage vitamin C serum that didn't dry on like sticky, thick, and gooey egg-like film that never absorbed. Vichy's serum had come across my Amazon suggestions a number of times while I was experimenting with cheaper (and inferior) products. The price tag of Vichy "seemed" high, so I avoided buying it for a couple months. But I got tired of looking like I had dried egg whites in my hair and gave this a try. I learned this is in the price range you can expect to pay for true quality. I think it is very competitively priced for its caliber. Yes, you can buy cheaper vitamin C serums, but you get what you pay for. The cheap ones are gooey and never absorb into your skin, don't have the same high percentage of vitamin C (some are obviously so low they don't even disclose the percentage), and are very diluted with a needlessly and extremely long list of ingredients. This ingredient list is modest and very well-appointed, with true therapeutic levels of the ingredients, all of which are clinically researched to be effective. Many clinical studies indicate that the best range for vitamin C topicals is 10-20%, with no significant effectiveness above 20%. So the Vichy vitamin C serum at 15-16% (I've been purchasing it since it was originally 15% and now it is 16%) is the perfect therapeutic range. For those complaining about tackiness on the skin... It's vitamin C y'all!! :-/ A tiny bit of tackiness is to be expected! Don't dump it on! Wait 1 minute after patting it on for it to seep into the skin, and follow-up with your favorite moisturizer. The -mildly- tacky skin feel disappears ENTIRELY after moisturizer is applied. I also feel that it boosts the hydration of my moisturizer. I really have -no- idea why some people are complaining about the applicator top. The applicator base screws on and fits snuggly. It's extremely effective at controlling the flow of product, which allows for easy application. The tiny screw off cap on the applicator tip doesn't leak.

I have used several Vit C serums. I use them bc dermatologists and estheticians say they are good for the skin. Can I tell a difference when using any of them? No. I consider Vit C serums kind of like sunscreen: you can’t tell a difference, but in a few years, you’ll be glad you used it. That being said, I received this bottle on May 23, used it for the first time May 24th and I just ran out on Aug 5th. So it lasted me 6 weeks, using it once a day on my face and neck and sometimes décolletage. The smell of some Vit C serums can be very bad (Timeless), but this one had a light smell which I only noticed the first few times I used it. It was a bit stingy the first week or so, either when I put it on, or later when I applied moisturizer. I also used some chemical exfoliants and tretinoin at night so that is part of the stinging. Never any redness or rashes though (which I have gotten w other Vit c serums) but my skin adjusted easily. I do NOT have sensitive skin, however. So those who do may want to try a gentler Vit C serum at least at first and maybe work up to this one. (I’ve heard CeraVe Vit C serum is good for beginners). The lid and the applicator tip on this product are highly annoying. A dropper bottle, a pump, almost anything would be better….the lid is very tiny and fiddly, and you WILL probably lose it at some point. (It’s also clear so hard to see on some surfaces). The advantage of the nozzle is that you won’t dispense more than you need. Still I would prefer a different dispensing method but that’s just a side note.

Very hydrating and light weight love thia product.

Very good this serum, I have already bought it twice, and I love the results.

This serum delivers excellent results during the first week after opening, remains moderately effective for another week, but begins to lose stability by the third week. Like most vitamin C formulations packaged in bottles, it oxidizes quickly when exposed to light and air. An airless pump would significantly extend its shelf life and preserve potency—something many major brands still surprisingly overlook. By week three or four, the serum typically turns a darker orange. This color shift signals oxidation: as ascorbic acid breaks down, it loses antioxidant effectiveness and can temporarily stain the skin with an orange tint. This effect usually fades within a day or two, but it’s a clear indicator the product is no longer delivering the intended benefits. Until this serum is reformulated with better packaging, I’ll be relying on options that come in airtight or airless containers to maintain true vitamin C efficacy.

I like it; the only drawback is that it doesn't have a dropper, so no control over the quantity that comes out!!