This moisturizer focuses on brightening and firming with a 5% vitamin C complex. It also provides significant hydration, making it a good all-around choice for those looking to improve skin tone and texture.
Sephora price
$49.00
Price matters most when you are trying to learn whether this lane belongs in your routine without turning the test into a luxury gamble.
Sephora reviews
4.6 / 5
About 506 reviews on the current Sephora source, so there is real volume behind the reputation.
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Glass take
4.6 / 5 overall fit
A solid, fragrance-free moisturizer that delivers on brightening and hydration, especially for those concerned with tone and firmness.
Sephora snapshot refreshed April 23, 2026
Price, rating, review count, and source status come from Sephora. Glass adds the routine fit, overlap risk, and what to compare next.
View SephoraWhat Sephora says
A concentrated 5% vitamin C moisturizer brightens, evens tone, firms and delivers 24-hour clinically proven hydration + healthier skin.
Use once or twice daily.
Apply a small amount to face and neck.
For daytime, always finish with sunscreen.
Recycle Paula's Choice products through TerraCycle.
What Glass adds
A well-formulated moisturizer with a good concentration of vitamin C and supporting hydrators. It’s a great option for those seeking a single product to address dullness, uneven tone, and hydration, especially if fragrance is a concern.
Brightening and hydration
Many users report noticeable improvements in skin brightness and a reduction in dullness. The hydration is also frequently praised, leaving skin feeling supple and plump.
Best for
Skip if
Routine fit
Apply this moisturizer after your serums and treatments, both in the morning and evening. For daytime use, always follow with a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin from UV damage and maximize the benefits of vitamin C.
Why it works
The useful question is not whether this product is good in a vacuum. It is whether it makes your routine easier to run or just adds one more bottle with a familiar ingredient on it.
What it actually does well
Where it starts to feel redundant
Routine fit
Morning and Night
This moisturizer can be used twice daily. In the morning, it's essential to layer sunscreen over it. At night, it acts as a hydrating and treatment step.
Glass rating
A solid, fragrance-free moisturizer that delivers on brightening and hydration, especially for those concerned with tone and firmness.
Routine fit
4.5 / 5
This moisturizer fits well into most AM and PM routines. Its primary role is to hydrate and deliver vitamin C benefits. Always finish with sunscreen in the morning.
Full ingredient breakdown
Solvent
Badness
0.0 / 10
The base of the formulation, dissolving other ingredients.
Usually helps with
Hydration
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
Softens and smooths the skin, improving texture.
Usually helps with
Dryness
Watch for
Active
Badness
2.0 / 10
A stable and effective derivative of Vitamin C that brightens, evens tone, and offers antioxidant benefits.
Usually helps with
Brightening, uneven tone, antioxidant protection
Watch for
Can cause mild irritation in very sensitive individuals.
Occlusive
Badness
1.0 / 10
Forms a protective barrier on the skin, preventing moisture loss and providing a smooth feel.
Usually helps with
Dryness, barrier support
Watch for
Some find it can feel heavy or potentially clog pores if not properly cleansed.
Humectant
Badness
0.0 / 10
Attracts water to the skin, helping to hydrate and improve product texture.
Usually helps with
Hydration
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Emulsifier
Badness
0.0 / 10
Helps to blend oil and water components in the formula.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Active
Badness
2.0 / 10
A stable Vitamin C derivative that brightens skin and provides antioxidant protection.
Usually helps with
Brightening, antioxidant protection
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
A skin-identical lipid that moisturizes and softens without feeling greasy.
Usually helps with
Dryness, barrier support
Watch for
Emulsifier
Badness
0.0 / 10
Helps to create a stable emulsion and provides texture to the product.
Usually helps with
Formula texture
Watch for
Active
Badness
1.0 / 10
A peptide that may help support skin barrier function and hydration.
Usually helps with
Hydration, barrier support
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
Provides moisturizing and skin-conditioning benefits.
Usually helps with
Dryness
Watch for
Emulsifier
Badness
0.0 / 10
A skin-conditioning agent and emulsifier derived from lecithin.
Usually helps with
Skin conditioning
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Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
A rich butter that moisturizes and softens the skin.
Usually helps with
Dryness
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
A lipid that helps to condition and moisturize the skin.
Usually helps with
Dryness
Watch for
Antioxidant
Badness
1.0 / 10
A synthetic antioxidant that helps protect the formula from degradation.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Humectant
Badness
0.0 / 10
A form of hyaluronic acid that attracts and retains moisture, plumping the skin.
Usually helps with
Hydration
Watch for
Antioxidant
Badness
1.0 / 10
Contains antioxidants that can help protect the skin.
Usually helps with
Antioxidant protection
Watch for
Humectant
Badness
0.0 / 10
A solvent and humectant that aids in hydration and improves texture.
Usually helps with
Hydration
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
Provides a smooth feel and moisturizes the skin.
Usually helps with
Dryness
Watch for
Antioxidant
Badness
1.0 / 10
Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps protect skin from environmental damage.
Usually helps with
Antioxidant protection
Watch for
Antioxidant
Badness
1.0 / 10
A derivative of gingerol, known for its antioxidant properties.
Usually helps with
Antioxidant protection
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
Softens and smooths the skin.
Usually helps with
Dryness
Watch for
Humectant
Badness
0.0 / 10
A skin-conditioning agent that also acts as a preservative booster.
Usually helps with
Hydration
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
A fatty alcohol that softens and smooths the skin, and helps stabilize the emulsion.
Usually helps with
Dryness, formula texture
Watch for
Emulsifier
Badness
0.0 / 10
Helps to blend oil and water ingredients.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
pH Adjuster
Badness
0.0 / 10
Used to adjust the pH of the product to be skin-friendly.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Can be irritating in high concentrations, but safe in small amounts for pH adjustment.
Emulsifier
Badness
0.0 / 10
An emulsifier derived from olive oil, helping to blend ingredients.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Emulsifier
Badness
0.0 / 10
An emulsifier that helps to stabilize the product's texture.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Antioxidant
Badness
1.0 / 10
Contains antioxidants that can help protect the skin.
Usually helps with
Antioxidant protection
Watch for
Humectant
Badness
0.0 / 10
A skin-conditioning agent that also acts as a preservative.
Usually helps with
Hydration, preservation
Watch for
Solvent
Badness
0.0 / 10
Used as a solvent and viscosity-decreasing agent.
Usually helps with
Formula texture
Watch for
Chelating Agent
Badness
0.0 / 10
Helps to stabilize the formula by binding to metal ions.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Emulsifier
Badness
1.0 / 10
Helps to mix oil and water ingredients.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Can be derived from ethoxylated sources, which may have trace impurities.
Emulsifier
Badness
0.0 / 10
Helps to blend oil and water ingredients.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Emulsifier
Badness
0.0 / 10
A phospholipid that helps to emulsify and condition the skin.
Usually helps with
Emulsification, skin conditioning
Watch for
Antioxidant
Badness
1.0 / 10
Contains antioxidants that can help protect the skin.
Usually helps with
Antioxidant protection
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
A plant-based oil that moisturizes and conditions the skin.
Usually helps with
Dryness
Watch for
Emulsifier
Badness
0.0 / 10
A derivative of lecithin used as an emulsifier.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Active
Badness
1.0 / 10
A fermentation-derived ingredient that may offer skin conditioning benefits.
Usually helps with
Skin conditioning
Watch for
pH Adjuster
Badness
0.0 / 10
Used to adjust the pH of the product.
Usually helps with
Formula stability
Watch for
Can be irritating in high concentrations, but safe in small amounts for pH adjustment.
Humectant
Badness
0.0 / 10
A powerful humectant that attracts and holds moisture, providing intense hydration.
Usually helps with
Hydration, plumping
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
A plant sterol that helps to condition and soften the skin.
Usually helps with
Skin conditioning
Watch for
Chelating Agent
Badness
1.0 / 10
A natural chelating agent that can also offer mild exfoliating benefits.
Usually helps with
Formula stability, mild exfoliation
Watch for
Emollient
Badness
0.0 / 10
A lipid that moisturizes and helps to maintain the skin's natural barrier.
Usually helps with
Dryness, barrier support
Watch for
Preservative
Badness
2.0 / 10
A common preservative used to prevent microbial growth in cosmetic products.
Usually helps with
Preservation
Watch for
Can be irritating for some individuals, especially at higher concentrations.
Preservative
Badness
1.0 / 10
A preservative that helps prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Usually helps with
Preservation
Watch for
Preservative
Badness
1.0 / 10
A preservative used to inhibit the growth of mold and yeast.
Usually helps with
Preservation
Watch for
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FAQ
This moisturizer is fragrance-free and contains soothing ingredients like squalane and sunflower extract, making it generally well-tolerated. However, individuals with extreme sensitivity to Vitamin C derivatives may want to patch test first.
While it contains Vitamin C, it's a lower concentration (5%) within a moisturizer. You can layer it with a dedicated Vitamin C serum, but be mindful of potential over-exfoliation or irritation if using multiple potent actives.
Polyglutamic Acid is a powerful humectant that attracts and holds significantly more moisture than hyaluronic acid. It helps to deeply hydrate the skin, making it feel plump and firm.
