Clinique

Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum.

Serums

About this product

A fragrance-free serum with 5% lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, caffeine, and aloe, designed to hydrate skin and enhance radiance.

Full ingredients

Water\Aqua\Eau, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Dimethicone, PPG-24-Glycereth-24, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glycereth-26, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Sodium Polyaspartate, Trehalose, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Sucrose, Laureth-7, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491)

Guru Score

82%

Yay

Early verdict · Few reviews so far

2Gurus

2Yay

0Mixed

0Nay

What they liked

Fragrance-free
Luminous, shimmering finish
Layers well under moisturizer

What they flagged

Sticky texture
Not for twice-daily use

What the gurus are saying

This serum delivers a signature glowy, shimmering finish that makes skin look youthful and radiant. The hydrating, milky-gel texture layers well under moisturizers, though it has a slightly tacky feel. The 5% lactic acid is gentle enough for daily use, but once daily is better than twice since the texture can feel sticky on skin.

Synthesized from 2 expert reviews · most recent take February 2026

Best for

Dry skin Sensitive skin

Type

SerumsDrops & dropper

Key actives

Vitamin C Hyaluronic acidAHAVitamin E

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"The Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum, I have that. It's nice. No fragrance or anything in it. Nice serum."

All 4 takes from No BS Beauty

New Skincare! The Ordinary ✨ NIOD ✨ Plated ✨ Clinique New Product First Impressions

"It feels nice on my skin, it has no real scent to it. [...] I would use it at night."

Ulta Sale Skincare Picks 🙌😍 Love Your Skin Event Top Recommendations

"The Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum, I have that. It's nice. No fragrance or anything in it. Nice serum."

Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum Review 💧 Can One Serum Do It All - Exfoliate & Vitamin C?!

"Once it soaks in, it sets to kind of a nice glowy finish that is a little bit radiant, but it is on the tackier side. Moisturizers layer over this just fine, no issues with that. Pretty easy to use, except I just don't recommend using it twice a day. So we've got 5% lactic acid. Lactic acid is a great exfoliant, gently lifts off dead skin cells and also has some hydration properties for skin. An amount of lactic acid of 5% is enough to remove dead skin cells from the epidermis. However, if you look for a formulation that has a higher amount, say 10 or 12%, it can also help thicken the skin up. So 5% will sufficiently remove dead skin from the epidermis. However, a concentration of 10 to 12% can impact both the epidermis and the dermis, and that also in turn helps thicken up the skin surface and help firm skin."

Best New Skincare Products of 2025 💕💗 My Favorite New Skin Care of the Year

"This one's just a really nice hydrating serum. It's got 5% lactic acid. It's got like aloe, caffeine in there, which is really nice. And it's got a really nice gel lotion texture to it and it's a really nice hydrating product from Clinique. It's got like a milky lotiony texture to it."

The Budget Dermatologist

723k subs

✓Yay

"Clinique is really having a comeback in the makeup space and really making a name for themselves in the skincare space as well. Their products can be a little more pricey, but this new glow serum they came out with is so nice on the skin. I've loved using it. I've been using it almost every day lately. Has vitamin C in it, has hyaluronic acid in it, and it also has that ingredient I mentioned earlier called ma. So you put this on your skin and you are glowing and shimmering and you feel so youthful and it feels really great on the skin. It's very gentle. It's fragrance-free. Clinique is leveling up."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

Source: DermNet

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Sunscreen filters

Sun protection is the best evidenced way to slow visible ageing, and the filters are what does the work. Mineral and chemical filters both protect when a product is applied thickly enough and often enough, which is where most people fall short rather than on the choice of filter.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum?

A fragrance-free serum with 5% lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, caffeine, and aloe, designed to hydrate skin and enhance radiance.

Is Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum worth it?

Yes. All 2 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 82%.

What is Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum's Guru Score?

Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum holds a Guru Score of 82%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 2 expert reviewers we have collected.