
About this product
A lightweight moisturizer with 5% vitamin C derivatives and hexapeptide designed to brighten skin, improve texture, and support the skin barrier.
Full ingredients
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, 3-O Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Squalane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acetyl SH Hexapeptide 5 Amide Acetate, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil , Hydrogenated Lecithin, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Propanediol, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Acetyl Zingerone, Cetyl Palmitate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Lecithin, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Lysolecithin
Guru Score
Mixed
9 experts · Strong agreementWhat they liked
What they flagged
What the gurus are saying
This moisturizer earns consistent praise for its gentle vitamin C formula and hydrating texture, making it especially appealing for sensitive skin or those wanting brightening benefits without a separate serum. Most gurus highlight the nourishing-but-lightweight feel and its ability to improve dullness and skin radiance over time, though a couple note there are stronger brightening options out there if that's your main goal. Best used as a morning moisturizer for its antioxidant sun protection, though some prefer it at night for its richer hydration.
Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.
Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.
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
Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.
Source: DermNet
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.
A lightweight moisturizer with 5% vitamin C derivatives and hexapeptide designed to brighten skin, improve texture, and support the skin barrier.
The gurus are split. 6 of the 9 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 68%.
Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Vitamin C Moisturizer holds a Guru Score of 68%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 9 expert reviewers we have collected.
Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Vitamin C Moisturizer is generally suited to dry skin and mature skin.
Lower-priced moisturizers the gurus still rate highly, versus this mid-range pick.
See how they stack up →Other products the same gurus have weighed in on, plus more from this brand and category.
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