LiftActiv B3 Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
A well-dosed niacinamide serum with real tranexamic acid alongside it, which would justify a mid-tier price on its own. Melasyl is the part you take on trust, and it is doing a lot of the work in pushing this toward the top of the pharmacy shelf.
- Evidence24 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Niacinamide: moderate evidence
- Tranexamic Acid: moderate evidence
- Glycolic Acid: strong evidence
The average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency20 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Niacinamide (8%): dosed at a studied level
- Tranexamic Acid: dosed at a studied level
- Glycolic Acid (1.5%): present, but below a studied dose
How strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability14 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: standard
- Packaging: tinted glass
- No fragile actives here, so packaging barely moves the score.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- Formulation7 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 2 of 3 actives disclose a concentration
- 3 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- Current-generation or synergistic: Tranexamic Acid
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- Value13 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $13 per month to use
- $44.99 for 30 ml, used about once a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 3.3 months
- Frequency is set by Glycolic Acid, which is used no more than 7x a week, so a bottle stretches further
What a month of use costs: full marks at $6 a month or less, the floor at $60 a month or more.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Niacinamide | 8% | Studied |
| Tranexamic Acid | n/a | Studied |
| Glycolic Acid | 1.5% | Light |
8% niacinamide, disclosed, is the reliable part of the formula, backed by tranexamic acid for the appearance of dark spots and a gentle peeling complex built on a modest 1.5% glycolic acid, more of a renewal assist than an exfoliating dose. The headline is Melasyl, a patented small molecule Vichy positions as regulating melanin overproduction; it is genuinely novel and its evidence so far is largely brand-led, the same caveat that applies to the related molecule in La Roche-Posay’s Mela B3 Serum. The opaque squeeze-tip bottle is adequate here since none of these actives are especially air- or light-fragile.
How it’s delivered
Air- and light-sensitive actives (vitamin C, copper peptides) lose potency fast in the wrong packaging, so delivery and the bottle are scored, not just what’s on the label.
The actives, explained
Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. The SerumProof score reflects our reading of publicly available research and formulation disclosures. See how scoring works.