What began as a cult-favorite oil is now the future of antioxidant skincare.

Vitamin C serums occupy a strange space in skincare. They’re one of the most studied and beloved actives in clinical dermatology, yet in practice, they’re often difficult to use — prone to irritation, instability, and oxidation. If you’ve tried one, you’ve likely tried them all: the overly acidic L-Ascorbic concoctions with a hit of ferulic acid, a undesirable scent somewhere between ham and hot dog water, and a noticeable decline in stability over time.

Meanwhile, the broader category of antioxidant serums hasn’t fared much better. Often vaguely defined, these formulas tend to play it safe — leaning on a sprinkle of trending botanicals or token extracts that signal “protection” more than they deliver it. “Antioxidant serum” has long been one of skincare’s most nebulous categories.

What’s made it even murkier is that few deliver on the term’s full potential: not just prevention, but visible transformation — clearer skin, more radiance, stronger barrier, reduced sensitivity, firmer tone. Liquid Courage from Gentlerist doesn’t just participate in the category — it elevates it.

What it is

If Liquid Courage (we love that name) sounds familiar, it’s because this bi-phase serum isn’t new to the scene. It’s a refined evolution of a cult-favorite from Gentlerist’s previous iteration, YÜLI Skincare — a green beauty brand revered for its clinical precision and botanical sophistication long before those became buzzy terms. In the YÜLI era, it was one of the first face oil formulas to have the golden trifecta of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Ferulic Acid, something rare to this day. In this reimagined form, Liquid Courage feels like a product born of experience, most notably, the now bi-phase formula is equal parts lab science, aesthetic refinement, and botanical mastery.

Vitamin C Serums Were Never This Gentle — Or This Complete

Let’s get into the clinicals. We’re used to the Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic) serums that boast 15–20% concentrations, stabilized with ferulic acid, their scent veering somewhere between metal and lunchmeat, with stability that oxidizes at the drop of a hat. These are the formulas we’ve been told are the gold standard, yet many users (ourselves included) find themselves skipping days, layering cautiously, or abandoning them altogether due to sensitivity, pH imbalance, or visible oxidation.

Liquid Courage takes an innovative, skin-friendly approach thanks to modern advancements in biotechnology and encapsulation. Rather than relying on one form of Vitamin C pushed to its acidic limits, it uses three stabilized formats:

• THD Ascorbate (oil-soluble, deeply penetrating, non-irritating): a powerful oil-based Vitamin C with renowned stability. Classed as a pharmaceutical in Japan and South Korea, and renowned for skin brightening, collagen boosting benefits.
• Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (gentle, photostable, proven in acneic, sensitive and inflamed skin): a modern, highly stable, and remarkably gentle form of Vitamin C that is known to be highly bioavailable with rapid absorption, and ideal for sensitive skin.
• L-Ascorbic Acid (the classic, clinically proven form but better): the most researched and vetted form with shortcomings in stability made up for with chiral-correction for improved stability, and heightened skin tolerability.

Together, they offer multi-pathway delivery: unmistakable glow, mid-layer collagen stimulation, and deep antioxidant defense. For once, a Vitamin C serum that feels like it understands skin physiology — not just clinical charts. But there’s more.

The Antioxidant Co-Factor Suite

What truly separates Liquid Courage from typical “Vitamin C” serums is that, alongside its multi-variant Vitamin C complex — which channels benefits through multiple skin-compatible pathways — it builds a robust clinical antioxidant matrix that not only fortifies the skin’s defenses, but also enhances the performance of every active. The result is a rare fusion of in-depth and broad-spectrum performance: a formula that understands the complexities of skin, and meets them at every level.

Where the golden trifecta of the CEFerulic Acid serum introduced the idea of co-factors like Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid — which not only add antioxidant benefits but also synergize with Vitamin C — this formula advances the concept into a full suite of proven antioxidant co-factors:

---

Ferulic Acid
Often paired with Vitamin C to boost stability, Ferulic Acid is a polyphenol antioxidant that doubles down on photoprotection. It helps neutralize free radicals generated by UV and pollution exposure and works synergistically to stabilize Vitamin C — particularly L-Ascorbic Acid — extending its potency and reducing oxidation.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
A lipid-soluble antioxidant that reinforces the skin barrier while enhancing the efficacy of Vitamin C. It interrupts the lipid peroxidation chain reactions that degrade skin quality, and, when combined with Vitamin C, offers greater photoprotection than either alone. Together, they form a classic co-antioxidant duo — delivering both hydrophilic and lipophilic defense.

Calcium PCA
A novel stabilizer and skin cell communicator. In this formula, Calcium PCA helps improve Vitamin C bioavailability by optimizing skin absorption pathways. It’s also a key skin health mineral — supporting cellular turnover and barrier resilience, especially in sensitive or environmentally stressed skin.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
A unique antioxidant that works across both water- and fat-soluble environments, ALA is often referred to as the “universal antioxidant.” It regenerates other antioxidants like Vitamin C, CoQ10, and Glutathione while also supporting energy metabolism in the skin, making it a critical player in this synergistic formula.

Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone)
A mitochondrial antioxidant essential for energy production and cellular repair. Ubiquinone helps revitalize dull or devitalized skin and reduces visible signs of fatigue. Its presence here isn’t just about defense — it also supports regeneration and renewed vitality.

---

Together, these co-factors create an intelligent antioxidant delivery system that enhances everything from stability to absorption, while offering comprehensive skin defense — from superficial protection to deep cellular repair. And because they’re integrated in both phases of the bi-phasic system (oil and water), your skin receives these benefits at every level.

The Botanical Intelligence Complex

Beyond its antioxidant framework, Liquid Courage is deeply rooted in plant-based actives — thoughtfully chosen for their clinically supported ability to support skin health on a molecular level. These botanicals aren’t decorative — they’re functional, with each selected to complement the serum’s overall mission of protection, repair, and revitalization.

Botanical Antioxidant Complex (8 Oils)
A lipid-phase blend of certified organic Acai, Grape Seed, Pomegranate, Red Raspberry, Blueberry, Carrot, Golden Jojoba, and Cranberry Seed Oils — each rich in tocopherols, polyphenols, and essential fatty acids. Together, they form a resilient base that supports the skin’s lipid barrier while adding a layer of gentle, bioavailable antioxidant protection.

Supercritical Extract Complex
Includes supercritical extracts of organic Pomegranate Seed, Rosehip Fruit, and Sea Buckthorn Fruit. These CO₂-extracted powerhouses offer a potent delivery of regenerative carotenoids, phytosterols, and skin-repairing lipids that help revitalize stressed, fatigued skin.

Kakadu Plum, Camu Camu & Acerola Cherry Extracts
Three of nature’s richest sources of Vitamin C — each boasting a unique phytonutrient profile. These fruit extracts complement the clinical C-Complex by adding plant-based co-factors like ellagic acid, rutin, and polyphenols to amplify radiance, even tone, and support skin vitality.

Amla & Goji Berry Extracts
Both deeply revered in Ayurvedic and traditional wellness systems, these antioxidant-rich fruit extracts provide tannins, Vitamin C, and immune-supportive polysaccharides that help protect against oxidative stress and improve skin tone.

Black Garlic Ferment
A liquified ferment of Allium sativum that delivers high levels of bioavailable sulfur compounds and S-allyl cysteine — uniquely beneficial for detoxifying the skin and supporting cellular resilience. Contains 6x the powerful antioxidants in regular garlic.

Centella Asiatica Antioxidant Extract
A purified extract of the famed adaptogen Gotu Kola, rich in asiaticoside and madecassoside. Supports collagen synthesis and calms inflammation while reinforcing the skin’s antioxidant defense system.

Green Tea Leaf Extract (Camellia Sinensis)
A classic antioxidant that remains one of the most effective defenders against UV- and pollution-induced oxidative damage. Its EGCG content pairs especially well with Vitamin C to calm, protect, and correct.

Aloe Vera Leaf Juice & Neroli Flower Water
These organic aqueous bases soothe and replenish hydration while offering a calm, skin-comforting canvas for active delivery — ideal for sensitive and reactive skin types.

Each botanical is chosen not just for its headline benefit, but for how it synergizes with the others — creating a formula that’s as intelligent as it is indulgent.

---

The Innovation of Bi-Phasic Delivery

Liquid Courage’s signature bi-phase formula — part aqueous serum, part lipid-rich elixir — is more than aesthetic. It’s structural.

Each phase is designed to house actives that would typically destabilize or degrade one another in a single-phase formula. By separating water-soluble and oil-soluble actives until shaken, this system ensures peak potency, maximal compatibility, and exceptional performance.

• Water Phase: Delivers stabilized Vitamin C derivatives, hydrating compounds, and fermentation-based actives that target the dermal layer.
• Oil Phase: Carries lipophilic antioxidants like CoQ10 and Vitamin E, along with nourishing botanicals that support the barrier and improve absorption.

When shaken, the two merge into a milky microemulsion — delivering actives evenly across the skin, with enhanced bioavailability. This intelligent structure mimics the skin’s own dual-affinity composition (water + lipid), allowing actives to travel where they’re needed, without irritation or competition.

---

Experience & Skin Feel

On shaking, Liquid Courage transforms into a silky, weightless milk emulsion that absorbs beautifully — never greasy, never sticky. The subtle natural aroma is derived from the formula itself (neroli dominant), without added fragrance, making it ideal for even sensitive skin types.

The milky texture post-shake feels refreshing and nurturing all at once — a sensorial ritual that’s as high-tech as it is restorative. It sits seamlessly under SPF, moisturizers, and layers beautifully with both serums and oils.

---

The Results

There’s a transformation that happens when Liquid Courage becomes part of your routine. In our experience — the first signs are subtle but sure: skin looks more rested, fresher, and noticeably brighter. Not in a fake concealer sort of way, but in a way that feels naturally replenished — like your skin has found its inner light.

Some even note overnight brightening — and as hyperbolic as that might sound, it genuinely happened: skin looked fresher, clearer, and more awake by morning, like something had been reset overnight.

With continued use, those results tend to build and deepen:

• Improved Skin Tone and Brightness, thanks to the multi-variant Vitamin C complex and Kakadu Plum — usually the first change people notice. Overtime it looked like even sun damage, hyperpigmentation, and age spots were fading.
• Enhanced Resilience and Protection, from the intelligent antioxidant matrix that helps your skin bounce back from daily environmental stressors. We especially noted how this helped skin bounce back from poor sleep, jet lag, and even stress.
• Revitalized Texture and Glow, this might sound like it belongs to the brightness category, but the overall skin quality from the way the pores looked to the overall presentation of the complexion just looked better and healthier.
• Strengthened Barrier Function, thanks to lipid-phase actives and soothing probiotics and polysaccharides in the hydro-phase that reinforce your skin’s natural defenses and immunity.
• Reduced Signs of Fatigue, through mitochondrial and cellular repair support — especially noticeable after travel, stress, or long days. This was visible in the lack of deepened fine lines, improved skin vitality even at the end of the day, and overall lack of dullness.

And unlike serums that offer quick wins but fade fast, these results layer over time. You’ll start to notice not just better skin — but more capable skin: skin that’s visibly brighter, more resilient, and more responsive to everything else in your routine. Liquid Courage doesn’t just brighten — it strengthens the conditions that make long-term skin vitality possible.

---

In Summary

Liquid Courage is a skin-forward, science-driven antioxidant serum that delivers maximal payoff in a category too often defined by vagueness. It’s a complete environmental defense system — expertly crafted to counteract the cumulative effects of UV, pollution, oxidative stress, and skin fatigue, while visibly improving tone, texture, and glow. At its core: a modern clinical Vitamin C complex, a full antioxidant co-factor suite, and next-generation botanical actives — all housed in an innovative bi-phasic delivery system for maximum efficacy.

For those of us who’ve cycled through Vitamin C and antioxidant serums, this doesn’t just feel like a better version — it feels like a category of its own. One that fuses power and poise, strength and softness. The results show up early and build with time: skin that looks brighter, more even, and visibly supported. It’s the kind of super-serum you reach for not just for glow, but for long-haul transformation — skin that’s resilient, radiant, and recharged.

---

Where to shop