Balance Me Congested Skin Serum for oily acne-prone skin
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Kanuka Oil
Picea Abies Extract Spruce Knot Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil Flower Lavender Oil FlowerHigh
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- This serum is highly suitable for your oily skin, as lemon peel oil and eucalyptus globulus oil offer effective seboregulation and antimicrobial actions to combat acne, blemishes, and breakouts. Moringa oleifera seed oil and picea abies extract work in moderate concentrations to decongest pores, further addressing your concerns.
- The inclusion of aloe barbadensis leaf extract and anthemis nobilis flower oil provides soothing benefits, ensuring a comfortable experience for your oily skin.
- The product has a favorable safety profile with no risks of irritation for oily skin.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your PM routine. Start 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply your serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2 to 3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on clean, dry skin to help manage your blemishes safely.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area.
People Say
★4.0Overall rating based on 1.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin frequently praise this serum as an effective "on-the-spot" treatment that rapidly calms inflammation and reduces redness without causing dryness. While many appreciate its natural ability to clear blemishes and hormonal breakouts within days, a notable portion of users are divided on its strong herbal scent and small bottle size.
Highlights
Rapidly clears blemishes Often Mentioned
- “Spots disappear within a few hours”
- “Breakout almost gone in a day or two”
- “Gone in half the time”
Soothes redness Often Mentioned
- “Reduces redness overnight”
- “Calms inflammation instantly”
- “Takes the anger out of spots”
Strong medicinal scent Often Mentioned
- “Smells strongly of medicine”
- “Scent is a bit much”
- “Smell is off-putting”
Lightweight absorption Sometimes Noted
- “Absorbs very quickly”
- “Not greasy”
- “Sinks in immediately”
Non-drying and gentle Sometimes Noted
- “Doesn't leave a tacky feel”
- “No dryness or irritation”
- “Gentle enough for sensitive skin”
Small bottle size Sometimes Noted
- “Wish it was a bigger bottle”
- “Expensive for the size”
- “Tiny tube”
Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
- “Did nothing for my skin”
- “Saw no difference”
- “Ineffective on my acne”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Pump dispenses too much”
- “Hard to control amount”
- “Lid broke easily”
Sources: lovi.care, ipsy.com, amazon.com, lookfantastic.com, ocado.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Balance Me Congested Skin Serum a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is a great fit because lemon peel oil and eucalyptus oil help control oil and fight acne, while moringa seed oil and spruce extract decongest pores. Aloe vera and chamomile oil soothe your skin, and the product is unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Lemon peel oil and eucalyptus globulus oil help control oil and fight acne, while moringa oleifera seed oil and spruce knot extract decongest pores. Aloe vera and chamomile oil add soothing benefits, and the serum is unlikely to irritate oily skin.
What does Moringa Seed Oil do for oily acne-prone skin?
Moringa seed oil helps calm swelling and redness in oily, acne-prone skin while posing a low risk of irritation. It may help balance oil production without clogging pores. This skin type needs lightweight oils and soothing ingredients that reduce inflammation.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2020
What does Kanuka Oil do for oily acne-prone skin?
Kanuka oil helps calm red, irritated skin and keeps oily, acne-prone skin clear by targeting breakouts. It is gentle and may reduce blemishes while keeping your skin feeling comfortable.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This treatment serum goes in the evening routine after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer. Putting it in the evening keeps things simple and adds safety around sun exposure, though some serums can also be used in the morning or twice a day.
Can I use this serum with salicylic acid, and in what order?
You can use this serum with salicylic acid by applying salicylic acid first in your routine and following with this treatment to help control oil and clear pores. This product is unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin.
How often should I use this serum?
This serum is used in the evening for your oily acne-prone skin, following your cleanser and cleansing toner. It has a great safety profile with no risks of irritation, helping you manage breakouts and keep pores clear.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin, as its ingredients help clear congestion while soothing the skin. It also has a safe profile with no known risks of irritation for this skin type.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol, limonene, linalool, citral, geraniol, citronellol, and eugenol).
What the research says
Topical Moringa oleifera seed oil and its main constituent oleic acid reduced acute and chronic skin inflammation and epidermal hypertrophy in mice through glucocorticoid receptor activation without dexamethasone-like adverse effects on organ weights.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2020A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Emulgels containing Perilla frutescens seed oil, Moringa oleifera seed oil, and mixed seed oil microemulsions exhibit good stability, lack of cytotoxicity in PBMC, and no skin irritation or allergic reactions in human subjects.
Polymers, 2022Moringa seed oil stimulated sebaceous lipogenesis, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, and exhibited a low n-6/n-3 index in cultured human SZ95 sebocytes compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023Topical CE Ferulic plus resveratrol BE serum following ablative fractional CO2 laser treatment reduced erythema index (308.9 vs. 325.3), shortened complete scabbing detachment time (6.0 vs. 6.5 days), decreased melanin index (-7.4% vs. +0.2%), and improved skin hydration compared to normal saline in 51 Chinese patients.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024Resveratrol cream improved skin hydration and tightening compared to cream without resveratrol in a group of probands.
Acta Biochimica Polonica, 2019Topical treatment with a combination of pyridine-2, 4-dicarboxylic acid diethyl ester and resveratrol significantly increased hair density in 79 Caucasian female subjects starting from 1.5 months compared to baseline.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006Polysaccharide-based O/W emulsions incorporated with lavender essential oil applied to cellulosic support are non-irritating, provide softness and moisturizing effects, and are safe for topical patch applications.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021Gellan gum hydrogel films co-encapsulating ofloxacin with tea tree or lavender oil achieved 98% wound contraction and completely healed epidermis in rats after ten days of treatment compared to baseline.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021Topical application of lavender oil significantly promoted wound contraction, collagen synthesis, and fibroblast differentiation with up-regulation of TGF-beta in a rat model compared to control.
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016
Ingredients
Water, Rice Bran Oil, Glycerin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil Moringa Seed Oil, Picea Abies Extract Spruce Knot Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Papaver Rhoeas Flower Extract Corn Poppy Flower Extract, Iris Florentina Root Extract Iris Root Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil Flower Lavender Oil Flower, Lemon Peel Oil, Litsea Cubeba Oil Fruit, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Leaf Eucalyptus Oil Leaf, Anthemis Nobilis Oil Flower Chamomile Oil Flower, Kunzea Ericoides Oil Leaf Kanuka Oil Leaf, Clove Oil Bud, Chondrus Crispus, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Dilauryl Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citric Acid, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Geraniol, Citronellol, Eugenol
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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