La Mer The Concentrate for oily skin
Cyclopentasiloxane
Algae Extract
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Tocopheryl Succinate
Low
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for oily skin; the serums alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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
- Offers moderate suitability for your oily skin, as Algae Extract and Glycerin provide hydration and support your skin barrier function, but lack sufficient ingredients for strong seboregulation to address oily shine.
- While the product offers general skincare benefits, these are mostly supportive and irrelevant for your primary concern of oily shine.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 4.5k+ reviewsUsers frequently turn to this serum for its rapid soothing and calming effects on redness and irritation, particularly for compromised skin barriers. However, a notable number of reviews question if the subtle, long-term benefits justify the very high price point, especially when compared to other barrier repair options. This summary is based on a very large amount of data and should be definitely taken into account.
Highlights
Soothing & Calming Mostly Mentioned
- “calms facial redness immediately”
- “instantly soothing on application”
- “redness disappeared like magic”
- “best for compromised skin”
Exorbitant Price Mostly Mentioned
- “steep price tag”
- “not worth the money”
- “results subtle for price”
- “insanely expensive”
Barrier Repair & Healing Often Mentioned
- “strengthens skin barrier”
- “healed traces of dryness”
- “recovery after laser treatment”
- “helped skin resilience”
Luxurious Texture Often Mentioned
- “velvety smooth feel”
- “silky and cushiony”
- “glides on easily”
- “leaves skin feeling satin soft”
Poor Packaging Often Mentioned
- “hate the wand applicator”
- “hard to get product out”
- “needs a pump dispenser”
- “wasteful packaging”
Hydration Sometimes Noted
- “leaves skin plump”
- “deeply hydrated feel”
- “soft and supple skin”
- “great under makeup”
Silicone-Heavy Feel Sometimes Noted
- “feels like straight silicone”
- “just cosmetic fluff”
- “slippery texture”
- “sits on top of skin”
Breakouts & Irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused huge painful zits”
- “broke me out”
- “clogged my pores”
- “irritated my acne-prone skin”
Polarizing Scent Rarely Noted
- “strong medicinal smell”
- “scent is too herbal”
- “smells like lavender/basil”
- “fragrance is overpowering”
Sources: lovi.care, cremedelamer.com, sephora.com, nordstrom.com, influenster.com, spacenk.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is La Mer The Concentrate a weak match for oily skin?
This treatment is a weak match because it lacks sufficient ingredients for strong oil control, even though it provides basic hydration. A treatment for oily skin needs soothing and hydrating ingredients that manage shine without irritation, along with oil-controlling components like niacinamide and fermented extracts.
Which ingredients make this serum a poor fit for oily skin?
This treatment is a weak match for oily skin because while Algae Extract and Glycerin provide hydration, they lack ingredients to control oily shine. Oily skin needs a product of this type with oil-controlling ingredients like Niacinamide, soothing extracts, and fermented extracts that help regulate oil production and improve skin texture.
What does Cyclopentasiloxane do for oily skin?
Cyclopentasiloxane gives skincare products a silky feel and helps them spread easily over oily skin without clogging pores or leaving a heavy layer behind. Because it absorbs very little through the skin, it is unlikely to cause irritation or make your face feel greasy.
What does Algae Extract do for oily skin?
Algae extract helps balance oily skin by providing lightweight hydration and powerful antioxidants that calm the skin. This ingredient may also help reduce excess shine and protect against daily environmental stress without feeling heavy.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004Marine Drugs, 2020
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though oily skin needs a product with strong oil-balancing and shine-controlling ingredients.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying it after your retinol product to help keep your skin hydrated. However, because this is a weak match for oily skin, an oil-balancing treatment with ingredients that control excess shine and regulate oil production would be more suitable.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. Oily skin needs a product with strong oil-balancing and shine-controlling ingredients.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This treatment is unlikely to cause purging since it does not contain active ingredients that speed up cell turnover, though some users report occasional breakouts. Because this type of product is a weak match for oily skin, it needs ingredients that help control shine and balance oil production.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (eugenol, limonene, and linalool) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Troxerutin in association with ascorbyl palmitate and alpha-tocopheryl succinate demonstrated synergistic free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition while successfully permeating through human epidermis.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2002Treatment with lipid algae extract reduced the level of oxidized proteins in human keratinocytes and stratum corneum skin cells.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004Topical astaxanthin-loaded algae extract hydrogel and lipogel formulations exhibited the highest antioxidant activity and successful in vitro release, suggesting their potential as anti-aging formulations.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Antarctic marine algae extracts increased cell viability, protected against inflammation, and enhanced the barrier integrity of human intestinal and keratinocyte cell lines damaged by lipopolysaccharide or ultraviolet radiation.
Marine Drugs, 2022The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Why other serums fit oily skin better
Application of Galactomyces ferment filtrate skin care formula significantly reduced the net values and daily fluctuation of facial pore area, roughness, and redness in young Japanese women.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021
Ingredients
Cyclopentasiloxane, Algae Extract, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dimethicone Peg-10 15 Crosspolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Medicago Sativa Seed Powder, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake Sunflower Seedcake, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal Seed, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Leaf Eucalyptus Oil Leaf, Sodium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Magnesium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Tocopheryl Succinate, Niacin, Water, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Helichrysum Italicum Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Wheat Flour Lipids Flour, Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Alteromonas Extract Ferment, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Yeast Faex Extrait De Levure Extract, Cholesterol, Linoleic Acid, Tetraacetylphytosphingosine, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Rosmarinus Officinalis Oil Leaf Rosemary Oil Leaf, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil Lavender Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat, Sodium Citrate, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Bht, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
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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