Medicube Deep Vita A Retinol Serum for oily skin
Retinol
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Collagen Complex
Niacinamide
SqualaneAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other serums 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 oily skin due to the presence of niacinamide for seboregulation, but lacks sufficient mattifying or oil-controlling agents to be ideal for managing oily shine.
- The formulation includes retinol and retinal for minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, providing general skincare benefits like hydration and soothing that are supportive for oily skin.
- The safety profile is good, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing Centella Asiatica Extract.
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
★4.8Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, users find this serum to be an excellent beginner retinol, appreciated for its gentle and hydrating formula that minimizes irritation. It effectively smooths skin texture and refines pores, with many users reporting immediate brightening and a 'glass skin' effect. Deeper wrinkles are noted to improve with consistent, long-term use.
Highlights
Gentle, low irritation Mostly Mentioned
- “only retinol my skin can accept”
- “no peeling or dryness”
- “great for retinol beginners”
Improves texture Often Mentioned
- “skin is baby soft”
- “smaller pores around chin”
- “definite improvement in smoothness”
Hydrating, non-drying Sometimes Noted
- “quite moisturizing”
- “leaves skin dewy”
- “breaks the stereotype that retinol equals dryness”
Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
- “absorbs nicely”
- “silky feel”
- “not too runny, easy to apply”
Slow wrinkle results Sometimes Noted
- “no noticeable changes for deep wrinkles yet”
- “wrinkle improvement is a long-term game”
- “needs 2-3 months for definitive results”
Mild purging Rarely Noted
- “slight drying effect”
- “skin felt warm initially”
- “minor flaking”
Slightly sticky Rarely Noted
- “bit rich”
- “skip moisturizer in summer”
- “slight stickiness initially”
Small bottle size Rarely Noted
- “size is a bit small”
- “price is a bit disappointing”
- “wish they increased the volume”
Sources: lovi.care, stylekorean.com, iherb.com, ballagrio.com, hwahae.co.kr, medicube.us, and more
Questions and answers
How well does medicube Deep Vita A work for oily skin?
This serum offers moderate suitability for oily skin because niacinamide helps control oil, though it lacks strong mattifying agents to fully manage shine. Retinol and soothing extracts provide helpful anti-aging and calming benefits without causing irritation. For an ideal fit, oily skin needs products with dedicated oil-controlling agents like zinc PCA or ferulic acid alongside pore-balancing ingredients.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
Niacinamide helps control oil production, while retinol minimizes fine lines and soothing Centella Asiatica extract keeps skin calm. Oily skin works best with products that contain strong oil-controlling ingredients like zinc PCA or mattifying agents alongside lightweight hydrators and pore-clearing extracts.
What does Retinol do for oily skin?
Retinol helps oily skin by keeping pores clear and balancing sebum production, which may reduce shine and breakouts. Because it can sometimes cause dryness or peeling in the beginning, starting slowly is recommended.
What does Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate do for oily skin?
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate helps keep oily skin clear by reducing blemishes and improving skin texture without causing much irritation. This ingredient works effectively to smooth the skin and may help manage acne-prone areas when used regularly in your routine.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Oily skin works best with products of this type that include strong oil-controlling or mattifying ingredients to keep excess shine managed.
Can I use this serum with vitamin C, and in what order?
You can use this serum with vitamin C by applying vitamin C in the morning and this retinol treatment at night. Using them separately helps you avoid extra skin stinging and keeps your routine gentle. Oily skin of this type needs mattifying or oil-controlling agents to manage shine.
How often should I use this serum?
This serum works well in your evening routine, starting at once a week and slowly using it more often if your oily skin tolerates it well. Retinol and other active ingredients help smooth fine lines and improve skin texture, though this product needs added mattifying or oil-controlling agents to properly manage oily shine.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum may cause mild purging when you start using it, but it is unlikely to cause irritation. Oily skin works best with products that include strong mattifying or oil-controlling ingredients to manage shine.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
What the research says
Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2018Topical stabilized retinol treatment induced HAS gene expression and increased hyaluronic acid production in human skin in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo compared to vehicle.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017A topical serum containing hydroxypinacolone retinoate and peptides used twice daily for 16 weeks achieved parity or statistically significantly better improvement in facial aging parameters compared to a single fractional CO2 laser treatment in women with moderate global photodamage.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Combined probiotic supplementation and topical azelaic acid with hydroxypinacolone retinoate reduced non-inflammatory lesions from 11.5 to 7.3 and decreased microscopic acne features measured by reflectance confocal microscopy and dynamic optical coherence tomography in 20 patients over 12 weeks.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2023Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and retinyl propionate at a 5:9 weight ratio synergistically enhanced antiaging gene expressions in vitro and improved skin wrinkles, smoothness, transepidermal water loss, and elasticity in 42 Chinese urban women over an 8-week period without adverse reactions compared to retinol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Topical application of TAC/Collagen postbiotics gel improved skin moisture score and inflammation index, and reduced porphyrins and brown spots in 20 volunteers with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical collagen tripeptide application improved skin wrinkles, elasticity, and density while reducing advanced glycated end products in 22 Asian women over 4 weeks.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Marine collagen extracted from Greenland halibut skin showed a non-cytotoxic effect on fibroblast cells and provided a slight skin hydration effect when incorporated into cosmetic hydrogel formulations at dosages of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% in 23 healthy volunteers.
Marine Drugs, 2023Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025
Why other serums fit oily skin better
Niacinamide and ferulic acid incorporated in a stable multiple emulsion successfully reduced melanin, sebum, and skin erythema while improving skin elasticity and hydration in human skin compared to a placebo.
BioMed Research International, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Coco-Caprylate Caprate, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Parfum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sucrose Palmitate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Allantoin, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Xanthan Gum, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil Fruit, Jojoba Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil Grape Seed Oil, Adenosine, Retinal, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium Edta, Retinol, Bakuchiol, Retinyl Palmitate, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Cholesterol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Ceramide Np, Ppg-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Retinyl Linoleate, Phytosteryl Behenyl Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Beta-Glucan, Aluminum Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Silica, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Retinyl Retinoate, Chitosan, Centella Asiatica Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Tris Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol Citrate, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
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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