SK-II Ultimate Revival Essence for oily acne-prone skin
Pitera Ferment Filtrate Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Marine Fennel Extract
Jojoba Oil
Centella Asiatica ExtractAverage
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it 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
- Offers moderate suitability for your oily skin as galactomyces ferment filtrate and glycerin provide hydration and support skin texture, though stronger seboregulating ingredients would optimize results for acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The presence of centella asiatica extract offers soothing benefits, which is supportive for your skin concerns.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers consistently describe this essence as a luxurious, ultra-hydrating treatment that delivers a "porcelain" glow and significantly refines skin texture. While highly effective for plumping mature or dry skin and reducing fine lines, the extremely high price point leads some users to question whether the results justify the cost compared to the standard Facial Treatment Essence.
Highlights
Extremely high price Mostly Mentioned
- “outrageously expensive”
- “hard to justify the cost”
- “pricey but delivers”
- “investment that hurts the wallet”
Intense hydration Often Mentioned
- “skin looks plump and hydrated every morning”
- “deeply nourishing, sinking into the skin”
- “relieves dry, tight skin instantly”
- “moisture barrier feels fortified”
Refined skin texture Often Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft, smooth, and velvety”
- “pores look damn near invisible”
- “texture is noticeably refined”
- “smooths roughness immediately”
Fast absorption Sometimes Noted
- “absorbs very quickly, no greasiness”
- “layers perfectly under other products”
- “lightweight despite being rich”
- “sinks in immediately”
Radiance and glow Sometimes Noted
- “gives a soft, luminous finish”
- “porcelain looking skin”
- “restores a healthy inner glow”
- “complexion is less dull”
Diminishing returns Sometimes Noted
- “didn't see dramatic results for the price”
- “not life-changing compared to original essence”
Luxurious scent Rarely Noted
- “smells like rose absolute, not fermented”
- “relaxing sensorial experience”
- “subtle and expensive fragrance”
Breakouts/Irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused major breakouts”
- “irritated my sensitive skin”
- “too rich for acne-prone areas”
Scent dislike Rarely Noted
- “smelled like mild soap”
- “preferred the unscented version”
- “fragrance might irritate sensitive noses”
Sources: lovi.care, sk-ii.com, macys.com, influenster.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does SK-II Ultimate Revival Essence work for oily acne-prone skin?
This essence works moderately well for your oily skin, offering hydration and calming benefits with a very safe formula, though stronger oil-controlling ingredients would optimize results for breakouts. A product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to regulate oil production, provide lightweight hydration, and target acne without clogging pores.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Which ingredients make this essence a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Galactomyces ferment filtrate and glycerin help provide hydration and support texture, while centella asiatica extract offers soothing benefits for your oily acne-prone skin. Because this is an average fit, a product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to regulate oil, balance the skin, and target blemishes without clogging pores.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
What does Pitera Ferment Filtrate do for oily acne-prone skin?
Pitera ferment filtrate helps calm oily acne-prone skin and supports a clear, balanced look. It provides antioxidant benefits and helps manage skin irritation, making it a useful addition to your daily routine.
What does Green Tea Extract do for oily acne-prone skin?
Green tea extract helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by reducing excess oil and calming redness. Applying it topically may decrease breakouts and soothe irritation caused by UV rays.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2013The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2012
Where does this essence go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This essence goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, following Lovi's simple steps for treatments. It offers moderate suitability for oily skin by helping with hydration and texture, though a product of this type needs stronger oil-controlling ingredients to properly manage acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Can I use this essence with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this essence with retinol by applying the essence first to hydrate your skin before putting on your retinol. This product is unlikely to cause irritation for your oily skin, and pairing it with a product containing soothing centella asiatica extract may help calm your skin during retinization. Oily acne-prone skin using retinol also needs stronger ingredients that help control oil and target breakouts for the best results.
How often should I use this essence?
You can use this treatment in your evening routine for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure. It is unlikely to cause irritation on your oily skin, though this skin type also needs stronger ingredients that help control oil to best manage acne and breakouts.
Can this essence clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This essence is unlikely to clog pores or cause irritation on oily acne-prone skin thanks to its gentle formula and excellent safety profile. Reviewers rarely report breakouts or irritation, and ingredients like Centella asiatica extract help calm the skin.
Can I use this essence around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment is generally safe to use on the thin skin around the eyes and on the body, though an oily acne-prone skin type needs a product with stronger oil-controlling ingredients to optimize results for breakouts.
Is this essence fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
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, 2021A 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, 2017Cosmetic 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, 2023A combination serum containing galactomyces ferment filtrate, dexpanthenol, and Centella asiatica effectively treated post-acne hyperpigmentation in subjects with colored skin by significantly increasing lightness scores in Fitzpatrick skin type V and reducing the melanin index in Fitzpatrick skin type IV compared to placebo.
Skinmed, 2021Galactomyces ferment filtrate promotes epidermal interconnectivity, barrier development, cell adhesion, keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation, and protects cellular bioenergetics against stress in keratinocytes and ex vivo skin explants compared to untreated controls.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Galactomyces ferment filtrate activates AHR and NRF2, upregulates filaggrin and terminal differentiation markers, exhibits antioxidative activity, promotes antiinflammatory IL-37, and downregulates CDKN2A, IL-33, CXCL14, and IL6R in epidermal keratinocytes.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022Topical green tea extract significantly improved clinical symptoms, tear breakup times, and meibomian gland health compared to standard treatment in patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2017Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Preconditioning with samphire cell biomass formulations significantly accelerated epidermal permeability barrier repair kinetics after controlled stripping in healthy subjects older than 50 years compared to placebo and untreated sites.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2011Extracellular vesicles derived from Crithmum maritimum callus and miR167 promote wound healing and skin regeneration in human fibroblasts by downregulating MMP1 and upregulating COL1A1 and VEGFA without cytotoxicity.
Biomolecules, 2025The full-component extract of Crithmum maritimum significantly promotes epidermal regeneration of UV-induced skin damage in a barrier-weakening 3D full-skin model compared to oil-based extract components.
RSC Advances, 2025Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024Topical jojoba oil application in male mice decreased exercise-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression (Il-1b and Il-6 in soleus, Il-1b in gastrocnemius) compared to untreated exercised mice.
Biomolecules, 2025Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical treatment with 5% vitamin C and 0.1% madecassoside significantly improved clinical scores for wrinkles, suppleness, firmness, roughness, and skin hydration, along with functional and structural remodeling of the elastic fiber network in 20 female volunteers with photoaged skin after 6 months compared to baseline.
Experimental Dermatology, 2008
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better
A Tris/Arg-formulated cleanser significantly decreased noninflammatory and inflammatory acne and pore size with keratotic plugs compared to an AEC/AC cleanser in male Thai subjects with mild to moderate acne over 4 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020A peel-off facial mask containing myoinositol and trehalose-loaded liposomes improved adult female acne by decreasing lesion counts, sebum production, GAGS scores, and local androgen levels while increasing beclin-1 levels.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Pitera Ferment Filtrate Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Skin Regenerating Activ, Rose Absolute Rosa Centifolia, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Yeast Extract, Sodium Citrate, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Methylparaben
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
How does it fit your skin?
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