SkinCeuticals Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight for sensitive skin
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other products fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 exfoliation for redness and irritation, as glycolic acid and salicylic acid provide general skincare benefits suitable for normal skin, balanced by glycerin for humectant action.
- The product's functionality is excellent for skin renewal and smoothing texture due to the presence of glycolic acid and phytic acid.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your sensitive skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliant PM once a week to help with redness and irritation. Start slowly and only increase frequency if your skin feels happy and comfortable.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toner , but always before your moisturizer . This ensures the product absorbs properly into the skin.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin without rubbing . Let it absorb for a minute before moving on.
- Since your skin is sensitive , apply the exfoliant on completely dry skin for the best tolerance. This helps prevent any extra stinging or discomfort.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area .
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this nighttime glycolic acid treatment is widely praised for delivering a radiant glow and significantly smoothing skin texture. It is also frequently noted for helping to clear acne and minimize pores. However, a significant number of recent reviews indicate a disappointing change in formula, resulting in a watery consistency that makes application difficult and can lead to waste.
Highlights
Noticeable glow Mostly Mentioned
- “woke up with a glow”
- “skin looks radiant”
- “fresh from a facial look”
- “noticeably brighter”
Smoother texture Often Mentioned
- “baby soft skin”
- “texture is much smoother”
- “bumps are gone”
- “glass-like finish”
Watery consistency Often Mentioned
- “pours out like water”
- “formula has changed”
- “too runny to apply”
- “liquid mess”
Acne and pores Sometimes Noted
- “keeps acne away”
- “pores look smaller”
- “cleared up my congestion”
- “helped with breakouts”
Gentle exfoliation Sometimes Noted
- “no irritation”
- “gentle but effective”
- “didn't dry me out”
- “great for sensitive skin”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “expensive for the amount”
- “not worth the price tag”
- “pricey for a runny product”
Dispensing issues Rarely Noted
- “leaks out of tube”
- “messy cap”
- “wasted product when opening”
Initial irritation Rarely Noted
- “stung upon application”
- “caused purging”
- “slight burning sensation”
- “redness at first”
Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, cocooncenter.co.uk, bluemercury.com, skinceuticals.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does SkinCeuticals Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight work for sensitive skin?
This exfoliant treatment works decently for sensitive skin, though other products fit it better. It offers moderate exfoliation and smoothing texture with glycolic acid and salicylic acid, while glycerin helps keep skin hydrated. An exfoliant for this skin needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide or antioxidants and calming components to reduce redness and irritation without causing adverse effects.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for sensitive skin?
Glycerin makes this exfoliant a good fit for sensitive skin by helping keep it hydrated and smooth. An exfoliant for this skin type needs soothing ingredients, antioxidants, and hydrating components that calm redness and irritation without causing harm.
What does Glycolic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Glycolic acid can be too harsh for sensitive skin, leaving it dry and irritated, so this type of skin needs a gentler exfoliating ingredient and calming plant extracts to keep the skin barrier safe and comfortable.
What does Phytic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Phytic acid is generally used in chemical peels and formulations to help brighten dark spots and manage uneven skin tone. For sensitive skin, a product of this type needs to include calming and soothing ingredients to minimize any potential irritation.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2016Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This exfoliant goes in the evening routine once a week to start, as sensitive skin needs gentle acids balanced by hydrating glycerin to keep it calm and smooth.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol, but it may cause dryness or irritation if applied in the same routine, so it is safer to alternate nights. To care for sensitive skin, an exfoliant of this type needs gentle acids paired with soothing, hydrating ingredients like glycerin to keep the skin calm and smooth.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your skin feels comfortable, you may carefully use it more often. This type of product needs soothing and hydrating ingredients like glycerin to keep sensitive skin calm while it smooths texture.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores, but it may cause initial irritation or purging for sensitive skin due to glycolic acid and salicylic acid. Sensitive skin often needs gentle hydrating ingredients like glycerin and soothing plant extracts to keep the skin calm and smooth without harsh reactions.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017L-ascorbic acid 10% plus phytic acid 2% serum significantly reduced the pigmentation index of solar lentigines compared to a vehicle control in 30 healthy subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2011Chemical peels using 35% glycolic acid, 20% salicylic-10% mandelic acid, and phytic acid reduce acne scores by 70.55%, 74.14%, and 69.7% respectively, and significantly decline the postacne hyperpigmentation index in Asian patients with mild to moderate acne.
Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019A topical facial emulsion containing 10% glycolic acid, 2% phytic acid, and a soothing complex significantly improved skin hyperpigmentation, texture, and tone homogeneity from week 4 through week 12 in American female volunteers with Fitzpatrick skin types II-VI.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A 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, 2017The 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, 2001Wearing 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, 2007
Ingredients
Water, Glycolic Acid, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dimethicone, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Phytic Acid, Cetyl Peg Ppg-10 1 Dimethicone, Aluminum Octenylsuccinate Starch, Nylon-12, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Jojoba Esters, Phenoxyethanol, Helianthus Annuus Sunflower Wax Seed Cera, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Edta, Salicylic Acid, Acacia Decurrens Accia Decurrens Wax Flower Cera, Polyglycerin-3, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
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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