🇦🇪United Arab Emirates

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum for combination skin

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum

Average

  • AverageCombination Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • Low RiskSafety

Works for combination skin; other eye cares fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 combination skin, as niacinamide helps with seboregulation and retinoids aid in desquamation, but it may not deliver optimal results across all areas of your combination skin.
  • The formulation provides excellent anti-aging benefits for the eye area by smoothing fine lines and wrinkles with hydroxypinacolone retinoate and retinol, though these ingredients are not targeted for your oily shine.
  • The product is generally safe for your combination skin, but the presence of retinol and alcohol carries some risk of irritation.

People Say

★4.2Overall rating based on 2.3k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly effective at smoothing fine lines and reducing milia, with many users appreciating its hydrating texture and cooling applicator. A significant number of users experience irritation, burning, or dryness, particularly with frequent use, indicating it may be a strong formula that requires careful introduction.

Highlights

  • Reduces fine lines Often Mentioned
    • “erased my fine lines”
    • “lessens lines under eyes”
    • “skin texture improved tremendously”
  • Drying and peeling Often Mentioned
    • “dried out my undereyes”
    • “skin peeling”
    • “made eyes look older/wrinkly”
  • Irritation and burning Often Mentioned
    • “burned my under eyes”
    • “caused redness and irritation”
    • “irritated red patchy eye”
  • Cooling applicator Sometimes Noted
    • “cooling effect is amazing”
    • “feels lovely and cooling”
    • “applicator feels great”
  • Hydrating texture Sometimes Noted
    • “velvety texture”
    • “ultra moisturizing”
    • “richer than expected”
  • High price point Sometimes Noted
    • “very pricey eye serum”
    • “expensive but works”
    • “would buy on sale”
  • Clears milia Rarely Noted
    • “eliminated almost all milia”
    • “helped milia within two weeks”
    • “tackles stubborn milia”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “top falls off”
    • “design better packaging”
    • “cap is not secure”

Sources: lovi.care, kohls.com, ulta.com, dermstore.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, sundayriley.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Sunday Riley 5 Stars Eye Serum work for combination skin?

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum offers moderate suitability for combination skin because niacinamide helps manage oil and retinoids smooth fine lines, though it may not deliver optimal results across all areas. This eye care needs to be safe with no risk of irritation, provide moderate effectiveness for wrinkles, and contain hydrating ingredients that balance dry and oily zones without heavy emollients.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for combination skin?

Niacinamide and retinoids make this serum a moderate fit by helping balance oily areas and smoothing fine lines around the eyes. To work well for combination skin, a product of this type needs soothing, hydrating ingredients and light moisture that balance both dry and oily zones without causing irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023

What does Retinoid do for combination skin?

Retinoid helps smooth out uneven texture and improves overall radiance for combination skin. It is unlikely to cause issues when introduced slowly, though a product of this type needs soothing ingredients and gentle hydrators to keep the skin calm and comfortable.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2016Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?

Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for combination skin?

This serum goes in the evening routine as a treatment step after cleansing and toning. Combination skin of this type needs a balanced eye product that controls shine while smoothing fine lines.

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 your morning routine and this serum at night, as using both at the same time may increase the risk of irritation on combination skin. To properly care for combination skin, a product of this type needs balancing ingredients that control oil and hydrate dry areas without causing irritation.

How often should I use this serum?

This eye serum is designed for evening use as part of your routine. Combination skin needs an eye serum that balances oil in oily zones while hydrating dry areas with lightweight hydrators and gentle smoothing actives.

Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?

This eye serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for combination skin, but the retinol and alcohol inside may cause some flaking or irritation. Eye care for combination skin needs balanced hydrators and gentle smoothing ingredients to keep both dry and oily areas calm and smooth without causing irritation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019

Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).

What the research says

  • Hydroxypinacolone 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, 2023
  • 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, 2019
  • Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate can be used safely in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and Benzyl Alcohol is safe up to 10% in hair dyes, despite causing nonimmunologic contact reactions.

    International Journal of Toxicology, 2001
  • Topical 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, 2021
  • Topical 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, 2008
  • Topical 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, 2005
  • Topical 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, 2020
  • 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, 2017
  • Moisturizer 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, 2019

Why other eye cares fit combination skin better

  • Retinol in this eye care

    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, 2019
  • Combined ascorbyl palmitate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate treatment significantly reduced facial sebum secretions in healthy female volunteers compared to a placebo control over 90 days.

    Drug Research, 2017
  • 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, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Methicone, Polyglycerin-6, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Niacinamide, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris Trimethylsiloxy Silylethyl Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Peg-12 Dimethicone Ppg-20 Crosspolymer, Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil Fruit, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Papaver Rhoeas Extract Red Poppy Extract, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Hieracium Pilosella Extract Hawkweed Daisy Extract, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ceramide Np, Pentylene Glycol, Lecithin, Methylpropanediol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-80, Didecyldimonium Chloride, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Dehydroacetate

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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Prices checked 5 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for the United Arab Emirates.

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