Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum for mature skin
Retinoid Complex
Niacinamide
Ceramides
Papaver Somniferum Seed
Centella Asiatica
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for mature skin; other eye cares fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with mature skin: fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. 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 wrinkle reduction and skin smoothing for your normal skin, as hydroxypinacolone retinoate and retinol work to refine texture while niacinamide provides antioxidant activity.
- Dimethicone and madecassic acid offer supportive hydration and soothing benefits, contributing to general skincare for your fine lines.
- The product is safe for your skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 2.3k+ reviewsBased 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 mature skin?
Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum works moderately well for mature skin, helping to smooth fine lines and refine texture while keeping the skin calm. It is a safe option with a good safety profile, though mature skin often does better with eye care that features richer anti-aging ingredients and deep hydration to boost elasticity and firmness.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for mature skin?
This eye care is a fair fit for mature skin because hydroxypinacolone retinoate and retinol help smooth fine lines, while niacinamide, ceramides, and centella asiatica provide soothing hydration. To be a better fit for mature skin, this product type needs a richer combination of targeted anti-aging ingredients and deep moisturizers to better support skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles.
What does Retinoid do for mature skin?
Retinoids help smooth mature skin by boosting collagen production and encouraging skin renewal, which reduces wrinkles and improves firmness. While they are very effective, they may sometimes cause mild dryness, flaking, or irritation until your skin gets used to them.
Clinical Interventions in Aging, 2006International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2015
What does Niacinamide do for mature skin?
Niacinamide helps mature skin by smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, reducing dark spots, and improving overall skin elasticity. It is also very well tolerated and supports a strong skin barrier to keep skin looking healthy.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for mature skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine as a treatment step after cleansing and before moisturizing. Putting active treatments in the evening keeps things simple and provides extra safety around sun exposure.
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 serum at night to avoid overwhelming your skin. This product needs nourishing ingredients like peptides and rich hydrators to better smooth and care for mature skin.
How often should I use this serum?
This eye serum works well for mature skin when used as an evening treatment, though other options may fit your skin better. To get the best results for your fine lines, this type of skin needs a product loaded with retinoids, ceramides, and niacinamide to keep the area smooth and firm.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for mature skin?
This eye serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for mature skin, but the retinol inside may cause some initial peeling or purging as your skin adjusts. Mature skin often benefits most from products that combine gentle retinoids with nourishing ceramides and soothing centella asiatica to keep the delicate eye area smooth and calm.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).
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, 2016Topical 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, 2017Topical 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, 2005Topical 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, 2020A 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, 2017Moisturizer 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 mature skin better
Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022A triple combination of ergothioneine, collagen peptides, and sodium hyaluronate attenuated UV-induced skin damage ex vivo and improved facial skin hydration, elasticity, barrier function, and wrinkles in Chinese women.
Frontiers in Nutrition, 2026
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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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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.