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Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops for sensitive skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops

Average

  • HighNormal Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • ExcellentSafety

Works for sensitive skin; other serums 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 your normal skin, as salicylic acid and willow bark extract help refine texture and smooth pores, while saccharide isomerate provides hydration.
  • While Bisabolol is present, its concentration may not be sufficient to significantly target your redness and irritation.
  • The product is safe for your sensitive skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including Bisabolol for soothing effects.

How to apply

  • Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
  • Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
  • Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
  • Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .

People Say

★4.4Overall rating based on 1.9k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this product is frequently praised for its ability to control oil and create a smooth base for makeup, with users appreciating its lightweight, silicone-free feel. Some users with dry skin find it lacks sufficient hydration, and a moderate number of reviews mention that the pore-blurring effect is subtle.

Highlights

  • Controls oil Often Mentioned
    • “effectively does its job in terms of prolonging makeup and controlling oiliness throughout the day”
    • “kept shine under control the entire day”
    • “effective in softly mattifying the skin while avoiding a dry or flat look”
    • “absorbs excess oil for a mattifying blur effect”
  • Smooth makeup Often Mentioned
    • “applies without causing pilling”
    • “makeup remains fresh all day with its use”
    • “no peeling no flaking... when I was applying the foundation”
    • “looks so beautiful under foundation and throughout the day”
  • Lightweight feel Sometimes Noted
    • “does not feel heavy”
    • “silicone-free formulation is not like your typical mattifying primer”
    • “doesn't feel suffocating which some dimethicone rich primers tend to feel”
    • “thin consistency that dries down pretty quickly”
  • Lacks hydration Sometimes Noted
    • “formulation is not hydrating enough”
    • “definitely needs to be topped with a moisturizer for some hydration”
    • “almost seems too drying for the rest of the year”
    • “dries down so much that it makes foundation harder to apply over it”
  • Subtle pore blurring Sometimes Noted
    • “didn't notice a pore-blurring effect”
    • “pore-blurring effect is quite subtle for me”
    • “blurring effect is a bit too subtle for me to call it a primer”
    • “hardly makes any difference in the look of texture/pores in the short term”
  • Tricky packaging Rarely Noted
    • “good-sized dob of it squirted out... ended up on my wall”
    • “somewhat tricky to control how much comes out”
    • “find myself squeezing more product out 2-3 additional times”
    • “flimsy plastic top”

Sources: lovi.care, glowrecipe.com, sephora.sg, walmart.ca, beauty-detective.com, thehappysloths.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Blur Drops work for sensitive skin?

This treatment works for sensitive skin, though other products fit it better because its calming ingredients may not be enough to properly target redness and irritation. A product of this type needs effective ingredients that calm redness and irritation while posing no risk of irritation.

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

This serum fits sensitive skin because it contains salicylic acid and willow bark extract to smooth pores, alongside bisabolol and saccharide isomerate to help calm the skin and keep it hydrated. Products for this skin need soothing ingredients like niacinamide and skin-repairing components that target redness while avoiding irritation.

The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025Lasers in Medical Science, 2025

What does Bha do for sensitive skin?

BHA helps clear pores and calm breakouts, but because sensitive skin can easily get irritated by strong acids, it is unlikely to suit you unless it is part of a very gentle, well-tolerated formula. Sensitive skin needs hydrating ingredients and calming agents to keep the skin barrier strong and comfortable while treating blemishes.

Clinics in Dermatology, 2009

What does Strawberry Extract do for sensitive skin?

Strawberry extract is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which help brighten and protect sensitive skin. It is unlikely to cause irritation when used in gentle formulations, making the skin feel soft and refreshed.

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

This treatment goes in the evening routine after your toner and before your moisturizer. Sensitive skin needs a product of this type to include calming and soothing ingredients like bisabolol along with gentle hydrators to prevent irritation while smoothing pores.

Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this treatment with retinol by applying it in the evening after your cleanser and soothing toner, and before your moisturizer. Because this product provides moderate exfoliation with salicylic acid, combining it with retinol may increase the likelihood of dryness or irritation on sensitive skin. To better fit sensitive skin, a product of this type needs gentle exfoliating ingredients paired with higher levels of soothing compounds to calm redness.

How often should I use this serum?

Start using this treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin feels comfortable and tolerates it well, you may carefully use it more often. A product of this type needs gentle exfoliating ingredients like salicylic acid alongside soothing hydrators such as sodium hyaluronate and bisabolol to keep sensitive skin smooth and calm.

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

This treatment is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin, as salicylic acid helps clear pores and smooth texture. However, because it is an average fit, sensitive skin needs a product with stronger soothing ingredients to truly calm redness and irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

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

What the research says

  • A novel moisturizer containing saccharide isomerate accelerates skin barrier recovery, improves hydration, reduces erythema, and alleviates discomfort compared to a control moisturizer following intense pulsed light treatment in subjects with skin aging.

    The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025

  • A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.

    Lasers in Medical Science, 2025

  • Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

  • Cryotherapy 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, 2010

  • A 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, 2020

  • Treatment 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, 2024

  • Fragaria vesca extract-based hydrogel exhibited antioxidant efficacy, cutaneous compatibility, acceptability, and stability suitable for topical application.

    Antioxidants, 2020

  • Supercritical CO2 extract from strawberry seeds at concentrations up to 2% successfully provides moisturizing and skin-softening effects in mild cleansing compositions without significantly affecting their stability, cleansing, or foaming properties.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2015

  • Treatment with strawberry seed extract and tiliroside increased stratum corneum total ceramide content and specific ceramide species in human epidermal equivalents by enhancing the expression of ceramide-related enzymes.

    PloS One, 2018

  • Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011

  • Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

    Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022

  • Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

    BMC Oral Health, 2019

Why other serums fit sensitive skin better

Ingredients

Water, Tapioca Starch, Isopentyldiol, Nylon-12, C9-12 Alkane, Distarch Phosphate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Saccharide Isomerate, Strawberry Leaf Extract, Salicylic Acid, Willow Bark Extract, Strawberry Fruit Extract, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bisabolol, Coco-Caprylate Caprate, Triheptanoin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Dilinoleic Acid Butanediol Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Castor Ipdi Copolymer Oil, Citric Acid, Parfum

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play