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47 Skin Serum for acne-prone skin

Average

  • HighCombination Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for acne-prone skin; other serums fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 treatment for your acne-prone skin as azelaic acid helps reduce acne lesions and blemishes, while glycerin provides essential hydration suitable for your combination skin.
  • The serum offers general skincare benefits and is highly compatible with combination skin due to its anti-inflammatory and seboregulation actions.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your acne-prone skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use your serum as part of your PM routine and start 3x/week before working up to daily use.
  • Apply this treatment after cleansing and toner, and before your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the product on clean, dry skin to help manage your breakouts safely.
  • Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.7Overall rating based on 6.5k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly effective for clearing active breakouts and fading acne scars without causing dryness. Thousands of users report significant improvements in acne and redness, with many experiencing their clearest skin. A smaller number of users found it ineffective for hormonal acne or saw no visible changes. The product is also noted for its hydrating properties and pleasant texture, though some find it expensive for the size and a few sensitive-skinned individuals experienced irritation from the scent.

Highlights

  • Clears breakouts Mostly Mentioned
    • “cleared spots in four days”
    • “stopped flare-ups completely”
    • “reduced inflammation overnight”
    • “clearest skin in 10 years”
  • Fades scarring Often Mentioned
    • “scars are fading fast”
    • “dramatically faded red pigmentation”
    • “helped with appearance of marks”
    • “skin tone is much more even”
  • Hydrating, non-drying Often Mentioned
    • “leaves skin hydrated and glowy”
    • “doesn't dry out my skin”
    • “skin feels soft and plump”
    • “moisturizing enough to skip cream”
  • Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
    • “smells like chocolate orange”
    • “absorbs quickly”
    • “feels luxurious”
    • “nice base under makeup”
  • High price Sometimes Noted
    • “very pricey for the size”
    • “trial size lasted only three days”
    • “expensive but works”
    • “bottle runs out quickly”
  • Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
    • “made no difference at all”
    • “didn't work for my son”
    • “waste of money”
    • “saw no change after a month”
  • Irritation/scent Rarely Noted
    • “smell is too strong”
    • “caused irritation”
    • “contains too many fruit oils”
    • “stung my sensitive skin”
  • Subscription issues Rarely Noted
    • “mistakenly signed up for subscription”
    • “cleanser arrived broken”
    • “hard to cancel”
    • “delivery took too long”

Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, trustpilot.com, amazon.co.uk, 47skin.com, womenshealthmag.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does 47 SKIN Serum work for acne-prone skin?

This serum works moderately well for your acne-prone skin as azelaic acid helps reduce blemishes while glycerin provides essential hydration. It has an excellent safety profile with no harsh ingredients, though a product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA to provide optimal balance and oil control for this skin.

Pharmaceutics, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for acne-prone skin?

This serum works for your acne-prone skin because azelaic acid helps reduce acne lesions and blemishes, while glycerin provides essential hydration. For an even better fit, this skin needs products with ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA that control oiliness while providing optimal hydration and balance.

Pharmaceutics, 2021Dermatology and Therapy, 2024

What does Silver Chitoderm do for acne-prone skin?

Silver Chitoderm helps acne-prone skin by calming redness and keeping pores clear of buildup that causes breakouts. It creates a light, breathable shield on the face that supports healing while keeping your skin feeling soft and smooth.

What does Azelaic Acid do for acne-prone skin?

Azelaic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by fighting bacteria and calming redness, while also fading dark spots left behind by breakouts. It targets multiple causes of acne at once to keep your skin smooth and even-toned.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015Postepy Dermatologii I Alergologii, 2023

Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?

This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though some serums can also be used in the morning or twice a day. It offers moderate treatment for acne-prone skin as azelaic acid helps reduce acne lesions and blemishes.

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

You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first to give your acne-prone skin moderate treatment and hydration, followed by your retinol. This product is unlikely to cause irritation since it lacks harsh ingredients, but acne-prone skin typically needs targeted active ingredients like salicylic acid or retinoids combined with soothing hydrators to clear breakouts more effectively.

American Family Physician, 2012Pharmaceutics, 2021

How often should I use this serum?

Use this serum in the evening. It is unlikely to cause irritation for your acne-prone skin, and applying it at night keeps things simple and safe around sun exposure.

Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?

This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on acne-prone skin because it avoids harsh ingredients and features azelaic acid, which helps reduce acne lesions and blemishes. A product for this skin type also needs soothing ingredients and oil-balancing benefits to keep pores clear and calm.

Pharmaceutics, 2021Dermatology and Therapy, 2024

Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.

What the research says

  • Azelaic acid nanocrystal hydrogel 10% achieved a higher success rate and greater lesion reduction than azelaic acid cream 20% in patients with mild to moderate facial acne.

    Pharmaceutics, 2021
  • Application of 15% azelaic acid gel significantly reduced post-inflammatory erythema and hyperpigmentation, decreased hemoglobin and melanin content, improved quality of life, and contributed to acne improvement in patients with mild to moderate acne compared to placebo.

    Dermatology and Therapy, 2024
  • 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
  • Topical application of a dermocosmetic containing Myrtus communis extract and azelaic acid reduced acne relapses and helped maintain remission compared to a light moisturizing cream in adult females in the acne maintenance phase over 16 weeks.

    Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2023
  • Topical administration of 20% azelaic acid cream and 5% tranexamic acid solution comparably improved acne-related postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in patients with acne vulgaris, while tranexamic acid demonstrated a significantly better safety profile at week 4.

    Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2023
  • Azelaic acid 15% gel showed comparable efficacy to adapalene 0.1% gel in reducing lesions, severity, and Dermatology Life Quality Index in women with adult acne, with significantly lower dryness and scaling, and demonstrated superiority during maintenance compared to no further treatment.

    Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2015
  • The 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, 2020
  • Ten 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, 2001
  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
  • Wearing 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, 2024
  • A 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, 2000
  • Treatment 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, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Silver Chitoderm, Azelaic Acid

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.

How does it fit your skin?

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How does it fit your skin?

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