Skin Nutrition Botanicals Niacinamide 5% + Squalane Serum for dry sensitive skin
Niacinamide
Squalane
Kojic Acid
Zinc Gluconate
PanthenolAverage
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.
- American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 brightening and evening of skin tone due to the presence of kojic acid, while glycerin and panthenol provide humectant action suitable for dry skin. The formula lacks sufficient emollient ingredients like squalane to fully address dryness, offering general hydration rather than targeted relief for flaky skin.
- The presence of saccharomyces xylinum black tea ferment and hydrolyzed jojoba esters offers additional skincare benefits that are supportive but not primary for your dry and sensitive skin.
- The product is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, as it contains no prohibited or harsh ingredients that would cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use this PM routine for your evening skincare. Start using the serum 3 times a week and increase to daily use if your skin feels comfortable.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer. This step locks in deep hydration for dry skin.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin using your palms. Let it absorb completely for a minute ⏱ before applying your next product.
- Since your skin is sensitive, apply the serum on completely dry skin for better tolerance and less irritation.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Always do a patch test before your first use to ensure your skin reacts well.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsSome users with sensitive skin have reported mild irritation. There are also infrequent comments regarding the brand's lack of transparency and difficulty in finding the product.
Highlights
Affordable price Mostly Mentioned
- “accessible way to try skincare without the hefty price tag”
- “surprisingly effective for the price point”
- “elevate your skincare game without draining your wallet”
- “the price feels shocking”
Hydrating and moisturizing Often Mentioned
- “makes your skin nice and smooth”
- “maintains skin hydration effectively”
- “softens, hydrates and moisturizes”
- “skin just feels fresher”
Causes irritation Sometimes Noted
- “makes my skin burn when I put moisturizer over it”
- “had some kind of reaction to it, face became tight and red”
- “stings even after letting the serum sit”
- “can be an irritant for some, especially those with very sensitive skin”
Hard to find Rarely Noted
- “hard to find the specific serum in stores”
- “all look similar, maybe I've missed it”
- “still on the hunt for it”
Lacks transparency Rarely Noted
- “company has no contact info or presence otherwise”
- “super sus, hard to find company info”
- “genuinely worried about bad labeling or inconsistent packaging”
- “not been able to find anything on the product nor the company”
Sources: lovi.care, reddit.com, ebay.com, skinsort.com, lemon8-app.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Skin Nutrition Botanicals Niacinamide 5% + Squalane Serum work for dry sensitive skin?
This serum works moderately well for dry sensitive skin by providing general hydration and evening your skin tone, though it lacks enough rich nourishing ingredients to fully relieve flakiness. To work best for dry sensitive skin, a product of this type needs rich moisturizing ingredients and skin-softening oils that build moisture retention and support the skin barrier.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Glycerin, panthenol, and squalane make this serum a good fit by bringing in moisture and keeping your skin calm without causing irritation. Glycerin and panthenol help improve hydration and soothe the skin, while squalane and jojoba esters support your moisture barrier.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Niacinamide do for dry sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps dry sensitive skin by calming irritation and keeping moisture locked in so your face feels soft and smooth. It works to build up your skin barrier and calm redness while being very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2013
What does Squalane do for dry sensitive skin?
Squalane helps keep dry sensitive skin soft and smooth by locking in moisture and calming irritation without causing flare-ups. It is unlikely to cause redness or discomfort, making it a gentle choice that supports the skin barrier. This type of skin needs ingredients that deeply hydrate and soothe, such as plant oils and antioxidants.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2017Molecules, 2009
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after your toner and before your moisturizer. It is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, though a product of this type needs richer softening ingredients like squalane to fully address dryness.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum before your retinol product in your evening routine, as it is safe for sensitive skin. To truly comfort dry skin, a product of this type needs rich softening ingredients that lock in moisture and target flaky patches.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment serum in the evening. Dry sensitive skin needs products that provide rich softening ingredients to deeply soothe flaky areas and lock in moisture.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or clogged pores for dry sensitive skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients that typically trigger irritation. It is safe for your skin type, though a product of this type for dry skin needs richer soothing oils and heavier moisturizing ingredients to fully address flakiness and dryness.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A 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, 2017Topical formulations containing 3.75% glycerol and 1.25% hydrolyzed jojoba esters produced significantly lower evaporative TEWL values compared to glycerol alone at 8 and 24 hours posttreatment in human subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008Model skin tonics containing kombucha-fermented red berry extracts improve skin hydration, TEWL, and skin pH, demonstrating potential value as cosmetic ingredients.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Topical 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, 2005Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025A topical formulation containing kojic acid, emblica extract, and glycolic acid demonstrated efficacy parity compared with hydroquinone 4% in multiethnic participants with mild to moderate facial dyschromia.
Cutis, 2010A nanoemulsion containing 1 mg/mL kojic dipalmitate and 5% rosehip oil demonstrated high incorporation efficiency, suitable physicochemical stability, antioxidant and depigmenting efficacy close to 1 mM ascorbic acid, and no cytotoxicity at concentrations from 0.06% to 1% in vitro.
Pharmaceutics, 2023Topical application of iron chelators kojic acid and deferiprone significantly accelerated wound healing in rats compared to control groups, with deferiprone showing superior efficacy due to higher antioxidant and iron chelation abilities.
International Wound Journal, 2013A dermocosmetic cream containing Punica granatum Pericarp extract, Salicylic acid, Niacinamide, Zinc gluconate, and Aqua Posae Filiformis significantly decreased inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesion counts in subjects with mild to moderate acne compared to untreated hemi-faces after 15 days.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Daily use of a deep cleansing gel containing salicylic acid 2%, zinc gluconate 0.2% and lipohydroxy acid 0.05% significantly reduced total lesion count by 56.3% after 84 days in 35 subjects with mild to moderate truncal acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Different strains of Propionibacterium acnes modulate cutaneous innate immunity with varying pro-inflammatory potentials, with P. acnes type III showing the highest and P. avidum the weakest, and zinc gluconate down-regulates the expression of most induced immune markers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2013Moisturizer 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, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020
Why other serums fit dry sensitive skin better
In 50 participants with sensitive skin, a Ceramide NP C15-containing emollient improved skin barrier function with a significant reduction in transepidermal water loss and induced modest changes in skin microbiota compared to the vehicle.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2026Treatment with 14% ferulic acid and 12% l-ascorbic acid significantly reduced pigmentation and erythema while improving hydration and elasticity in 20 women with photoaged skin, with neither acid proving definitively more effective overall though ascorbic acid showed slightly greater skin lightening.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022
Ingredients
Glycerin, Rice Ferment Filtrate, Kojic Acid, Sucrose, Squalane, Saccharomyces Xylinum Black Tea Ferment, Panthenol, Zinc Gluconate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Disodium Edta, Carbomer, Beta-Carotene, Lauryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Tocopherol
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?
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