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Skin Nutrition Botanicals Niacinamide 5% + Squalane Serum for sensitive skin

High

  • HighNormal Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for sensitive skin; a few serums fit it even 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 brightening and evening of skin tone due to the presence of kojic acid, which is supportive for your redness and irritation. Glycerin and Panthenol provide hydration and soothing benefits, which are beneficial for normal skin.
  • Squalane and hydrolyzed jojoba esters offer emollient action, helping to maintain skin hydration and barrier function for your normal skin type.
  • The product is safe for your sensitive skin as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients, minimizing the risk of irritation.

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

★4.5Overall rating based on 100+ reviews

Some 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

What makes Skin Nutrition Botanicals Niacinamide 5% + Squalane Serum a great fit for sensitive skin?

This serum is a great fit because it is safe for sensitive skin as it lacks harsh ingredients, minimizing the risk of irritation. Ingredients like panthenol, glycerin, and squalane help soothe the skin and maintain hydration and barrier function.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008

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

This serum is a great fit for sensitive skin because it contains glycerin, panthenol, squalane, and hydrolyzed jojoba esters, which help keep skin hydrated and calm. It also lacks harsh ingredients, which keeps the risk of irritation very low.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008

What does Niacinamide do for sensitive skin?

Niacinamide helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and reducing redness and irritation. It is very well tolerated and may improve overall comfort and resilience with regular use.

Cutis, 2005Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004

What does Squalane do for sensitive skin?

Squalane helps calm sensitive skin by defending against everyday irritation and keeping it smooth and soft. It is unlikely to cause irritation and supports your skin barrier so it stays comfortable and hydrated.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2017

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

This treatment serum goes in the evening routine for sensitive skin, placed after your soothing toner and before your moisturizer for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure.

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

You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first in your evening routine to keep your skin calm and hydrated. This approach is unlikely to cause irritation because the product lacks harsh ingredients.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

How often should I use this serum?

You can use this serum in your evening routine, applying it once a day. Glycerin, panthenol, squalane, and hydrolyzed jojoba esters help keep sensitive skin calm and hydrated while minimizing the risk of irritation.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008

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

This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on sensitive skin since it lacks heavy oils and harsh ingredients that typically trigger irritation. It contains lightweight hydrating ingredients like glycerin and squalane that help keep your skin smooth without feeling blocked.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

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, 2002
  • 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 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, 2008
  • 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
  • Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.

    Molecules, 2025
  • Plant-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, 2025
  • A 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, 2010
  • A 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, 2023
  • Topical 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, 2013
  • A 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, 2026
  • Daily 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, 2023
  • Different 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, 2013
  • 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
  • Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.

    Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000
  • Hyaluronic 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

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.

How does it fit your skin?

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