SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 Maximum Strength Refining Night Cream for oily acne-prone skin
Retinol
Glycerin
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Silybum Marianum Milk Extract
Passiflora Incarnata ExtractAverage
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 benefits for your oily skin, as retinol helps refine texture and regulate sebum production, while bisabolol provides some anti-inflammatory action. The formulation is generally safe for your skin type due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
- The presence of retinol offers targeted benefits for acne and breakouts by promoting skin renewal and minimizing fine lines.
- This product has a good safety profile with no risks of irritation for your oily skin.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your PM routine. Start 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply your serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2 to 3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on clean, dry skin to help manage your blemishes safely.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.3k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently describe this cream as a powerhouse professional-grade treatment that delivers dramatic improvements in skin texture, clarity, and firmness, often outperforming prescription alternatives. While the results are highly praised, the majority of reviews emphasize that the retinization period—characterized by peeling, redness, and dryness—is intense and requires a slow, careful introduction to the routine.
Highlights
Effective anti-aging Mostly Mentioned
- “Lines around mouth vanished”
- “Forehead wrinkles significantly reduced”
- “Skin looks years younger”
Refines skin texture Mostly Mentioned
- “Texture is completely gone”
- “Skin feels like porcelain”
- “Smoothest my face has ever been”
Clears acne & pores Often Mentioned
- “Stopped my hormonal breakouts”
- “Pores look invisible now”
- “Faded dark spots from old acne”
Intense irritation Often Mentioned
- “Face peeled like a snake”
- “Burned my sensitive skin”
- “Redness lasted for days”
Fast-acting results Sometimes Noted
- “Saw difference in one week”
- “Woke up glowing”
- “Works faster than other brands”
Drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “Sucked moisture out of skin”
- “Must use heavy cream after”
- “Too drying for winter”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “Hard on the wallet”
- “Very expensive for the size”
- “Wish it was cheaper”
Packaging design flaws Rarely Noted
- “Metal tube split on the side”
- “Product oozed out of cap”
- “Packaging is frustrating”
Sources: lovi.care, skinceuticals.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, bluemercury.com, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 work for oily acne-prone skin?
SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 offers moderate benefits for oily acne-prone skin, as retinol helps refine texture and regulate oil while bisabolol provides some calm. While this product is generally safe, oily acne-prone skin needs treatments with ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, benzoyl peroxide, or Vitamin C to control excess oil and clear breakouts without irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream works for your oily acne-prone skin because retinol helps refine texture and regulate sebum production, while bisabolol provides some anti-inflammatory action. A product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, benzoyl peroxide, or Vitamin C to provide even better benefits for oil control and breakouts without causing irritation.
What does Retinol do for oily acne-prone skin?
Retinol helps oily acne-prone skin by clearing up breakouts and smoothing the skin, though it may occasionally cause some mild scaling or stinging. This ingredient works by addressing the root causes of acne, making it a reliable choice for keeping pores clear and skin smooth.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2019Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2018
What does Glycerin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It draws moisture into the skin while supporting the skin barrier so it stays soft and balanced.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Oily acne-prone skin needs a well-balanced routine featuring lightweight hydration and targeted blemish-fighting ingredients to keep pores clear and skin smooth.
Can I use this cream with glycolic acid, and in what order?
You should not use this cream in the same routine as glycolic acid, as combining them is likely to cause excessive dryness and irritation on oily acne-prone skin. Instead, alternate nights or use glycolic acid in the morning and this treatment at night. Oily acne-prone skin needs products containing gentle exfoliants and soothing hydrators that refine texture without causing irritation.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. This product of this type needs ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide for better oil control and clearer pores on your oily acne-prone skin.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream may cause purging or breakouts when you first start using it, as retinol speeds up skin renewal to clear out pores. It is unlikely to clog pores since it avoids harsh heavy ingredients, but a product for this skin type still needs soothing ingredients like bisabolol and lightweight hydrators to keep skin calm.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical 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 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, 2019Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2018A 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, 2017The 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, 2020Ten 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, 2001A 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, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Silybum marianum flower extract increased human hair follicle dermal papilla cell proliferation and VEGF production while suppressing cellular senescence, and in a clinical study using hair shampoo, it significantly increased hair density and total hair count at 16 and 24 weeks compared with a placebo group.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 0.5% silymarin-loaded antioxidant serum applied twice daily significantly reduced clinical acne severity, lesion counts, and melanin pigmentation in 22 Korean acne patients over 4 weeks without associated adverse events.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Topical silymarin cream 1.4% showed comparable results to salicylic acid 30% peels in reducing acne severity in 30 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, 2024Topical chrysin nanoemulgel improved percutaneous absorption and in vitro cytotoxicity on A375 and SK-MEL-2 cell lines compared to unformulated chrysin, demonstrating effective localized transcutaneous delivery.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Chrysin attenuated apoptosis, ROS production, COX-2 expression, and AQP-3 down-regulation induced by UVB and UVA in HaCaT keratinocytes, while showing efficient percutaneous absorption and no skin irritation in animal studies.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2011Chrysin treatment reduced injury area and inflammation while increasing bFGF secretion, promoting the healing of amiodarone extravasation-induced skin injury in rats compared to control and 10% DMSO groups.
Microvascular Research, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Allyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Peg-7 Isostearate, Retinol, Laureth-23, Laureth-4, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Bht, Bisabolol, Tetrasodium Edta, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Rosa Canina Leaf Extract, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Leaf Extract Matricaria Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Methylisothiazolinone
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
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