Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum for oily acne-prone skin
Butylene Glycol
Glycerin
Low
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for oily acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside 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 moisturizing and treatment for your oily skin, as glycerin and honey hydrate and improve skin's overall condition, but lacks strong seboregulating components for optimal results.
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, offering general skincare benefits that are supportive but not directly targeted at your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly regarded for its ability to prepare the skin for subsequent products, delivering immediate hydration and a radiant glow. It is frequently praised for revitalizing dull and dry skin. However, a significant number of users find the high price point to be a drawback, and some are put off by the strong herbal scent or find the results to be too subtle.
Highlights
Instant absorption Mostly Mentioned
- “drinks it up instantly”
- “disappears into skin”
- “zero residue left behind”
- “perfect layering prep”
Deep hydration Often Mentioned
- “fixes tight feeling”
- “skin feels plump”
- “balances moisture barrier”
- “soothes dry patches”
Radiant glow Often Mentioned
- “gives me glass skin”
- “woke up glowing”
- “removes gray/dull tones”
- “healthy vitality”
High price Often Mentioned
- “wallet hurts”
- “too expensive for a booster”
- “luxury splurge only”
- “hard to repurchase”
Luxurious scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like a spa”
- “relaxing herbal scent”
- “calming ginger notes”
- “therapeutic aromatherapy”
Polarizing scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like medicine”
- “strong herbal odor”
- “overpowering ginger”
- “smells like old lady perfume”
Potential breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused small bumps”
- “broke me out”
- “irritated my sensitive skin”
Subtle results Rarely Noted
- “didn't notice a difference”
- “glorified water”
- “nice but not essential”
- “results are minimal”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, influenster.com, nordstrom.com, amazon.com, byrdie.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum a weak match for oily acne-prone skin?
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum is a weak match for oily acne-prone skin because it lacks strong oil-controlling components for optimal results, and its soothing plant extracts are supportive rather than directly targeted at acne and breakouts. A product of this type needs ingredients like Niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to regulate oil production and balance skin without clogging pores.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is a weak match for your oily acne-prone skin because it lacks targeted ingredients that help control oil and manage breakouts. A treatment for this skin type needs oil-regulating ingredients like niacinamide and lightweight hydrators such as hyaluronic acid to keep pores clear and balanced.
What does Water do for oily acne-prone skin?
Water helps keep oily, acne-prone skin hydrated without making it greasy. Keeping skin hydrated is important because acne treatments can dry it out and irritate the skin barrier.
What does Butylene Glycol do for oily acne-prone skin?
Butylene glycol helps skincare sink into the skin more easily while keeping it feeling light. It aids in delivering other ingredients effectively without clogging pores.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is a weak match for your oily acne-prone skin because it lacks targeted oil-controlling ingredients for breakouts. When used in a routine, treatments like this typically go in the evening after cleansing and before moisturizing, though this product type needs oil-balancing and blemish-clearing ingredients to properly care for oily skin.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment alongside retinol by applying it before your retinol product to help keep your skin hydrated. This product of this type needs added oil-balancing and blemish-clearing ingredients to properly manage oily acne-prone skin.
How often should I use this serum?
This serum is a weak match for oily acne-prone skin, but when used, it goes in your evening routine. A product of this type needs strong oil-balancing ingredients and targeted blemish-fighting components for optimal results on this skin type.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin, as reviewer complaints about breakouts are negligible. A product of this type needs strong oil-controlling ingredients to manage breakouts effectively.
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
This serum can be used on the body and around the eyes, as its moisturizing ingredients and plant extracts are generally suitable for application across various skin regions. However, this skin type needs targeted blemish-control and oil-balancing ingredients for optimal results.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).
What the research says
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, 2017Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009The 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, 2001Niacinamide/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
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better
A Tris/Arg-formulated cleanser significantly decreased noninflammatory and inflammatory acne and pore size with keratotic plugs compared to an AEC/AC cleanser in male Thai subjects with mild to moderate acne over 4 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Gluconolactone 14% solution significantly improved mild to moderate acne by reducing inflamed and non-inflamed lesions similarly to 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with fewer side-effects in 150 patients.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Honey, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Root Extract Rhizome, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta
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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