BABOR Hydra Plus for acne-prone skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Saccharide Isomerate
Sodium Pca
Ethylhexylglycerin
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025
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 hydration for your combination, acne-prone skin as Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate provide humectant benefits, helping to plump and hydrate without exacerbating breakouts.
- The formula is generally safe for your combination skin, with Glycerin and Saccharide Isomerate offering soothing properties and a low risk of irritation.
- While functional for general hydration, the product lacks specific ingredients to directly address your primary concerns of acne and blemishes.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help keep breakouts under control.
- Apply after your cleanser and toner, and make sure to use your SPF right after in the morning.
- Gently spread a small amount of moisturizer over your face using soft motions. Let it absorb into the skin for a minute before getting dressed or applying makeup.
- Apply on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. This keeps your combination skin balanced without feeling heavy.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Stop using if you feel any irritation.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers with dry, dehydrated, and mature skin report immediate relief and a visible plumping effect, with many noting restored radiance. The formula is highly praised for intensive hydration and spa-like results. A significant concern is the glass ampoule packaging, which users find difficult and potentially dangerous to open.
Highlights
Intense instant hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “Skin feels like it had a spa day”
- “Combats deep dryness upon application”
- “My thirsty older skin loves it”
- “Restores a luminous and refreshed complexion”
Plumping and smoothing Often Mentioned
- “Visibly plumps my skin”
- “Dryness wrinkles appear reduced”
- “Skin feels firm and bouncy”
- “Smooths out fine lines”
Dangerous glass packaging Often Mentioned
- “Risk of glass shards falling into product”
- “Despise the applicator”
- “Hard to break open safely”
- “Scary to snap the glass neck”
Fast absorption Sometimes Noted
- “Absorbs completely without residue”
- “Drank it up like a drink of water”
- “Perfect base for makeup”
- “Non-sticky texture”
Radiant glow Sometimes Noted
- “Gives a healthy glow”
- “Restores a luminous complexion”
- “Skin looks fresh and dewy”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “Scent is overpowering”
- “Too heavily perfumed for sensitive skin”
- “Smell is a bit much”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “Caused blemishes and redness”
- “Skin felt burning and swollen”
- “Caused a breakout”
Sticky finish Rarely Noted
- “Palms feel sticky after applying”
- “Left a tacky residue”
- “Felt a bit heavy on the skin”
Sources: lovi.care, babor.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, nordstrom.com, hwahae.co.kr, and more
Questions and answers
How well does BABOR Hydra Plus serum work for acne-prone skin?
BABOR Hydra Plus works reasonably well for acne-prone skin, providing moderate hydration and a low risk of irritation without making breakouts worse. However, because it lacks targeted blemish-fighting ingredients, a moisturizing treatment for this skin needs helpful additions like Niacinamide and Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to properly clear acne while keeping moisture balanced.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate make this treatment an average fit for your acne-prone skin by helping to plump and hydrate without clogging pores. Because it lacks ingredients to directly address blemishes, a product for this skin needs ingredients like Niacinamide and Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to control excess oil and soothe breakouts while keeping skin balanced.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps acne-prone skin by soothing irritation, calming redness, and keeping the skin balanced without clogging pores. When combined with targeted ingredients like zinc oxide, it may also help reduce breakouts.
What does Glycerin do for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep acne-prone skin hydrated and calm without clogging pores or feeling heavy. It supports the skin barrier so it stays soft and smooth while handling everyday treatments.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure. Acne-prone skin needs a product of this type that also contains specific ingredients to directly address blemishes and breakouts.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing treatment with retinol by applying it before your retinol to help soothe and hydrate your skin while it adjusts. Using a barrier-enhancing moisturizer alongside retinoids may help reduce dryness and irritation while improving your skin's overall comfort.
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment works well in your evening routine, where you can apply it safely after cleansing and toning. Because acne-prone skin needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients alongside basic hydration, this product is best used as a supportive step rather than an everyday cure.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizing treatment is generally safe for your acne-prone skin and helps hydrate without making breakouts worse, though a product of this type needs acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to directly address blemishes. Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate provide moderate hydration to plump the skin while carrying a low risk of irritation.
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes and on the body since it features a gentle formula, though it is primarily designed for facial hydration. The eyelid skin is quite thin, so hydrating products with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate help keep it soft.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
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, 2017A novel moisturizer containing saccharide isomerate accelerates skin barrier recovery, improves hydration, reduces erythema, and alleviates discomfort compared to a control moisturizer following intense pulsed light treatment in subjects with skin aging.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025A 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, 2025Formulations containing saccharide isomerate significantly improved transepidermal water loss, sebum secretion, and scalp flaking compared to a placebo formulation in an adult Chinese population affected by dandruff scalp.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019The 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, 2012A novel natural carrier-free assembled gel composed of sodium pyrrolidone carboxylate and baicalin alleviates UVB-induced skin photodamage by scavenging reactive oxygen species, protecting mitochondria, restoring oxidative homeostasis, inhibiting inflammatory responses, and regulating collagen-related proteins.
Biomaterials Advances, 2026
Why other moisturizers fit acne-prone skin better
A peel-off facial mask containing myoinositol and trehalose-loaded liposomes improved adult female acne by decreasing lesion counts, sebum production, GAGS scores, and local androgen levels while increasing beclin-1 levels.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017A 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, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Saccharide Isomerate, C12-15 Pareth-12, Sodium Pca, Phenoxyethanol, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, 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
How does it fit your skin?
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