IOPE PDRN Caffeine Shot Serum for oily acne-prone skin
Bio-Pdrn
Caffeine
Niacinamide
Adenosine
Lactobacillus Lysate FermentAverage
- 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 skin treatment for your oily skin, as niacinamide and adenosine help with evening skin tone and minimizing fine lines, while caffeine supports seboregulation and antioxidant activity.
- The formulation provides general skincare benefits like hydration and soothing, which are supportive for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your oily skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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
★4.8Overall rating based on 1.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently praise this serum for its lightweight, fast-absorbing texture and its ability to visibly reduce facial puffiness and refine skin texture. While highly effective for "de-puffing" and strengthening the moisture barrier, some users with very dry skin find it requires an additional moisturizer, and the high price point is a frequent point of contention.
Highlights
Lightweight texture Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs like water”
- “zero stickiness”
- “sinks right in”
- “lightweight and refreshing”
Reduces puffiness Often Mentioned
- “swelling goes down quickly”
- “jawline looks tighter”
- “less puffiness in morning”
- “face looks more contoured”
Expensive product Often Mentioned
- “price gives me pause”
- “wish it were affordable”
- “rationing it due to cost”
- “price-to-amount ratio is steep”
Gentle on skin Sometimes Noted
- “no irritation on sensitive days”
- “works gently”
- “didn't experience blemishes”
- “soothing feel”
Improves skin barrier Sometimes Noted
- “skin barrier feels stronger”
- “pores look managed”
- “skin became smoother”
- “refined skin texture”
Dry skin needs more Sometimes Noted
- “not heavy-duty hydration”
- “need cream afterwards”
- “felt tightness after a few hours”
- “too light for winter”
Minor breakouts Rarely Noted
- “small breakouts on forehead”
- “tiny red bumps”
- “caused minor texture issues”
Subtle anti-aging Rarely Noted
- “haven't noticed major firmness changes”
- “results are preventative”
- “didn't see dramatic transformation”
Sources: lovi.care, oliveyoung.co.kr, sokoglam.com, hwahae.co.kr, reddit.com, yesstyle.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does IOPE Caffeine Shot Serum work for oily acne-prone skin?
IOPE PDRN Caffeine Shot Serum works moderately well for your oily acne-prone skin, providing gentle hydration and evening out your skin tone while supporting oil control. A product of this type needs specialized ingredients like niacinamide and soothing extracts that target excess oil and blemishes without feeling heavy, while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
What does Bio-PDRN do for oily acne-prone skin?
Bio-PDRN helps calm oily acne-prone skin and supports skin recovery. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients and lightweight hydrators to keep pores clear and balance oil without feeling heavy.
What does Caffeine do for oily acne-prone skin?
Topical caffeine helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by protecting cells against UV damage and preventing excessive fat accumulation. It is also well tolerated and may boost your sunscreen protection when used together with UV filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2013Frontiers in Physiology, 2019
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
Apply this serum in your evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Oily acne-prone skin needs a treatment that combines soothing ferment extracts, balancing caffeine, and blemish-clearing ingredients like niacinamide to keep skin calm and clear.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this serum with retinol, applying the treatment after your cleanser and before your moisturizer. It is generally safe for your skin, but oily acne-prone skin typically benefits more from targeted ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to actively clear breakouts.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this serum in your evening routine, applying it after cleansing and toning. This product of this type needs lightweight hydration, soothing ingredients, and gentle blemish-fighting actives to effectively care for oily, acne-prone skin.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause purging on oily acne-prone skin since it lacks harsh ingredients, though reviewers occasionally report minor breakouts. A product for this skin works best when it includes oil-balancing ingredients and lightweight hydrators to keep breakouts calm without feeling heavy.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Topical application of a disodium adenosine monophosphate-based formulation reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation while improving hydration, barrier function, skin lifting, and epidermal turnover in female participants.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026Topical treatment of nicotinamide, alone or in combination with other active ingredients, reduces the progression of skin aging and hyperpigmentation in clinical trials while being well tolerated.
Antioxidants, 2021Topical application of Low-Peony PDRN enhanced barrier recovery and improved periorbital skin elasticity in human subjects.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025Polydeoxyribonucleotide promotes skin regeneration by increasing ERK phosphorylation, collagen accumulation, and cell proliferation and migration in fibroblasts while inhibiting ERK phosphorylation and inflammatory cytokine expression in keratinocytes.
Molecular Medicine Reports, 2023A topical mixture of polydeoxyribonucleotide, vitamin C, and niacinamide delivered via a microneedling therapy system decreased skin pigmentation and increased skin elasticity by attenuating melanogenesis and the destruction of collagen and elastin fibers in a UV-B-radiated animal model.
Molecules, 2022A topical cosmetic slimming product containing tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol significantly reduced body circumferences and improved skin aspect compared with placebo in 78 women over 12 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2011Topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine combined with UV filters increased in vivo anti-UVB protection by approximately 25% and showed higher SPF values compared to caffeine-free sunscreen, while being well tolerated by the skin of healthy subjects.
Frontiers in Physiology, 2019Caffeine gel combined with choline geranate showed high skin permeation capacity and superior clinical results in cellulite treatment compared to caffeine gel without ionic liquid.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021Topical 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, 2005Topical adenosine treatment significantly increased the anagen hair growth rate and thick hair rate compared to placebo in Japanese women with female pattern hair loss over 12 months.
The Journal of Dermatology, 2008Adenosine and cordycepin stimulate the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway through adenosine receptor and PKA activation, promoting cell proliferation, migration, and growth factor secretion in cultured dermal fibroblasts.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021Adenosine treatment of dermal papilla cells upregulates fibroblast growth factor-7 expression via the A2b adenosine receptor and intracellular cAMP signaling, and fibroblast growth factor-7 significantly stimulates hair fiber elongation in human scalp hair follicle organ cultures.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2007Probiotic-derived lotion successfully reduced inflammatory acne lesion counts and erythema index comparably to 2.5% benzoyl peroxide in patients with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris, while causing fewer side effects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021Lactobacillus plantarum extracellular vesicles modulated extracellular matrix related gene expression in vitro and suppressed wrinkle formation and pigmentation in clinical trials.
Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 2022
Ingredients
Lactobacillus Lysate Ferment, Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Caffeine, Dipropylene Glycol, 2-Hexanediol, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Mannitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sodium Citrate, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta, T-Butyl Alcohol, Arginine, Cyclodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Beta-Glucan, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, 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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