NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence for oily skin
Bifida Lysate Ferment
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Rice Ferment Filtrate Sake Ferment Filtrate
Niacinamide
Sodium HyaluronateAverage
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 and barrier support for your oily skin, as Bifida Lysate Ferment and Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate provide excellent humectant action and aid in skin renewal. Glycerin and Allantoin further contribute to soothing and moisturizing benefits, though targeted ingredients for oily shine are absent.
- The formula is well-suited for oily skin due to its humectant properties and barrier-repairing ingredients.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation and the inclusion of soothing agents.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
- Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
- Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently praise this essence for its ability to deeply hydrate and create a glowing complexion without feeling heavy. It is highly effective for strengthening the skin barrier and brightening dullness, though some users note that results are subtle at first and require consistent use over several weeks to become visible.
Highlights
Deep hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels plump”
- “instant moisture boost”
- “eliminates dry patches”
- “dewy finish”
- “hydrates without grease”
Fast absorption Often Mentioned
- “sinks in immediately”
- “layers beautifully”
- “water-like consistency”
- “no sticky residue”
- “lightweight feel”
Improves texture Often Mentioned
- “honey skin effect”
- “glass skin look”
- “smoother texture”
- “brightens complexion”
- “healthy radiance”
Gentle formula Sometimes Noted
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “no fragrance”
- “doesn't sting”
- “calms redness”
- “non-irritating”
Quality packaging Sometimes Noted
- “luxurious glass bottle”
- “heavy sturdy feel”
- “looks expensive”
- “hygienic dispenser”
- “elegant design”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “a bit pricey”
- “expensive for essence”
- “wait for sale”
- “costly investment”
- “pricier than alternatives”
Slow results Sometimes Noted
- “takes time to work”
- “no overnight miracle”
- “hard to see difference”
- “requires patience”
- “too subtle”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “triggered fungal acne”
- “caused small bumps”
- “broke me out”
- “clogged pores”
- “reaction to ferments”
Fragile bottle Rarely Noted
- “shattered easily”
- “broke in transit”
- “scared to drop it”
- “fragile glass”
- “cracked bottom”
Heavy for travel Rarely Noted
- “too heavy to pack”
- “bulky bottle”
- “adds weight to luggage”
- “not travel friendly”
- “hard to transport”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, stylekorean.com, sokoglam.com, neogenlab.us, ulta.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence work for oily skin?
NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence works moderately well for oily skin, providing balanced hydration and barrier support through ferment ingredients and glycerin without any irritation. However, it lacks targeted ingredients for oily shine, so an oily skin type needs a lightweight product with peptides and hydrating agents that control oiliness, avoid heavy oils, and support the skin barrier.
Which ingredients make this essence a good fit for oily skin?
Bifida Lysate Ferment and Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate make this essence a good fit for oily skin because they provide moisture and help renew the skin. To work best for oily skin, a moisturizing treatment of this type needs targeted ingredients for oily shine, light textures without heavy oils, and ingredients that support the skin barrier without clogging pores.
What does Bifida Ferment Lysate do for oily skin?
Bifida Ferment Lysate helps strengthen the outer skin layer and calm redness, making it a good fit for oily skin that gets easily irritated. It also provides antioxidant support and helps keep skin defenses balanced.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Experimental Dermatology, 2010
What does Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate do for oily skin?
Saccharomyces ferment filtrate helps balance oily skin by reducing unwanted shine and smoothing rough texture. Because this type of ingredient tends to be very lightweight, it is unlikely to clog pores while helping keep your face feeling fresh and clear.
Where does this essence go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This essence works well as an evening treatment step in your routine, applied after cleansing and before moisturizing. It offers moderate hydration and barrier support with a safe profile for oily skin, though an oily fit of this type needs targeted ingredients to control shine.
Can I use this essence with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this essence with retinol by applying the essence first to keep your skin soft and calm before your retinol treatment. This type of routine step is unlikely to cause irritation and helps support your skin barrier while using strong actives.
How often should I use this essence?
You can use this treatment in your evening routine, applying it after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer. It is safe for your skin with no risks of irritation, though oily skin works best with products that also include targeted ingredients to manage shine.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this essence clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This essence is unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin, but a small number of reviewers report that it may cause breakouts. Oily skin often needs targeted ingredients that help control shine and balance oil production, which this formula lacks.
Can I use this essence around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this essence around the eyes and on your body, as its gentle ingredients are safe for delicate skin. However, oily skin needs a product with targeted ingredients to control shine.
Is this essence fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying 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, 2017Application of Galactomyces ferment filtrate skin care formula significantly reduced the net values and daily fluctuation of facial pore area, roughness, and redness in young Japanese women.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020Topical application of Bifida Ferment Lysate strengthens the skin barrier function by upregulating barrier and antimicrobial peptide genes, exhibiting strong antioxidant properties, and decreasing inflammatory cytokine secretion in vitro.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Topical moisturizers improved skin barrier function and surface moisture, while a postbiotic moisturizer with yeast extract uniquely supported microbiome balance and modulated biomarkers of skin barrier, structure, and inflammation in participants and ex vivo explants exposed to environmental aggressors.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2023A maintenance therapy with a cosmeceutical formulation containing hydroxyphenoxy propionic acid, ellagic acid, yeast extract, and salicylic acid over 20 weeks significantly improved even skin tone, spot intensity, spot size, and overall hyperpigmentation in 33 healthy subjects with moderate facial dyspigmentation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015A methanol yeast extract increases proliferation and migration while decreasing entrance into senescence and apoptosis phases in 3T3 fibroblast cells.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2014Daily application of a cream containing niosomes loaded with purple glutinous rice extract in 20 human volunteers for 28 days resulted in a significant decrease in melanin index and skin roughness by -14.05% and -9.95%, and increases in skin hydration and elastic recovery by +48.73% and +35.98% compared to initial values.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020The iontophoretic delivery of hyaluronic acid nanogel-loaded Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate significantly reduced advanced glycation end products and mitigated skin stiffening in an ex vivo skin tissue glycation model.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2025Red rice extract suppressed UVB-induced inflammation and skin aging in human skin fibroblasts by inhibiting the MAPK signaling pathway, leading to decreased NF-kappa B and AP-1 activation, reduced ECM degradation, and increased ECM synthesis compared to UVB-irradiated controls.
Natural Product Communications, 2016Topical 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 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, 2019
Why other moisturizers fit oily skin better
A 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
Bifida Lysate Ferment, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Rice Ferment Filtrate Sake Ferment Filtrate, Aspergillus Ferment, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Water, Betaine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trehalose, Lactobacillus, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Trideceth-10, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tropolone, Allantoin, Butylene Glycol, Coptis Japonica Extract, Arginine, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Niacinamide, Dextrin, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Phenoxyethanol, Histidine, Methionine, Cysteine
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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