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Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum for dry sensitive skin

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum

Average

  • HighDry Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for dry sensitive skin; other eye cares fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 dry or flaky skin, as dimethicone and niacinamide provide hydration and barrier support, while hydroxypinacolone retinoate and retinol target fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.
  • The formula is highly suitable for dry skin due to the emollient and occlusive properties of dimethicone and olive oil fruit, which help smooth intercellular lipids and reduce water loss.
  • The product is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including soothing components like niacinamide and ceramides.

People Say

★4.2Overall rating based on 2.3k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly effective at smoothing fine lines and reducing milia, with many users appreciating its hydrating texture and cooling applicator. A significant number of users experience irritation, burning, or dryness, particularly with frequent use, indicating it may be a strong formula that requires careful introduction.

Highlights

  • Reduces fine lines Often Mentioned
    • “erased my fine lines”
    • “lessens lines under eyes”
    • “skin texture improved tremendously”
  • Drying and peeling Often Mentioned
    • “dried out my undereyes”
    • “skin peeling”
    • “made eyes look older/wrinkly”
  • Irritation and burning Often Mentioned
    • “burned my under eyes”
    • “caused redness and irritation”
    • “irritated red patchy eye”
  • Cooling applicator Sometimes Noted
    • “cooling effect is amazing”
    • “feels lovely and cooling”
    • “applicator feels great”
  • Hydrating texture Sometimes Noted
    • “velvety texture”
    • “ultra moisturizing”
    • “richer than expected”
  • High price point Sometimes Noted
    • “very pricey eye serum”
    • “expensive but works”
    • “would buy on sale”
  • Clears milia Rarely Noted
    • “eliminated almost all milia”
    • “helped milia within two weeks”
    • “tackles stubborn milia”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “top falls off”
    • “design better packaging”
    • “cap is not secure”

Sources: lovi.care, kohls.com, ulta.com, dermstore.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, sundayriley.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum work for dry sensitive skin?

This eye serum works moderately well for dry sensitive skin, helping smooth fine lines while keeping the skin calm with soothing ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides. However, this skin type needs products formulated with powerful moisturizing ingredients like peptides and sodium hyaluronate to ensure deep hydration without any risk of irritation.

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry sensitive skin?

Dimethicone, niacinamide, ceramides, and olive oil fruit help make this serum a good fit by providing hydration and barrier support for dry and sensitive skin. To truly thrive, this skin type needs products formulated with effective moisturizing ingredients like peptides and sodium hyaluronate to ensure optimal hydration and smoothing benefits without irritation.

What does Retinoid do for dry sensitive skin?

Retinoid is an average fit for dry sensitive skin and requires careful introduction to keep skin calm and smooth. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients, gentle hydration, and low concentrations to prevent irritation while helping with texture.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2014

What does Niacinamide do for dry sensitive skin?

Niacinamide helps dry sensitive skin by calming irritation and keeping moisture locked in so your face feels soft and smooth. It works to build up your skin barrier and calm redness while being very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2013

Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?

This eye serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Because dry and sensitive skin needs extra care, this skin type requires a product with rich hydrators like ceramides, soothing ingredients like centella asiatica, and gentle retinoids to smooth fine lines without causing irritation.

Can I use this serum with vitamin C, and in what order?

You can use this serum with vitamin C by applying vitamin C in the morning and this retinol serum at night, as using retinoids and vitamin C at the same time may cause irritation. This skin needs products with extra soothing ingredients and rich hydrators to keep it calm and comfortable.

How often should I use this serum?

You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. Dry and sensitive skin needs products that combine gentle retinoids with soothing ceramides and extra hydration to keep the skin barrier calm.

Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?

This eye serum is unlikely to clog pores, but strong retinoids like retinol and hydroxypinacolone retinoate may cause peeling, dryness, and skin purging as your skin adjusts. Dry and sensitive skin needs formulas packed with extra gentle hydrators, soothing ceramides, and rich moisture-locking ingredients to prevent irritation.

Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).

What the research says

  • Topical 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, 2021
  • Topical 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, 2008
  • Topical 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, 2005
  • Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.

    Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020
  • 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, 2017
  • Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

Ingredients

Water, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Methicone, Polyglycerin-6, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Niacinamide, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris Trimethylsiloxy Silylethyl Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Peg-12 Dimethicone Ppg-20 Crosspolymer, Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil Fruit, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Papaver Rhoeas Extract Red Poppy Extract, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Hieracium Pilosella Extract Hawkweed Daisy Extract, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ceramide Np, Pentylene Glycol, Lecithin, Methylpropanediol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-80, Didecyldimonium Chloride, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Dehydroacetate

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.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.