The Ordinary Buffet Serum for oily acne-prone skin
Peptides
Sodium Hyaluronate
Amino Acids
Lactococcus Lysate Ferment
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Average
- 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 hydration and skin barrier support for your oily skin, with ingredients like Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate providing humectant action without feeling heavy. While beneficial for overall skin health, these ingredients do not directly target your primary concerns of acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The multiple peptides, such as Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, provide excellent plumping and firming effects, contributing to anti-aging benefits that complement your skin's needs.
- 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
★4.4Overall rating based on 7.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is widely praised as an affordable, effective all-in-one treatment that significantly hydrates and plumps the skin, leading to a softer texture and reduced appearance of fine lines for many users. A moderate number of users report a sticky finish, and a low to moderate number experienced breakouts or irritation, particularly those with sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Highlights
Hydrates and plumps Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels plump”
- “leaves face dewy”
- “very hydrating”
- “bouncy skin feel”
Great value Often Mentioned
- “unbeatable price”
- “affordable anti-aging”
- “great bang for buck”
- “wallet-friendly effective skincare”
Smoothes texture Often Mentioned
- “glass skin effect”
- “texture is softer”
- “makeup applies smoother”
- “smoother complexion”
Sticky finish Often Mentioned
- “feels very tacky”
- “sticky residue”
- “takes forever to dry”
- “left face sticky”
Reduces lines Sometimes Noted
- “softened forehead lines”
- “crow's feet diminished”
- “lines look filled”
- “youthful appearance”
Caused breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “broke me out”
- “caused cystic acne”
- “clogged my pores”
- “tiny bumps appeared”
Slow results Sometimes Noted
- “didn't do much”
- “no visible difference”
- “just a hydrator”
- “results are minimal”
Pilling issues Rarely Noted
- “pills under makeup”
- “balls up”
- “hard to layer”
- “conflicts with Vitamin C”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, sephora.com, deciemchatroom.com, reddit.com, cultbeauty.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The Ordinary Buffet work for oily acne-prone skin?
The Ordinary Buffet Serum works reasonably well for oily acne-prone skin by offering moderate hydration and firming benefits without feeling heavy, though it does not directly target breakouts. A treatment for this skin type needs effective ingredients like niacinamide and vitamin C to manage excess oil and blemishes while remaining lightweight and safe.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum works for your oily skin because glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide light moisture without feeling heavy, while peptides offer firming benefits. However, this skin needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or vitamin C to properly target breakouts, control excess oil, and improve texture.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013
What do Peptides do for oily acne-prone skin?
Peptides help calm oily, acne-prone skin by targeting acne-causing bacteria and reducing redness and swelling. Advanced delivery methods like nanomicelles may also improve how deeply these helpful ingredients sink into the skin.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, as a safe option that provides moderate hydration and firming peptides for oily skin. Oily acne-prone skin needs products with ingredients that directly target breakouts and blemishes, such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first and following it with your retinol treatment. This product is unlikely to irritate your skin, though an oily acne-prone routine needs ingredients that directly target breakouts and blemishes alongside lightweight hydration and firming peptides.
How often should I use it?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine, though some may use it twice a day. While it offers moderate hydration and anti-aging benefits, it does not target acne and breakouts, so this skin type also needs products with active ingredients that clear pores and control oil.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum may cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin, as moderate reviewers complain about it, though it has no harsh ingredients that typically irritate. To truly manage breakouts and blemishes, oily skin needs targeted ingredients like salicylic acid, retinoids, or benzoyl peroxide.
Is it 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, 2017Chronomodulated daytime application of baicalin and nighttime application of palmitoyl tripeptide-1 synergistically improved skin luminance by 16.29%, nasolabial fold depth by -36.35%, and firmness by 24.35% in 30 female participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Argireline treatment twice daily for 4 weeks produced a significant anti-wrinkle effect with 48.9% total efficacy and decreased skin roughness in Chinese subjects compared with 0% efficacy and no decrease in roughness in the placebo group.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Treatment with cross-linked hyaluronic acid-based microneedle patches combined with acetyl hexapeptide-8 or epidermal growth factor significantly improved wrinkles and skin hydration compared to the patch alone in Korean females over 29 days.
Annals of Dermatology, 2019Topical 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, 2019Acetyl hexapeptide-3 and tripeptide-10 citrulline demonstrated antiwrinkle efficacy and decreased transepidermal water loss in twenty-four healthy volunteers compared to control groups, though synergistic effects between the two peptides remained unclear.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017Daily topical acetyl hexapeptide-8 showed a trend toward a longer time until return to baseline Jankovic Blepharospasm Rating Scale scores compared to placebo (3.7 months vs. 3.0 months) in 24 patients with blepharospasm receiving botulinum toxin therapy.
European Journal of Neurology, 2013Argireline applied twice daily for 4 weeks achieved a total anti-wrinkle efficiency of 48.9% and notably reduced wrinkle depth compared to placebo in Chinese subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2013
Why other serums fit oily acne-prone skin better
A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Niacinamide and ferulic acid incorporated in a stable multiple emulsion successfully reduced melanin, sebum, and skin erythema while improving skin elasticity and hydration in human skin compared to a placebo.
BioMed Research International, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Lactococcus Lysate Ferment, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Pentapeptide-18, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Trehalose, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, Urea, Sodium Pca, Pca, Sodium Lactate, Citric Acid, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
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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