Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum for oily acne-prone skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Niacinamide
Thermal Spring Water
GlycerinHigh
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few moisturizers fit it even 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
- Highly suitable for your oily skin, this serum contains niacinamide to help regulate sebum production and reduce inflammation, addressing your concerns with acne, blemishes, and breakouts. Glycerin further supports hydration, enhancing skin volume and elasticity.
- The inclusion of sodium hyaluronate provides excellent plumping and hydrating benefits, contributing to improved skin texture and a smoother appearance.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsUsers report this serum provides immediate hydration and a visible plumping effect, making it beneficial for aging and dehydrated skin. Most users find it effective for smoothing fine lines and suitable for sensitive skin, though some encountered a sticky finish or pilling when layering products.
Highlights
Plumps and firms Mostly Mentioned
- “skin instantly felt firmer”
- “noticeably more plump”
- “redensifies skin”
- “fine lines less noticeable”
Deeply hydrates Often Mentioned
- “intensely hydrated”
- “skin feels fresh”
- “super hydration”
- “quenched my thirsty skin”
Fast absorption Sometimes Noted
- “absorbs fast”
- “absorbs quickly”
- “non-sticky texture”
- “easy to use”
Gentle on sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “no irritation”
- “soothing benefits”
Improves texture Sometimes Noted
- “smoothes and brightens”
- “skin tone is more even”
- “complexion looked smoother”
- “soft and fresh”
Sticky finish Sometimes Noted
- “sticky kinda feeling”
- “leaves a sticky film”
- “tacky residue”
- “feels heavy”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “breakout of acne”
- “bumps appeared”
- “caused reaction”
- “clogged pores”
Drying for some Rarely Noted
- “made me feel dry”
- “not moisturizing enough”
- “tight feeling”
- “skin felt parched”
No results Rarely Noted
- “didn't work for me”
- “hard to tell”
- “no difference”
- “not the best”
Pilling issues Rarely Noted
- “makes it peel away”
- “peels like dirt”
- “doesn't layer well”
- “balls up”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, ulta.com, aveneusa.com, cocooncenter.co.uk, lovelyskin.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Serum a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is a great fit because niacinamide helps regulate oil and reduce inflammation to address breakouts, while glycerin and sodium hyaluronate keep your skin hydrated and smooth. It is also safe and unlikely to cause irritation because it leaves out harsh ingredients and includes soothing components.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is a great fit because niacinamide helps balance oil and calm blemishes, while glycerin and sodium hyaluronate hydrate the skin without feeling heavy. These soothing and gentle ingredients mean the product is unlikely to cause irritation on your 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
What does Niacinamide do for oily acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oil production, calms redness, and is unlikely to irritate oily, acne-prone skin while improving blemishes. Clinical tests show it reduces excess oil and helps clear up both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, which keeps the routine simple and safe around sun exposure. Niacinamide and sodium hyaluronate help calm blemishes and hydrate without feeling heavy.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first to hydrate your skin and help reduce potential irritation from the retinol. Using a moisturizing treatment alongside retinoids is unlikely to cause issues and helps keep your skin calm and comfortable.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this serum in the evening as part of your routine. Daily application helps keep your oily acne-prone skin hydrated and smooth while calming breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores on oily acne-prone skin because it contains niacinamide to help calm inflammation and balance oil production. It is well tolerated with a low risk of irritation, though a few reviewers have occasionally reported breakouts.
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this serum around the eyes, though the skin there is thin and delicate. The gentle ingredients and soothing thermal spring water mean the formula is unlikely to cause irritation.
Is this serum 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, 2017Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Hyaluronic acid extracts are safe and efficacious products for skin repair when used in tissue regeneration alone or in combination with herbal or Western medicine.
Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Topical 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, 2019Topical 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, 2005Balneotherapy with thermal water altered specific skin microbiota at genus and species levels in healthy female volunteers compared to tap water, which produced no significant microbiome changes.
Life, 2023Malaysian thermal spring water as an adjunct to standard acne therapy improved skin hydration, reduced dryness and stinging, enhanced overall tolerability, and improved the acne disability index in patients with mild to moderate acne.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024A 2% Sphingomonas xenophaga ferment extract cream applied twice daily for 4 weeks significantly decreased facial vascular disorder scores compared to vehicle in 86 Caucasian female subjects, alongside dose-dependent inhibition of pre-kallikrein activity in vitro.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025The 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, 2012
Ingredients
Avene Thermal Spring Water Avene Aqua Avene Aqua, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.