Biossance Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum for acne-prone skin
Squalane
Lactic Acid
Glycerin
Lavender Oil
Acacia Senegal GumAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other products fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 exfoliation for your combination skin due to lactic acid, which helps smooth texture, while squalane provides emollient action beneficial for balancing oily and dry areas.
- The presence of Lavandula Angustifolia Oil Lavender Oil offers soothing benefits, which is advantageous for your skin.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of calming components.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant PM once a week to start, and gradually increase if your combination skin tolerates it well. Always apply SPF the next morning to protect your clear skin.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer step. This ensures the treatment targets blemishes effectively.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin without rubbing. Let it absorb for a minute before moving to the next step.
- Apply the exfoliant on clean, dry skin to help control breakouts safely. Since your skin is not sensitive, this dry application method ensures good product absorption.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Do not mix this exfoliant with other strong acids in the same routine.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.8k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly effective at smoothing rough texture and brightening dull skin, often overnight, without causing dryness. Most users, including those with sensitive skin, find it gentle and hydrating. A moderate number of users dislike the herbal scent and find the product expensive, while a low number report experiencing irritation or breakouts.
Highlights
Smoothes skin texture Mostly Mentioned
- “smooths out rough skin”
- “baby soft results”
- “bumps are gone”
- “refined my texture”
Brightens complexion Often Mentioned
- “woke up glowing”
- “skin looks luminous”
- “radiant next morning”
- “removed dullness”
Gentle and hydrating Often Mentioned
- “no irritation at all”
- “didn't dry me out”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “moisturizing feel”
Fades dark spots Sometimes Noted
- “acne scars faded”
- “helped with pigmentation”
- “evened skin tone”
- “spots look lighter”
Herbal scent disliked Sometimes Noted
- “smells a bit funny”
- “strong lavender scent”
- “off-putting smell”
- “scent is weird”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “very expensive”
- “pricey for the size”
- “wish it was cheaper”
- “investment product”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “broke me out”
- “caused tiny bumps”
- “purging period”
- “woke up with zits”
Causes irritation Rarely Noted
- “burned my face”
- “caused red blotches”
- “stings upon application”
- “too strong for me”
Sources: lovi.care, biossance.com, sephora.com, influenster.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, makeupalley.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Biossance Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum work for acne-prone skin?
Biossance Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum works moderately well for acne-prone skin by offering gentle exfoliation and soothing benefits that help smooth texture and keep skin balanced. An exfoliant treatment for this skin needs effective ingredients like niacinamide, zinc PCA, or propolis to target breakouts while controlling oiliness and providing optimal hydration.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Lactic acid helps smooth texture, while squalane balances oily and dry areas and lavender oil offers soothing benefits. An exfoliant treatment for acne-prone skin needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA to target breakouts and control oiliness while keeping skin hydrated and balanced.
What does Squalane do for acne-prone skin?
Squalane may help keep acne-prone skin soft and smooth, but peroxidated forms can trigger inflammation in skin cells. For a better fit on acne-prone skin, products need non-clogging, soothing ingredients that balance oil without causing irritation.
What does Lactic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Lactic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing both inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions with regular topical use. It works well to smooth and calm the skin while managing breakouts safely over time.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2002
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Start using it just once a week, and if your skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often. Acne-prone skin works best with products that offer gentle exfoliation to smooth texture alongside calming ingredients.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol, but apply them on separate nights to help avoid irritation on your acne-prone skin. Because both ingredients are strong, alternating nights keeps your skin calm and smooth.
How often should I use this serum?
Use this serum once a week in your evening routine to start, and if your skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often. Acne-prone skin works best with products that provide gentle exfoliation to smooth texture while balancing oily and dry areas with calming ingredients.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This product is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts on your acne-prone skin because it lacks harsh ingredients and includes calming components. However, an acne-prone skin type needs a product with strong oil-balancing and clarifying ingredients to keep pores clear and prevent breakouts more effectively.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (linalool). Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical application of a vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate significantly increased epidermal thickness, type III collagen production, and glycosaminoglycans production in human skin explants compared to free vitamin C and vitamin C-palmitate.
Scientific Reports, 2020Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Application of squalene/phosphotungstate calcium nanowires (Sql/PWC) oleogel on UVB-irradiated skin decreased epidermal thickness, increased dermal thickness, and promoted the expression of elastin, collagen, and skin barrier markers through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2025Lavandula angustifolia leaf callus extract enhanced skin cell viability, reduced oxidative stress and melanin content, improved wound healing, and enhanced skin barrier function in human skin cells and clinical tests.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020A 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, 2017The 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, 2001Polysaccharide-based O/W emulsions incorporated with lavender essential oil applied to cellulosic support are non-irritating, provide softness and moisturizing effects, and are safe for topical patch applications.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021Gellan gum hydrogel films co-encapsulating ofloxacin with tea tree or lavender oil achieved 98% wound contraction and completely healed epidermis in rats after ten days of treatment compared to baseline.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021Topical application of lavender oil significantly promoted wound contraction, collagen synthesis, and fibroblast differentiation with up-regulation of TGF-beta in a rat model compared to control.
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016Acacia gum and carbopol hydrogel wound dressings containing gentamicin showed faster wound healing, well-developed fibroblasts, and blood capillaries compared to open wounds in swiss albino mice.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2013Barley beta-glucan films formulated with sorbitol and acacia gum demonstrated suitable mechanical properties and stimulated in vitro keratinocytes growth.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2023Gum arabic and beta-cyclodextrin microencapsulated peony seed oil emulsion protected against ultraviolet radiation by inhibiting reactive oxygen species generation, increasing cell viability from 54.75% to 92.69% in UVB-damaged HaCaT cells, and repairing 95.56% of UVB-damaged skin within 7 days in animal experiments through regulation of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2026
Ingredients
Acacia Senegal Gum, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil Lavender Oil, Lespedeza Capitata Stem Extract Leaf, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Propanediol, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Olivate, Squalane, Water, Xanthan Gum
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.