Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides for acne-prone skin
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few serums fit it even 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 excellent skin brightening for your combination skin due to Hydroxyresveratrol and Tetrapeptide-30, which promote evening skin tone and address hyperpigmentation concerns.
- Provides moderate exfoliation for acne and blemishes with lactic acid and gluconolactone, aiding in skin renewal and improving texture without causing irritation.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your acne-prone skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine and start 3x/week before working up to daily use.
- Apply this treatment after cleansing and toner, and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product on clean, dry skin to help manage your breakouts safely.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with hyperpigmentation, melasma, and post-inflammatory erythema (PIE) frequently report visible skin brightening and the fading of dark spots, often noting a smoother texture and "glass-like" glow within weeks. While many experience rapid results, a minority of users report no visible changes or mild breakouts, and the short shelf life of the activated formula is a noted consideration.
Highlights
Fades dark spots Often Mentioned
- “pigmentation lightened slightly”
- “fading uneven skin tone”
- “dark spots visibly reduced”
- “helped post-acne marks”
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels firmer”
- “looks more awake”
- “smoother texture”
- “glass-like glow”
- “healthier overall”
Fast absorption Sometimes Noted
- “absorbs fast”
- “soaks into skin easily”
- “non-greasy”
- “layers well”
- “lightweight silky serum”
Gentle formulation Sometimes Noted
- “no irritation at all”
- “gentle to use”
- “suitable for sensitive skin”
- “didn't dry me out”
Rapid results Sometimes Noted
- “results in 7 days”
- “brighter and clearer quickly”
- “works fast”
- “noticeable difference in weeks”
Ineffective for some Sometimes Noted
- “no difference”
- “haven't noticed changes”
- “not impressed”
- “melasma didn't budge”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “mild reaction”
- “bumps appeared”
- “skin purging”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “click mechanism tricky”
- “hard to activate”
- “dropper issues”
Short shelf life Rarely Noted
- “use within 6 weeks”
- “runs out quickly”
- “two small bottles”
- “oxidizes if not used fast”
Sources: lovi.care, medik8.com, spacenk.com, lookfantastic.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, dermstore.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides a great fit for acne-prone skin?
Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides is a great fit for acne-prone skin because it provides gentle exfoliation with lactic acid and gluconolactone to clear blemishes and smooth texture without causing irritation. It also helps brighten the skin and even out tone using oxyresveratrol and peptides while maintaining an exceptionally safe profile.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This serum is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because it contains lactic acid and gluconolactone, which provide gentle exfoliation to help clear blemishes and smooth your skin texture without causing irritation. These ingredients safely renew the skin while keeping side-effects very unlikely.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Skin Research and Technology, 2023
What does Oxyresveratrol do for acne-prone skin?
Oxyresveratrol helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing skin inflammation and swelling. It works by lowering the production of inflammatory signals that can make breakouts red and angry.
What do Peptides do for acne-prone skin?
Peptides help calm acne-prone skin by reducing redness and soothing inflammation while supporting the skin barrier. Certain advanced peptide formulas also work to target acne-causing bacteria and help balance oil production.
Biochemical Pharmacology, 2025Bioresources and Bioprocessing, 2026
Where does it go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides goes in the evening routine as a treatment step, applied after cleansing and toning and before your moisturizer. This timing helps keep the routine simple and safe around sun exposure while letting the active ingredients work overnight.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this serum with retinol by applying this treatment first and following with your retinol. Because this product is very gentle on acne-prone skin, it is unlikely to cause irritation when layered.
How often should I use it?
Use this treatment once a week in your evening routine, as exfoliating steps start at this frequency before you slowly build up based on your skin's tolerance. It provides gentle renewal for acne and blemishes without causing irritation, helping your skin stay smooth.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides is a great fit for acne-prone skin because it provides gentle exfoliation to renew texture without harshness. It is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts, and complaints about causing breakouts are low.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Application of a new brightening complex cream containing niacinamide, tranexamic acid, oxyresveratrol, glutathione disulfide, and linoleic acid for 12 weeks increased skin lightness (L*-value) and significantly decreased melanin index and erythema index in Korean women.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017Topical application of mulberroside A, oxyresveratrol, and oxyresveratrol-3-O-glucoside reduced UVB-induced skin pigmentation and melanogenic enzyme expression in brown guinea pigs compared to vehicle control, with oxyresveratrol showing the greatest effect.
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2011Gluconolactone 14% solution significantly improved mild to moderate acne by reducing inflamed and non-inflamed lesions similarly to 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with fewer side-effects in 150 patients.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Combining 10% gluconolactone chemical peeling with oxybrasion or microneedle mesotherapy increased skin hydration and decreased sebum, pH, and TEWL in twenty-one Caucasian women, with no significant differences between the two methods.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Topical oxyresveratrol microemulsion at 20-30% w/w effectively delayed skin lesion development and protected mice from death compared to untreated controls.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2012Encapsulating dihydrooxyresveratrol and oxyresveratrol into nanostructured lipid carriers enhanced photostability, promoted controlled release, facilitated skin penetration, exhibited no cytotoxicity up to 500 µg/mL on human keratinocytes, and effectively reduced melanogenesis in B16F10 cells.
Scientific Reports, 2024Oxyresveratrol alleviates ultraviolet B-induced cytotoxicity and inflammation in keratinocytes by exhibiting antioxidant activity, inhibiting p38 MAPK and AP-1, and decreasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.
Heliyon, 2024Topical 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, 2019Application 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, 2001
Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Artocarpus Lakoocha Extract Wood, Hydroxyresveratrol, Gluconolactone, Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium Edta, Tetrapeptide-30, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Metabisulfite, Calcium Gluconate
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
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