The Ordinary Buffet for oily skin
Peptides
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Lactococcus Lysate Ferment
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
High
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best serums for oily skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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
- This formulation offers excellent plumping and minimizing of fine lines and wrinkles for your oily skin due to the presence of multiple peptides like Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, which provide hydration without excessive richness.
- While it addresses hydration and fine lines effectively, its benefits are mostly supportive and not directly targeted at managing oily shine.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like Glycerin, Allantoin, and Sodium Hyaluronate.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 4.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is a highly-rated, affordable option for anti-aging, with users frequently reporting improved hydration, plumpness, and skin texture. While generally well-tolerated, a notable number of users experience a sticky finish or pilling under makeup, and some sensitive skin types report breakouts.
Highlights
Great value Mostly Mentioned
- “unbeatable for the price”
- “worth the money”
- “affordable solid starter peptide serum”
- “great value compared to luxury brands”
Hydrates and plumps Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels lush and hydrated”
- “gives a bouncy, plump look”
- “my face feels so glowy and plump”
- “relieves dry, tight skin”
Gentle for most Often Mentioned
- “didn't cause any stinging”
- “nice for my sensitive skin”
- “no irritation or redness”
- “calmed my skin barrier”
Smoother texture Often Mentioned
- “left my skin feeling so smooth”
- “improved the texture of my skin”
- “noticeably smoother skin in 8 weeks”
- “softens lines”
Sticky finish Often Mentioned
- “feels a bit tacky after applying”
- “sticky texture”
- “leaves a sticky residue”
- “viscosity of maple syrup”
Reduces fine lines Sometimes Noted
- “softened my forehead lines”
- “improvement in nasolabial fold wrinkles”
- “reduces appearance of crow's feet”
- “great for first wrinkles in your 20s”
No visible results Sometimes Noted
- “idk what it does honestly”
- “didn't see exceptional results”
- “no difference in elasticity”
- “just a basic hydrating serum”
Pills under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “pills under makeup”
- “balls up under foundation”
- “peels off if I rub my face”
- “can't wear primer over it”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused whiteheads”
- “broke me out”
- “gave me milia”
- “skin didn't agree with the fermented ingredients”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, influenster.com, reddit.com, makeupalley.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes The Ordinary Buffet a great fit for oily skin?
This product is a great fit because it plumps and smooths fine lines using multiple peptides and hydrating ingredients that provide moisture without feeling too heavy or rich. It is also very safe and unlikely to cause irritation for oily skin thanks to soothing components like glycerin and allantoin.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
This serum is a great fit for your oily skin because it contains multiple peptides like Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, which smooth and plump fine lines without adding heavy richness. It also includes soothing components like Glycerin, Allantoin, and Sodium Hyaluronate to keep your skin comfortable and hydrated with an excellent safety profile and no irritation.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What do Peptides do for oily skin?
Peptides help support skin health and may improve the look of oily skin, but this type of skin needs formulas with ingredients that balance oil production and keep pores clear.
Advanced Science, 2025International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps oily skin by reducing extra oil and sebum production without causing irritation. Clinical studies show it successfully balances oil levels while keeping the skin comfortable.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Putting it in the evening keeps things simple and helps avoid extra sun sensitivity.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying this treatment first and following with your retinol once it absorbs. This product provides supportive hydration without heaviness, and it is unlikely to irritate your oily skin because it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing components.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment is applied in the evening. It provides hydration without feeling too rich and has a very safe profile with no risks of irritation for your oily skin.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts for oily skin because it has a very safe formula without harsh ingredients, though a small number of reviewers do report breakouts. It provides hydration with light ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate instead of heavy oils that typically clog pores.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Annals of Dermatology, 2019
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Argireline 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 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, 2022A 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, 2017Optimized transfersomes loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate and hyaluronic acid increased cell viability while reducing lipid peroxidation, intracellular ROS, and MMP expression in HaCaT cells, and exhibited higher skin permeation and deposition compared to plain EGCG.
Drug Delivery, 2017Topical 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, 2019The 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, 2012Acetyl 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
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
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