Youth To The People Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum for sensitive skin
Retinal
Niacinamide
Ceramides
Squalane
Adaptogens
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 treatment for minimizing fine lines and wrinkles due to the presence of retinal in concentrations that promote skin renewal, which is beneficial for your normal skin type. Niacinamide and glycerin provide barrier repair and soothing effects, supporting your skin's overall health.
- While the product offers general hydration from squalane and soothing from niacinamide, which are supportive for your redness and irritation, it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address these concerns.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like niacinamide and glycerin.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1000+ reviewsUsers with acne-prone and textured skin report significant improvements in smoothness and clarity, often seeing faster results than with traditional retinols without the typical irritation. While the yellow tint and high price point are common complaints, the majority find it to be a gentle, effective solution for brightening dark spots and refining pores.
Highlights
Smoother texture Mostly Mentioned
- “acne has disappeared”
- “skin looking super smooth”
- “smoothing rough skin”
- “helped with texture”
Gentle and non-irritating Often Mentioned
- “zero irritation redness”
- “gave me nothing but happy skin”
- “gentle efficacy”
- “no discomfort”
Yellow tint Often Mentioned
- “turned skin yellow”
- “stained my skin”
- “yellow tint looks odd”
- “face yellow and tacky”
Brightening and glow Sometimes Noted
- “visibly brighter”
- “radiant look”
- “dark spots fading”
- “even out skin tone”
Fast visible results Sometimes Noted
- “results in one week”
- “fast acting”
- “results within couple weeks”
- “shocked by amount of results”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “very expensive”
- “pricey side”
- “costs way too much”
- “out of budget”
Hydrating feel Rarely Noted
- “plump juicy brighter”
- “hydrating ingredients”
- “skin feels better”
- “not heavy or greasy”
Dryness and flaking Rarely Noted
- “felt dry and flaky”
- “little drying”
- “drys out the skin”
- “skin felt dry”
Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
- “not doing anything”
- “didn't find added value”
- “unhelpful for acne”
- “no change in pores”
Pump issues Rarely Noted
- “pump is awful”
- “pump hard to press”
- “stiff pump”
- “impossible to get little product”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, kohls.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, youthtothepeople.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Youth To The People Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum work for sensitive skin?
Youth To The People Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum works moderately well for sensitive skin, offering safe skin renewal and soothing benefits, though other options fit this skin type better. A product of this type needs specialized ingredients that directly target redness and irritation with exceptional suitability and high compatibility.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
This serum works for sensitive skin because it includes niacinamide and glycerin, which help calm and keep the skin comfortable. To be a better fit for this skin, a treatment of this type needs targeted ingredients that actively soothe redness and irritation.
What does Retinal do for sensitive skin?
Retinal helps smooth fine lines, improve texture, and even out skin tone while generally maintaining a good tolerance profile with a lower likelihood of irritation compared to stronger forms of vitamin A.
What does Niacinamide do for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and reducing redness and irritation. It is very well tolerated and may improve overall comfort and resilience with regular use.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine. This product needs calming extracts, extra hydrators, and barrier-repairing ceramides to properly care for sensitive skin.
Can I use this serum with AHA, and in what order?
You can use this serum with AHAs, but it is best to use them on alternating nights rather than at the same time to avoid overwhelming your skin. Using strong exfoliants and retinal together can easily lead to redness and irritation, so a product for this skin needs extra soothing and barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides and squalane.
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment serum works well in an evening routine, and you can start by applying it once a week to see how your skin tolerates it. This type of product needs extra soothing ingredients, barrier-repairing ceramides, and gentle hydrators to keep sensitive skin calm and comfortable.
Facial Plastic Surgery, 2014Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This serum may cause temporary dryness and flaking as it helps renew your skin, but it is unlikely to harm sensitive skin thanks to its soothing ingredients. A product of this type for sensitive skin needs extra calming ingredients and deep hydration to keep skin smooth and comfortable without 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 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, 2021Twice daily application of retinaldehyde 0.1% and 0.05% creams for 3 months improved skin texture and hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in 40 female Korean volunteers, with only the 0.1% cream significantly improving the melanin index.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2018Topical retinaldehyde demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria both in vitro and in vivo, leading to decreased bacterial counts without inducing resistance.
Dermatology, 2002Topical 0.05% retinaldehyde applied over 1 year significantly increased epidermal thickness of the temple and cutaneous elasticity compared to an emollient control group in 40 aging skin patients.
Dermatology, 1999Topical 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, 2005Topical 2% niacinamide significantly decreased sebum excretion rate in Japanese individuals and casual sebum levels in Caucasian individuals compared to placebo or baseline.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 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, 2025
Why other serums fit sensitive skin better
Topical application of TAT-SOD significantly suppresses UVB-induced erythema formation, blood flow rise, and apoptotic sunburn cell formation in human volunteers compared to a vehicle control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016Topical ferulic acid-containing formulations effectively reduce skin erythema, hyperpigmentation, and signs of aging in adults compared to baseline or alternative conditions.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Triethylhexanoin, Niacinamide, Squalane, Cyclodextrin, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Arginine, Retinal, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Letinus Edodes Mycelium Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil Shea Oil, Ceramide Eop, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Capryloyl Glycerin Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Diheptyl Succinate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phytosterols, Propanediol, Benzyl Glycol, Raspberry Ketone
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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.