Theanine
Oral and topical products with ingredients like l-theanine help reduce facial redness and pigmentation while improving sleep and mood for healthy females with sensitive skin. This gentle botanical suits most skin types and is often available in serums. It fits easily into a daily routine, working well alongside glycolic acid, aha blend glycolic and citric acids, and bio-placenta peptides.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022
This page shows theanine products with a Lovi page. For every product, and a routine built for your skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular theanine products
- Shiseido Treatment Softener
What to combine theanine with
| Ingredient | Together | How to use them |
|---|---|---|
 Glycolic acid |
Works well | Use them together, applying glycolic acid first and then theanine, because they help keep skin hydrated and balanced. Theanine and glycolic acid |
 AHA blend glycolic and citric acids |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying the exfoliating acid first and the amino acid product second to keep skin comfortable. Theanine and aha blend glycolic and citric acids |
 Bio-placenta peptides |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying the peptides first to help your skin absorb the amino acid. Theanine and bio-placenta peptides |
 Hexapeptide |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, because they help each other keep your skin hydrated and firm. Theanine and hexapeptide |
 Lactic acid |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying the exfoliating acid first and the amino acid right after to keep skin calm. Theanine and lactic acid |
 Acetyl hexapeptide-3 |
Works well | Use acetyl hexapeptide-3 and theanine together in the same routine, applying them at the same time to help your skin stay hydrated and firm. Theanine and acetyl hexapeptide-3 |
 Mandelic acid |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying the mandelic acid first and the theanine after, because they balance moisture levels. Theanine and mandelic acid |
 Hyaluronic acid |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying the hyaluronic acid first and the theanine after, because they help each other keep the skin hydrated. Theanine and hyaluronic acid |
 Collagen peptide |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying theanine first and collagen peptide right after. Theanine and collagen peptide |
 Copper peptide |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, because the amino acid helps the copper peptide work better for your skin. Theanine and copper peptide |
 Citric acid |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying the citric acid first and the theanine after, for a gentle and balanced glow. Theanine and citric acid |
 Hexapeptide-9 |
Works well | Use hexapeptide-9 and theanine together, applying them both in your morning hydrating routine to support skin firmness and moisture balance. Theanine and hexapeptide-9 |
 Peptide-rich plasma |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying theanine first and peptide-rich plasma right after to boost hydration. Theanine and peptide-rich plasma |
 Triple peptide blend |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying the peptide blend first and the amino acid product right after. Theanine and triple peptide blend |
 Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, because they help each other build firmness and add moisture. Theanine and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 |
 Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 |
Works well | Use them together in the same routine, applying the peptide product first followed by the amino acid product for best hydration and repair. Theanine and palmitoyl tripeptide-1 |
From the ingredient rules behind the "Works well with" and "Don't mix with" notes on every product in the Lovi app.
Questions and answers
What does theanine do for the skin?
Theanine helps reduce facial redness and pigmentation, particularly for sensitive skin. Topical use supports a calmer complexion.
How do you use theanine?
You can use theanine topically to help reduce facial redness and improve skin hydration. When combining it with exfoliating acids or peptides, apply the other product first and theanine right after to keep skin calm and balanced.
Should you use theanine in the morning or at night?
You can use theanine in your morning hydrating routine when combining it with hexapeptide-9 to support skin firmness and moisture balance.
Can you use theanine every day?
Yes, you can use theanine every day, as topical botanical products containing theanine help reduce facial redness and pigmentation while supporting sensitive skin.
Does theanine cause purging or irritation?
Theanine is unlikely to cause purging or irritation because it is a soothing amino acid that helps keep sensitive skin calm and comfortable.
Which skin types is theanine best for?
Theanine helps sensitive skin by reducing facial redness and pigmentation.
Can you use theanine with glycolic acid?
Yes, you can use theanine with glycolic acid together in your routine by applying glycolic acid first and then theanine, because they help keep skin hydrated and balanced.
Research on theanine
Behind this ingredient guide
Lovi checks every ingredient 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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