KORA Organics Plant Stem Cell Retinol Alternative Serum for oily acne-prone skin

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What the research says

• A dermocosmetic containing bakuchiol, Ginkgo biloba extract, and mannitol improves inflammatory lesions, Investigator Global Assessment, and seborrhea intensity when added to adapalene 0.1% gel in patients with acne vulgaris.

  Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2015

• Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.

  The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019

• Topical application of a serum containing supramolecular Bakuchiol and Terminalia chebula extract significantly improved barrier function, reduced redness and sensitivity, and improved wrinkles and elasticity in 34 Chinese subjects with sensitive skin after 28 days.

  Health Science Reports, 2025

• Anthraquinone isolated from Noni fruit increased procollagen type I and glycosaminoglycans while reducing matrix metalloproteinase-1 in human dermal fibroblasts, and increased dermal type I procollagen in nude mouse skin.

  Journal of Medicinal Food, 2005

• A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.

  Clinical Pharmacology, 2018

• Bakuchiol functions as an anti-aging compound through retinol-like regulation of gene expression, producing significant improvements in lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, elasticity, firmness, and photo-damage after 12 weeks of twice-a-day facial application without usual retinol therapy-associated undesirable effects.

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2014

• A nature-based bakuchiol-containing cleanser and moisturizer improved visual and tactile smoothness, clarity, radiance, overall appearance, global anti-aging, and skin moisture content by 16% in 60 female subjects with sensitive mild to moderate photodamaged skin over 4 weeks.

  Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2020

• Bakuchiol demonstrated multidirectional antiageing efficacy in in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies, sharing features with retinol while uniquely stimulating extracellular matrix components, epidermal regeneration, and wound healing.

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2022

• Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.

  Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018

• Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.

  Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010

• Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.

  Skin Research and Technology, 2006

• Topical treatments containing rosehip extract may reduce the size and erythema of postsurgical scars through macrophage polarization and inflammatory cytokine inhibition, though current clinical evidence remains insufficient to recommend its routine use.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

• Sunflower and rosehip oil nanoemulsions prepared with a mix of phospholipids and synthetic emulsifiers permeated intact skin to the dermis and showed a more prominent healing effect in a human organotypic skin explant culture wound model compared to nanoemulsions prepared only with phospholipids.

  Pharmaceutics, 2023

• A nanoemulsion containing 1 mg/mL kojic dipalmitate and 5% rosehip oil demonstrated high incorporation efficiency, suitable physicochemical stability, antioxidant and depigmenting efficacy close to 1 mM ascorbic acid, and no cytotoxicity at concentrations from 0.06% to 1% in vitro.

  Pharmaceutics, 2023

• Probiotic-derived lotion successfully reduced inflammatory acne lesion counts and erythema index comparably to 2.5% benzoyl peroxide in patients with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris, while causing fewer side effects.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022

• Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.

  International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021

• Lactobacillus plantarum extracellular vesicles modulated extracellular matrix related gene expression in vitro and suppressed wrinkle formation and pigmentation in clinical trials.

  Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 2022

Ingredients

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Glycerin, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Isoamyl Laurate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Betaine, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Bakuchiol, Xylityl Sesquicaprylate, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Lactobacillus, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Medicago Sativa Extract, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum, Anhydroxylitol, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Oil, Coconut Fruit Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Silica, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, Sodium Hydroxide, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Farnesol, Citronellol

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.