MISSHA The First Essence 5X for oily acne-prone skin
Niacinamide
Yeast Extract Ferment
Bifida Lysate Ferment
Ceramide Np
Extreme Α Ferment
Ct
High
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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
- Highly suitable for your oily skin as niacinamide and yeast extract ferment work synergistically to regulate oil production and strengthen your skin barrier, addressing your concerns with acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The inclusion of bifida lysate ferment further enhances barrier resilience and texture, complementing the primary ingredients for improved overall skin health.
- The formulation is safe for your skin, with no reported irritation risks due to the absence of harsh components and the presence of soothing agents.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your PM routine. Start 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply your serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2 to 3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on clean, dry skin to help manage your blemishes safely.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 1.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently praise this essence for its lightweight, fast-absorbing hydration that visibly improves skin texture and radiance, often describing a healthy glow after consistent use. Some users report breakouts, likely due to fermented ingredients or niacinamide, and a segment of long-time fans express disappointment with the 5th generation reformulation, finding it less potent than previous versions.
Highlights
Lightweight & fast Mostly Mentioned
- “drinks it up seconds”
- “non-sticky finish”
- “layers beautifully”
- “feels like water”
Brightening & glow Often Mentioned
- “healthy glow”
- “brightens dullness”
- “evened skin tone”
- “glass skin effect”
Texture improvement Often Mentioned
- “baby soft skin”
- “smoothed rough patches”
- “refined pores”
- “improved texture”
Gentle & fragrance-free Sometimes Noted
- “no irritation”
- “calms redness”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “fragrance-free”
Reformulation disappointment Sometimes Noted
- “watered down”
- “not as effective”
- “miss the old formula”
- “downgrade”
Breakouts & irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused tiny bumps”
- “broke me out”
- “red rash”
- “stung my face”
Lack of visible results Rarely Noted
- “did nothing”
- “just expensive water”
- “no difference seen”
- “waste of money”
Packaging quality Rarely Noted
- “plastic feels cheap”
- “flaking silver paint”
- “preferred glass bottle”
- “looks less luxurious”
Sources: lovi.care, sokoglam.com, iherb.com, walmart.com, yesstyle.com, misshaus.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Missha The First Essence 5X a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Missha The First Essence 5X is a great fit because niacinamide and yeast extract ferment work together to control oil and strengthen your skin barrier against breakouts. Bifida lysate ferment also helps improve your skin texture and resilience, while soothing agents keep the formula safe and unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this essence a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide and yeast extract ferment make this essence a great fit by working together to control oil and strengthen your skin barrier. Bifida lysate ferment also helps improve your skin texture and resilience without causing irritation.
What does Niacinamide do for oily acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oil production, calms redness, and is unlikely to irritate oily, acne-prone skin while improving blemishes. Clinical tests show it reduces excess oil and helps clear up both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
What does Yeast Extract do for oily acne-prone skin?
Yeast Extract helps calm and strengthen oily acne-prone skin by supporting natural defenses and reducing irritation. It is unlikely to clog pores and may help keep the skin feeling balanced throughout the day.
Where does this essence go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before your moisturizer. Putting it in the evening keeps things simple and provides extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying the treatment first and following with your retinol product. This helps balance oil and strengthen your skin barrier while minimizing potential irritation risks.
How often should I use it?
You can use this treatment in your evening routine. It is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because niacinamide and yeast extract ferment help control oil and soothe breakouts without irritation, while bifida lysate ferment strengthens your skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023International Journal of Dermatology, 2008
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This essence is a great fit for oily acne-prone skin because niacinamide and yeast extract ferment help control oil and strengthen your skin barrier. It has a safe profile with soothing ingredients, meaning breakouts and irritation are unlikely.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical application of Bifida Ferment Lysate strengthens the skin barrier function by upregulating barrier and antimicrobial peptide genes, exhibiting strong antioxidant properties, and decreasing inflammatory cytokine secretion in vitro.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Emulsions containing ceramides 1 and 3 improved skin hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in sodium lauryl sulfate-irritated skin of fifteen healthy Asian women compared to a control emulsion.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2008Topical treatment of nicotinamide, alone or in combination with other active ingredients, reduces the progression of skin aging and hyperpigmentation in clinical trials while being well tolerated.
Antioxidants, 2021Topical 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, 2021Topical 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 moisturizers improved skin barrier function and surface moisture, while a postbiotic moisturizer with yeast extract uniquely supported microbiome balance and modulated biomarkers of skin barrier, structure, and inflammation in participants and ex vivo explants exposed to environmental aggressors.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2023A maintenance therapy with a cosmeceutical formulation containing hydroxyphenoxy propionic acid, ellagic acid, yeast extract, and salicylic acid over 20 weeks significantly improved even skin tone, spot intensity, spot size, and overall hyperpigmentation in 33 healthy subjects with moderate facial dyspigmentation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015A methanol yeast extract increases proliferation and migration while decreasing entrance into senescence and apoptosis phases in 3T3 fibroblast cells.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2014Topically formulated tea polyphenols show some benefit in reducing sebum secretion and treating acne vulgaris compared to baseline or control.
Antioxidants, 2016Topical application of tannase-converted green tea extract (TGE) significantly improved skin wrinkle indices and self-assessed wrinkle reduction compared to normal green tea extract (NGE) in human subjects over 8 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2013An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Yeast Extract Ferment, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Bifida Lysate Ferment, Sodium Pca, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide Np, Hydrogenated Lecithin
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?
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