ROUND LAB Birch Juice Moisturizing Serum for oily acne-prone skin
Betula Alba Juice
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Beta-Glucan
Ascorbic Acid
Average
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it 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
- Offers moderate moisturizing for your oily skin due to birch sap and sodium hyaluronate, which hydrate and enhance barrier resilience without being occlusive. While these ingredients provide general hydration, they lack specialized components to effectively target acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The formula is highly suitable for oily skin, providing humectant action and hydration without clogging pores.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components like Birch Sap and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers consistently describe this serum as a lightweight, water-like hydrator that deeply replenishes moisture without leaving a sticky residue, making it ideal for dehydrated, oily, and sensitive skin types. While highly praised for creating a plump and dewy glass-skin effect, some users with extremely dry skin note it works best when layered or may require a heavier occlusive moisturizer on top.
Highlights
Lightweight, fast absorbing Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs in seconds”
- “feels like water”
- “no sticky residue”
- “sinks in immediately”
Deeply hydrating Often Mentioned
- “skin drinks it up”
- “leaves skin dewy”
- “plumps fine lines”
- “instant hydration”
Good for layering Sometimes Noted
- “great under sunscreen”
- “makeup sits beautifully”
- “layers perfectly”
- “doesn't pill”
Soothing and gentle Sometimes Noted
- “calms redness”
- “never stings”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “soothing cooling effect”
Small bottle size Sometimes Noted
- “finished too quickly”
- “a bit pricey”
- “wish bottle was bigger”
- “expensive for the amount”
Lacks wow factor Rarely Noted
- “just basic moisture”
- “didn't see big changes”
- “average serum”
- “overrated”
Not enough moisture Rarely Noted
- “need to layer it”
- “too watery for winter”
- “not occlusive enough”
- “skin felt dry later”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “dropper doesn't pick up enough”
- “hard to get last drops”
- “bottle feels cheap”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, stylevana.com, yesstyle.com, oliveyoung.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does ROUND LAB Birch Juice Serum work for oily acne-prone skin?
ROUND LAB Birch Juice Moisturizing Serum works moderately well for oily skin by providing lightweight hydration and soothing the skin without clogging pores, though it lacks targeted ingredients for acne and blemishes. To truly thrive, oily acne-prone skin needs specialized blemish-fighting ingredients alongside lightweight hydrators that help clear breakouts while keeping the complexion balanced.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Archives of Dermatological Research, 2023
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Birch sap and sodium hyaluronate make this serum a good fit by hydrating your oily skin without clogging pores or feeling heavy. To work best for acne-prone skin, a moisturizing treatment of this type needs specialized blemish-fighting ingredients alongside lightweight hydration.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Archives of Dermatological Research, 2023
What does Birch Juice do for oily acne-prone skin?
Birch juice helps calm oily and acne-prone skin by reducing redness and soothing irritation while boosting hydration. It is unlikely to cause issues and may help keep the skin barrier strong and comfortable.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer. It is unlikely to irritate oily skin, but to properly manage blemishes, oily acne-prone skin needs targeted ingredients like niacinamide.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first to hydrate your oily skin before adding retinol. This approach helps reduce potential irritation while keeping your skin calm and smooth, though an average fit for acne-prone skin means this product needs targeted acne-fighting ingredients to fully clear breakouts.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine, or some days twice a day. It is unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin, but oily acne-prone skin also needs specialized ingredients that target breakouts and blemishes.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as it provides lightweight hydration without heavy oils. However, because it lacks targeted ingredients for blemishes, oily acne-prone skin often needs acne-fighting components like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to truly clear breakouts.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Archives of Dermatological Research, 2023
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes or on your body because its gentle formula has an excellent safety profile without harsh ingredients. While it hydrates well and calms the skin, a product for oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted ingredients to actively clear blemishes and breakouts.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Betula alba bark extract and Empetrum nigrum fruit juice upregulated barrier genes, strengthened the skin barrier, and showed significantly better skin restructuring, hydration, and TEWL compared to placebo and 3% niacinamide.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022A birch juice spray decreased lactic acid sting test scores, transepidermal water loss rates, skin blood perfusion, and redness, while increasing stratum corneum hydration and sensory nerve thresholds at 5 Hz in participants with sensitive skin compared to a control spray.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2023A 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, 2017A topical formulation containing panthenol, niacinamide, and dipotassium glycyrrhizate increased skin hydration by 74.1% and reduced transepidermal water loss by 13.5% at 28 days compared to baseline and untreated control in 35 individuals with xerosis.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Topical 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, 2012Skin care regimens containing beta-glucan improved hemoglobin index, skin hydration, and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in 20 patients undergoing fractional laser therapy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Treatment with topical formulations containing beta-glucan combined with nanofractional radiofrequency plus magnetic nanofractional radiofrequency showed the best efficacy and was tolerable and effective in Chinese women with abdominal stretch marks compared to control groups.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2023Topical beta-glucan mildly improved striae gravidarum, 1565-nm non-ablative fractional laser showed better results than topical beta-glucan, and the combined strategy further improved striae gravidarum atrophy compared to single treatment.
The Journal of Dermatology, 2022Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better
Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023A peel-off facial mask containing myoinositol and trehalose-loaded liposomes improved adult female acne by decreasing lesion counts, sebum production, GAGS scores, and local androgen levels while increasing beclin-1 levels.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglycerin-3, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Birch Sap, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Oat Kernel Extract, Cynara Scolymus Extract, Pteris Multifida Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Fructooligosaccharides, Carbomer, Disodium Edta, Polyquaternium-51, Tromethamine, Tocopherol
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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