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ilso Super Melting Serum Softener for dry skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

ilso Super Melting Serum Softener

Caution

  • CautionDry Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • RiskySafety

A poor match for dry skin; the serums alongside fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 exfoliation for dry or flaky skin due to the presence of Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, which gently promotes shedding of dead skin cells, but the Sebum Remove Complex is more suited for oily skin and may not provide the necessary hydration for your dry skin.
  • Centella Asiatica Extract offers soothing benefits, which is helpful for dry skin, but the overall formulation prioritizes oil control over moisturization.

How to apply

  • Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
  • Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
  • Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.6Overall rating based on 1.8k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, users with oily and combination skin find this product highly effective for removing sebum and blackheads, often describing the process as satisfying and gentle enough for sensitive skin. However, achieving optimal results typically requires additional tools and can make the routine time-consuming.

Highlights

  • Effective sebum removal Mostly Mentioned
    • “melts blackheads away”
    • “gunk comes out”
    • “pores look cleaner”
    • “removed stubborn whiteheads”
    • “satisfying extraction”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Often Mentioned
    • “no stinging”
    • “soothing formula”
    • “safe for sensitive skin”
    • “doesn't rip skin”
    • “calming sensation”
  • Requires extra tools Often Mentioned
    • “need scraper tool”
    • “pads not included”
    • “bought tool separately”
    • “need cotton pads”
    • “hard without applicator”
  • Smoother skin texture Sometimes Noted
    • “nose feels smooth”
    • “soft skin”
    • “better makeup application”
    • “glass skin effect”
    • “texture improved”
  • Incomplete extraction Sometimes Noted
    • “deep blackheads remained”
    • “didn't get everything”
    • “surface level only”
    • “some gunk left”
    • “multiple uses needed”
  • Time consuming process Sometimes Noted
    • “takes 15 minutes”
    • “multi-step process”
    • “requires prep time”
    • “long wait”
    • “tedious routine”
  • Versatile application Rarely Noted
    • “use on chin”
    • “great for forehead”
    • “better than strips”
    • “target specific areas”
    • “customizable usage”
  • Mild irritation Rarely Noted
    • “skin peeled later”
    • “slight redness”
    • “high pH dryness”
    • “tingling sensation”
    • “over-exfoliation risk”

Sources: lovi.care, oliveyoung.com, iherb.com, stylekorean.com, reddit.com, instyle.com, and more

Questions and answers

Why does Lovi advise caution with the ilso Super Melting Serum Softener for dry skin?

Lovi advises caution because this treatment focuses mainly on oil control rather than deep moisturization, which dry skin needs. While it contains soothing and exfoliating ingredients, a product for dry skin needs richly hydrating ingredients and barrier support like ceramides, niacinamide, and peptides.

Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2023

Which ingredients make this serum a poor fit for dry skin?

The Sebum Remove Complex makes this serum a poor fit because it focuses on oil control rather than providing the necessary hydration for dry skin. A treatment of this type needs to be exceptionally suitable for dry skin by containing highly effective, soothing ingredients that provide significant hydration and support skin health without any risk of irritation.

What does Sebum Remove Complex do for dry skin?

Sebum Remove Complex is not a good fit for dry skin because it is designed to strip oils, which may leave dry skin feeling even more tight, rough, and irritated. Dry skin needs gentle cleansers and rich ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, and nourishing plant oils to lock in moisture and keep the skin barrier soft and calm.

What does Centella Asiatica Extract do for dry skin?

Centella asiatica extract helps dry skin by boosting moisture and reducing water loss while calming irritation. It supports barrier repair to keep the skin feeling soft and smooth.

Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry skin?

This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though it may not provide the necessary hydration for your dry skin. A product for this skin needs rich moisturizers and ingredients that deeply hydrate and soothe.

Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?

You should use caution when combining this treatment with retinol on dry skin because its formula prioritizes oil control over moisturization and may lead to dryness. When used together, apply this serum first and follow with your retinol and a rich moisturizer to help keep your skin comfortable. Dry skin needs products rich in hydrating and nourishing ingredients that restore moisture rather than focusing solely on clearing oil.

How often should I use this serum?

This product may not be the best fit for your dry skin because its formula focuses more on controlling oil than adding moisture. If you still choose to use it, exfoliating treatments like this are best started just once a week in the evening routine, and dry skin needs a product that provides rich moisture and barrier-repairing ingredients instead.

Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Molecules, 2023

Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?

This treatment focuses heavily on clearing oil rather than adding moisture, which makes it a poor match for dry skin. Dry skin needs rich hydrators and soothing oils to stay soft and smooth instead of ingredients that target extra oil.

Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2023

What the research says

  • Incorporating 1, 2, and 5 percent papain into starch- and carboxymethyl cellulose-based films preserved proteolytic and skin exfoliation activity while improving mechanical properties and water solubility compared to control films, with immobilized enzyme maintaining stability for up to 90 days.

    International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2023

  • Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.

    Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016

  • 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, 2023

  • Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.

    Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020

  • 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, 2017

  • Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

  • Topical papain treatment may slightly decrease pain within 30 minutes in humans stung by Chrysaora chinensis compared to placebo.

    Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2016

  • A fixed combination of hydroxypinacolone retinoate, retinol glycospheres, and papain glycospheres in aqueous gel applied once daily for 12 weeks achieved a 41% mean reduction in GAGS score and a 40.8% mean reduction in total lesions, with 15.3% of patients experiencing mild to moderate local side effects, in 94 evaluable patients with comedonal-papular, mild to moderate acne of the face.

    Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015

  • Reflux extraction of Carica papaya leaves yielded higher antioxidant capacity and superior in vitro wound-healing activities including fibroblast proliferation, cell migration, and collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts compared to ultrasonic-assisted extraction and agitation.

    Molecules, 2020

Ingredients

Sebum Remove Complex, Centella Asiatica Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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