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Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops for oily skin

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

Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops

High

  • SuperiorOily Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • ExcellentSafety

A great choice for oily skin; a few serums fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 excellent pore-smoothing and texture refinement for your oily skin, as salicylic acid and willow bark extract work to refine pores and regulate oil production.
  • The inclusion of bisabolol provides a soothing effect, further enhancing comfort for your oily skin.
  • The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.

How to apply

  • Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
  • Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
  • Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.

People Say

★4.4Overall rating based on 1.9k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this product is frequently praised for its ability to control oil and create a smooth base for makeup, with users appreciating its lightweight, silicone-free feel. Some users with dry skin find it lacks sufficient hydration, and a moderate number of reviews mention that the pore-blurring effect is subtle.

Highlights

  • Controls oil Often Mentioned
    • “effectively does its job in terms of prolonging makeup and controlling oiliness throughout the day”
    • “kept shine under control the entire day”
    • “effective in softly mattifying the skin while avoiding a dry or flat look”
    • “absorbs excess oil for a mattifying blur effect”
  • Smooth makeup Often Mentioned
    • “applies without causing pilling”
    • “makeup remains fresh all day with its use”
    • “no peeling no flaking... when I was applying the foundation”
    • “looks so beautiful under foundation and throughout the day”
  • Lightweight feel Sometimes Noted
    • “does not feel heavy”
    • “silicone-free formulation is not like your typical mattifying primer”
    • “doesn't feel suffocating which some dimethicone rich primers tend to feel”
    • “thin consistency that dries down pretty quickly”
  • Lacks hydration Sometimes Noted
    • “formulation is not hydrating enough”
    • “definitely needs to be topped with a moisturizer for some hydration”
    • “almost seems too drying for the rest of the year”
    • “dries down so much that it makes foundation harder to apply over it”
  • Subtle pore blurring Sometimes Noted
    • “didn't notice a pore-blurring effect”
    • “pore-blurring effect is quite subtle for me”
    • “blurring effect is a bit too subtle for me to call it a primer”
    • “hardly makes any difference in the look of texture/pores in the short term”
  • Tricky packaging Rarely Noted
    • “good-sized dob of it squirted out... ended up on my wall”
    • “somewhat tricky to control how much comes out”
    • “find myself squeezing more product out 2-3 additional times”
    • “flimsy plastic top”

Sources: lovi.care, glowrecipe.com, sephora.sg, walmart.ca, beauty-detective.com, thehappysloths.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops a great fit for oily skin?

This treatment is a great fit because salicylic acid and willow bark extract refine pores and regulate oil production. Bisabolol provides a soothing effect to enhance daily comfort, and the formula is unlikely to cause irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?

Salicylic acid and willow bark extract make this a great fit for your oily skin by helping to refine pores and regulate oil production. Bisabolol provides a soothing effect to keep your skin calm and comfortable.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

What does Bha do for oily skin?

BHA helps clear pores and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing extra shine and calming breakouts. It works deep inside pores to sweep away oil and dead skin cells, which helps keep skin looking clear and smooth. This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation and may improve overall skin hydration while controlling excess oil.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2014

What does Strawberry Extract do for oily skin?

Strawberry extract helps keep oily skin feeling fresh by gently clearing away excess oil and dirt that can clog pores. This fruit extract is a source of natural ingredients that help maintain a clear, smooth look without feeling too heavy.

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

This treatment goes in your evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Start by using it once a week, and if your skin handles it well, you can carefully use it more often.

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

You can use this treatment alongside retinol by applying the retinol first and following it with this product. This helps keep your oily skin smooth while minimizing any potential irritation since both ingredients work together gently.

How often should I use this serum?

Start using this treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. Salicylic acid and willow bark extract help refine pores and control oil, while bisabolol keeps your skin calm and comfortable.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

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

This treatment is a great fit for oily skin and helps smooth texture and manage oil without clogging pores. Because it contains salicylic acid and willow bark extract, it may cause mild initial purging as it clears out pores, but it is unlikely to cause irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).

What the research says

  • A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

  • Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

  • A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.

    BioMed Research International, 2020

  • The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

  • Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.

    CMAJ, 2010

  • Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

  • Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010

  • Fragaria vesca extract-based hydrogel exhibited antioxidant efficacy, cutaneous compatibility, acceptability, and stability suitable for topical application.

    Antioxidants, 2020

  • Supercritical CO2 extract from strawberry seeds at concentrations up to 2% successfully provides moisturizing and skin-softening effects in mild cleansing compositions without significantly affecting their stability, cleansing, or foaming properties.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2015

  • Treatment with strawberry seed extract and tiliroside increased stratum corneum total ceramide content and specific ceramide species in human epidermal equivalents by enhancing the expression of ceramide-related enzymes.

    PloS One, 2018

  • Topical 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, 2011

  • Topical 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, 2022

  • Treatment 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, 2019

Ingredients

Water, Tapioca Starch, Isopentyldiol, Nylon-12, C9-12 Alkane, Distarch Phosphate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Saccharide Isomerate, Strawberry Leaf Extract, Salicylic Acid, Willow Bark Extract, Strawberry Fruit Extract, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bisabolol, Coco-Caprylate Caprate, Triheptanoin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Dilinoleic Acid Butanediol Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Castor Ipdi Copolymer Oil, Citric Acid, Parfum

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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QR code: get the Lovi app
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