Isntree Green Tea Fresh Serum for combination skin
High
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best moisturizers for combination skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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
- Excellent suitability for your combination skin and oily shine concerns is provided by Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract and Niacinamide, which offer antioxidant and sebum-regulating effects to hydrate and improve skin tone.
- Panthenol and Betaine further support hydration and skin barrier function, enhancing the overall comfort and efficacy for your skin.
- The formula is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing agents like Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate.
How to apply
- Use this moisturizer in your AM and PM routine every day to control shine. Always pair with SPF in the morning.
- Apply this moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your morning SPF.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin and avoid harsh rubbing. Let it ⏳absorb for a minute.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help it lock in moisture better. This keeps your combination skin balanced.
- Avoid the eye area when applying the moisturizer. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsThis serum is highly recommended for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin, with users frequently praising its lightweight, fast-absorbing texture and effectiveness in controlling sebum and reducing redness. While it offers excellent oil regulation and hydration for these skin types, it is often found to be not moisturizing enough for dry skin.
Highlights
Lightweight texture Mostly Mentioned
- “sinks in immediately”
- “feels like water”
- “perfect for humid weather”
- “layers well under makeup”
Oil control Often Mentioned
- “less oily by midday”
- “helped control my sebum”
- “woke up with matte skin”
- “great for summer oiliness”
Clean ingredients Sometimes Noted
- “love the 77% green tea”
- “clean ingredient list”
- “no artificial fragrance”
- “great antioxidant boost”
Soothing effect Sometimes Noted
- “calmed my angry breakouts”
- “reduced redness overnight”
- “soothing on sensitive skin”
Natural scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like dirt”
- “strong herbal scent”
- “scent takes getting used to”
- “smells like soy sauce”
Brown color staining Rarely Noted
- “stained my white sink”
- “leaves brown drops if not careful”
- “looks like soy sauce”
- “can stain pillow if not absorbed”
Insufficient hydration Rarely Noted
- “too light for winter”
- “skin felt tight after”
- “need a heavier moisturizer on top”
- “did nothing for my dry patches”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “a bit sticky at first”
- “too runny”
- “hard to control dropper”
- “feels like brown water”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, yesstyle.com, stylevana.com, reddit.com, femaledaily.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Isntree Green Tea Fresh Serum a great fit for combination skin?
This serum is a great fit for your combination skin because green tea extract and niacinamide help hydrate your skin and control oily shine. Panthenol and betaine further support your skin barrier for lasting comfort, while soothing agents keep the formula gentle and safe.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for combination skin?
This serum is a great fit for your combination skin because Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract and niacinamide help balance oily shine and improve skin tone. Panthenol and betaine further support hydration and comfort while keeping your skin barrier healthy.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Green Tea Extract do for combination skin?
Green tea extract helps oily skin stay calm and smooth by reducing excess shine and soothing breakouts. It also boosts moisture and keeps dry areas soft, making it a great fit for balanced care across different facial zones.
What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Putting treatments in the evening provides extra safety around sun exposure and keeps the routine simple.
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 and soothe your skin before your retinol step. This helps keep your skin comfortable while supporting its barrier, as panthenol and soothing agents improve tolerance and reduce the likelihood of dryness or irritation.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
How often should I use this serum?
This serum is used in the evening as part of your routine. Daily application helps hydrate your skin, balance oily shine, and improve skin tone safely without irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for combination skin. It features lightweight ingredients and soothing agents that keep skin calm and hydrated without heavy oils.
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
This serum is safe to use around the eyes and on the body because its gentle formula is unlikely to cause irritation. Ingredients like panthenol help keep skin hydrated and comfortable.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Topical application of a 6% green tea extract formulation increased skin moisture, enhanced skin elasticity, and improved skin microrelief by reducing roughness in 24 volunteers compared to vehicle and control over 30 days.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2013Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 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 green tea extract significantly improved clinical symptoms, tear breakup times, and meibomian gland health compared to standard treatment in patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2017Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009An 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, 2019Topical 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, 2005Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Moisturizer 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, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020
Ingredients
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Squalane, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Allantoin, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Betaine, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Adenosine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Bacillus Ferment, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract Sprout
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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