Peter Thomas Roth Even Smoother Glycolic Retinol Resurfacing Serum for oily skin
Glycolic Acid Complex
Time-Released Microencapsulated Retinol
Niacinamide
Squalane
Ascorbic AcidHigh
- 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
- Excellent suitability for your oily skin is provided by glycolic acid and retinol, which effectively exfoliate and regulate oil production, complemented by niacinamide for enhanced oil control and barrier support.
- The serum also contains jojoba seed oil and squalane to nourish and hydrate, ensuring a smoother skin texture without compromising your skin's comfort.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like niacinamide and panthenol.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsUsers report this serum effectively resurfaces skin, leading to smoother texture and reduced fine lines. Many praise its hydrating qualities and ability to even skin tone. A minority of users experienced stickiness upon application or purging breakouts.
Highlights
Smoothes skin texture Often Mentioned
- “Texture is improving and smoothing”
- “Made my skin smooth and felt amazing”
- “Rough texture improved significantly”
- “Skin feels so soft”
Evens skin tone Sometimes Noted
- “Evened out my skin tone overall”
- “Dark spots are getting lighter”
- “Skin looked renewed and less dull”
- “Helped with post-hyperpigmentation”
Non-drying and gentle Sometimes Noted
- “Skin finally feels hydrated and plump”
- “Doesn't sting like other retinols”
- “Did not feel tight or dry”
- “Softness lasts all day”
Reduces fine lines Sometimes Noted
- “Reducing appearance of lines”
- “Smile lines are not as visible”
- “Crows feet and expression wrinkles are better”
- “Diminished look of forehead crinkles”
Sticky after application Sometimes Noted
- “Product felt a little sticky”
- “Leaves a tacky film on skin”
- “Sticky right after using”
- “Takes a while to dry down”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Got some deep pimples”
- “Led to breakouts initially”
- “Experienced purging”
No visible results Rarely Noted
- “Haven't seen a difference”
- “Waiting to see any changes”
- “Did not work for my skin”
Unpleasant smell Rarely Noted
- “Smells like paint”
- “Has a strong chemical odor”
- “Scent is unpleasant”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, macys.com, lovely.com, qvc.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Peter Thomas Roth Even Smoother Glycolic Retinol Resurfacing Serum a great fit for oily skin?
This serum is a great fit for oily skin because glycolic acid and retinol effectively exfoliate and regulate oil production, while niacinamide helps control oil and support your skin's barrier. It also nourishes and keeps your skin smooth and comfortable using jojoba seed oil and squalane without making things heavy, and is unlikely to cause irritation thanks to soothing ingredients like panthenol.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
Glycolic acid and retinol make this serum a great fit for your oily skin because they exfoliate and regulate oil production, while niacinamide helps control oil and support your skin barrier. Jojoba seed oil and squalane nourish and hydrate to give you a smoother texture while keeping your skin comfortable.
What does Glycolic Acid do for oily skin?
Glycolic acid helps smooth oily skin by gently clearing away dead buildup to keep pores clear and skin feeling fresh. It may also help keep oil levels balanced when used regularly in your routine.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 1997American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2000
What does Retinol do for oily skin?
Retinol helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. This type of ingredient works best when paired with soothing hydrators to keep skin smooth and calm.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, starting once a week and using it more often if well tolerated.
Can I use this serum with BHA, and in what order?
It is best to avoid using this treatment and BHA in the same routine, as combining strong exfoliating acids and retinol may cause irritation. Instead, alternate them on different nights or use BHA in your morning routine and this serum at night to keep your skin smooth and comfortable.
How often should I use this serum?
Start using this serum just once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin feels comfortable and handles it well, you can carefully use it more often. This gradual approach helps your skin adjust safely while glycolic acid and retinol work to smooth texture and control oil.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Facial Plastic Surgery, 2014
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts for oily skin because it contains glycolic acid and retinol to exfoliate and regulate oil, while soothing ingredients help prevent irritation. Only a low number of reviewers mention breakouts.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).
What the research says
Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical application of a vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate significantly increased epidermal thickness, type III collagen production, and glycosaminoglycans production in human skin explants compared to free vitamin C and vitamin C-palmitate.
Scientific Reports, 2020Topical 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 panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025A 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, 2017Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2018Topical 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, 2025Topical 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
Ingredients
Water, Glycolic Acid, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Jojoba Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Polyglyceryl-2 Distearate, C9-12 Alkane, Arachidyl Alcohol, Zea Mays Starch, Glyceryl Stearate, Niacinamide, Tocopherol, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Retinol, Collagen, Adenosine, Squalane, Allantoin, Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Lecithin, Ceramide Np, Volcanic Soil, Pullulan, Sodium Phytate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Amylopectin, Polysorbate 20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Potassium Sorbate, Sclerotium Gum, Coco-Caprylate Caprate, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Lysolecithin, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Mica Ci 77019
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.