Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum for sensitive skin
Retinal Retinaldehyde
Niacinamide
Squalane
Ceramide Np
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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
- This serum offers moderate benefits for normal skin, with niacinamide and retinaldehyde helping to regulate oil and skin cell turnover, but it does not specifically target your primary concerns of redness and irritation.
- While Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Bisabolol L-Alpha provide some soothing effects, they are primarily supportive and not the main focus for addressing your skin issues.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Niacinamide.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this retinal serum is highly regarded for improving uneven skin tone and smoothing rough texture, with very high frequency of positive mentions. It is frequently noted for being gentle and non-irritating, even for sensitive skin types. Users also report moderate success with hydration and nourishment. Some users experienced low frequency issues such as temporary yellow staining or initial dryness, and negligible reports of slow wrinkle improvement.
Highlights
Gentle on sensitive skin Mostly Mentioned
- “I have sensitive skin and it hasn't given me any bad or intense reactions.”
- “Moonlight is one of the few retinal serums that didn't irritate my skin.”
- “Yes it's that good and no skin irritation at all.”
- “Many users who can't tolerate tretinoin or retinol experience no irritation.”
Evens skin tone Often Mentioned
- “My skin tone looked way more even.”
- “Has helped with hyperpigmentation.”
- “My freckles were slightly fainter.”
- “Reduces dullness, dark spots, and acne scars.”
Smoothes skin texture Often Mentioned
- “Any rough spots were significantly smoother.”
- “It kept me very smooth and bright with no irritation!”
- “Helped with resurfacing my acne scars.”
- “Reports of smoother texture, smaller pores, reduced fine lines.”
Hydrating and nourishing Sometimes Noted
- “It honestly feels so light and luxurious on the skin.”
- “Feels nourishing rather than harsh; pairs well with moisturizers.”
- “Absorbs into skin quickly and layers well with other products.”
- “Woke up the next morning with baby-like skin.”
Initial dryness or flaking Rarely Noted
- “Occasional reports of dryness or flaking, suggesting a need to ease into use.”
- “Can cause some irritation so ease into it slowly.”
- “Suffer through some dryness and irritation while my skin gets used to it.”
Slow wrinkle improvement Rarely Noted
- “A few didn't see major changes or improvement in wrinkles even after weeks.”
- “Didn't notice too much of a difference in terms of my existing fine lines.”
- “Haven't seen any noticeable improvements.”
Temporary yellow staining Rarely Noted
- “Some users notice temporary yellow staining if not fully rubbed in.”
- “Taken aback by the radioactive yellow hue of the product.”
- “If you notice leftover yellowing of the skin, use less product.”
Sources: lovi.care, maelove.com, reddit.com, businessinsider.com, whowhatwear.com, gopicky.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Maelove Moonlight Retinal work for sensitive skin?
This serum is an average fit for your sensitive skin because it helps regulate oil and cell turnover with retinaldehyde and niacinamide, though it does not target redness and irritation as its main focus. A treatment for this skin needs effective ingredients that calm redness and irritation, combined with powerful antioxidants, deep hydrators, and skin-repairing components.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
This serum works for sensitive skin because it includes soothing aloe vera leaf juice and niacinamide to help keep skin calm. To be a better fit for sensitive skin, a product of this type needs ingredients that target redness and irritation while avoiding essential oils.
What does Retinal do for sensitive skin?
Retinal helps smooth fine lines, improve texture, and even out skin tone while generally maintaining a good tolerance profile with a lower likelihood of irritation compared to stronger forms of vitamin A.
What does Niacinamide do for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and reducing redness and irritation. It is very well tolerated and may improve overall comfort and resilience with regular use.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine, after cleansing and toning and before moisturizing, as evening use provides extra safety around sun exposure. Because this product is an average fit for your skin, products of this type need calming ingredients and barrier-supporting components to properly target redness and irritation.
Can I use this serum with AHA, and in what order?
You can use this serum with an AHA, but because it contains retinal, it is best to use them on alternate nights or apply the AHA in the morning and this treatment at night to keep your skin calm and smooth. A treatment of this type needs extra soothing ingredients and gentle hydrators like ceramides and squalane to help prevent dryness and irritation.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this serum in your evening routine, starting once a week and slowly increasing frequency if your skin tolerates it well. While it has a safe profile for sensitive skin, a product for this skin needs stronger soothing and calming ingredients to effectively target redness and irritation.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on sensitive skin, though you may notice a low chance of initial dryness or flaking as your skin adjusts to it. A product for this skin needs gentle, calming ingredients like bisabolol, ceramides, and aloe vera to keep the skin soft and smooth without causing irritation.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol and alcohol denat).
What the research says
Twice daily application of retinaldehyde 0.1% and 0.05% creams for 3 months improved skin texture and hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in 40 female Korean volunteers, with only the 0.1% cream significantly improving the melanin index.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2018Topical retinaldehyde demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria both in vitro and in vivo, leading to decreased bacterial counts without inducing resistance.
Dermatology, 2002Topical 0.05% retinaldehyde applied over 1 year significantly increased epidermal thickness of the temple and cutaneous elasticity compared to an emollient control group in 40 aging skin patients.
Dermatology, 1999Topical 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, 2025A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010
Why other serums fit sensitive skin better
Topical application of TAT-SOD significantly suppresses UVB-induced erythema formation, blood flow rise, and apoptotic sunburn cell formation in human volunteers compared to a vehicle control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016Topical ferulic acid-containing formulations effectively reduce skin erythema, hyperpigmentation, and signs of aging in adults compared to baseline or alternative conditions.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025
Ingredients
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Niacinamide, Cyclodextrin, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Gluconolactone, Squalane, Bisabolol L-Alpha, Ceramide Np, Michelia Alba Oil Flower Magnolia Grandiflora Oil Flower, Witch Hazel Water, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Berry Seed Oil Cloud Berry Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate D-Alpha, Cranberry Fruit Extract, Retinal Retinaldehyde, Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract Giant Knotweed Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Maltodextrin, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Gluconate, Polysorbate 20, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Bergamot Oil Fruit, Alcohol, Alcohol Denat
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.