L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Serum for oily skin
Recovery Complex
Adenosine
Sodium Hyaluronate
Squalane
Tuber Melanosporum Extract
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other serums fit it 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 moderate suitability for oily skin as Saccharomyces Xylinum Black Tea Ferment and Sodium Hyaluronate provide hydration and plumping effects, while dimethicone and squalane offer emollience.
- The formula is generally safe for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing squalane.
- While the product offers general skincare benefits, its primary focus on hydration and emollience is not directly targeted at managing oily shine, and it lacks sufficient ingredients for strong seboregulation.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 16.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly praised for its silky, lightweight texture that provides immediate hydration and leaves skin feeling soft and looking radiant. Many users with mature or dry skin report a visible glow and smoother texture. A minority of reviewers experienced breakouts or found the product ineffective for deep wrinkles and pigmentation, which should be taken into account.
Highlights
Silky, lightweight texture Mostly Mentioned
- “Glides on smooth and absorbs right away without feeling greasy”
- “Texture is silky smooth... velvety and absorbs quickly”
- “Lightweight feel that absorbs easily into the skin”
- “Non-greasy, non-sticky finish”
Intense hydration Often Mentioned
- “My skin is so pliable and fully hydrated”
- “Leaves skin feeling soft and smooth”
- “Waking up with softer, fresher-looking skin”
- “Deeply moisturized... looks refreshed well-rested”
Radiance and glow Often Mentioned
- “Skin is brighter and has an all over youthful appearance”
- “My skin looked glowier than it had in months”
- “Reveals millions of new cells for visibly smoother, more radiant skin”
- “Complexion looks improved... luminous skin”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smells really nice without being overpowering”
- “Adore the scent which somewhat smells like peach and pear”
- “Luxurious... smells like a perfume”
- “Light fresh smell... dissipates quickly”
Value for money Sometimes Noted
- “Feels comparable to a luxury brand serum... good value”
- “Works as well as some of the high-end brands”
- “Great serum at a really decent price point”
Lack of visible results Sometimes Noted
- “Didn't see any anti-aging benefits... fine lines remained unchanged”
- “Haven't noticed any changes in my skin or reductions in wrinkles”
- “No immediate results were achieved”
- “Acts more like a hydrating serum than an anti-aging one”
Adverse skin reactions Rarely Noted
- “Caused breakouts on my chin... turned to welts”
- “Face felt tender to the touch... nose super red”
- “Shows little bumbles [bumps]... concerned”
Packaging/dispenser issues Rarely Noted
- “Hard to get the last of your product out of the bottom”
- “Dropper applicator... doesn't always release the product”
- “Bottle was almost empty when purchased”
Sticky or thick texture Rarely Noted
- “Very thick serum... feels more like a moisturizer”
- “Left behind a moisturizer-like residue”
- “Felt sticky or tacky on the skin”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “Smells like a perfume... just be aware”
- “Slight orange scent... reminded me of Dial soap”
- “Too strong for sensitive noses”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, ulta.com, lorealparisusa.com, target.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Serum work for oily skin?
This serum works moderately well for oily skin, providing hydration and soothing comfort without harsh ingredients. However, because it focuses mostly on moisture rather than controlling shine, oily skin typically needs treatments with ingredients like niacinamide, zinc, or ferulic acid to manage excess oil and pores.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
This serum works for oily skin because sodium hyaluronate provides hydration, while dimethicone and squalane add smoothness without heavy oils. To be a better fit for oily skin, a treatment of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, zinc PCA, or ferulic acid to help control shine and manage excess oil.
What does Recovery Complex do for oily skin?
Recovery Complex helps balance oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping the skin calm. It uses ingredients that help control shine while supporting your skin's natural moisture barrier.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2014Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006
What does Adenosine do for oily skin?
Adenosine helps smooth wrinkles and improve skin firmness, but for oily skin it needs to be paired with ingredients that balance oil and clear pores. This type of skin benefits from oil-controlling ingredients like salicylic acid to keep pores clear and skin calm.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Oily skin needs a product of this type to include ingredients that help manage excess shine and balance oil production.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first to give your skin hydration and moisture, and following with your retinol. This product is unlikely to irritate your skin because it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing squalane. To truly balance oily skin, this type of product also needs ingredients that control excess oil and shine.
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment works well in the evening routine. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and oil-controlling or balancing ingredients to truly manage oily shine.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or purging for oily skin because it avoids harsh ingredients and includes soothing squalane. However, it lacks strong ingredients to control oil, so oily skin generally benefits more from lightweight hydration paired with targeted oil-balancing ingredients.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol, hexyl cinnamal, and parfum) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Model skin tonics containing kombucha-fermented red berry extracts improve skin hydration, TEWL, and skin pH, demonstrating potential value as cosmetic ingredients.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Horse oil-spread and adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches significantly improved skin elasticity, hydration, dermal density, and wrinkles compared with adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches in 20 women without causing adverse events.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical adenosine treatment significantly increased the anagen hair growth rate and thick hair rate compared to placebo in Japanese women with female pattern hair loss over 12 months.
The Journal of Dermatology, 2008Topical application of a disodium adenosine monophosphate-based formulation reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation while improving hydration, barrier function, skin lifting, and epidermal turnover in female participants.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026Adenosine and cordycepin stimulate the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway through adenosine receptor and PKA activation, promoting cell proliferation, migration, and growth factor secretion in cultured dermal fibroblasts.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021Topical 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, 2011Topical 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, 2022Treatment 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, 2019Plant-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 combination of five-colored plants (mung bean, white truffle, black truffle, chrysanthemum, and Lycium barbarum) at 0.5% concentration improved fibroblast wound healing by 59.89%, reduced cellular senescence markers by 76.32%, and increased epidermal thickness and collagen levels in an ex vivo skin model compared to a negative control.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2025
Why other serums fit oily skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Niacinamide and ferulic acid incorporated in a stable multiple emulsion successfully reduced melanin, sebum, and skin erythema while improving skin elasticity and hydration in human skin compared to a placebo.
BioMed Research International, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat, Peg-8, Dipropylene Glycol, Saccharomyces Xylinum Black Tea Ferment, Propylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Tuber Aestivum Extract, Tuber Melanosporum Extract, Adenosine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Octyldodecanol, Squalane, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Biotin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Bis-Peg Ppg-16 16 Peg Ppg-16 16 Dimethicone, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Benzyl Alcohol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Ci 14700, Red 4, Ci 19140, Yellow 5, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Salicylate, 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.
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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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