Peter Thomas Roth Even Smoother Glycolic Retinol Resurfacing Serum for sensitive skin
Glycolic Acid Complex
Time-Released Microencapsulated Retinol
Niacinamide
Squalane
Ascorbic AcidHigh
- SuperiorNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for sensitive skin; a few serums fit it even 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
- Excellent suitability for your normal skin is provided by glycolic acid and retinol, which exfoliate and stimulate collagen, complemented by niacinamide and ceramides that support your skin barrier and reduce inflammation.
- The serum offers relevant benefits for your redness and irritation goals with moderate effectiveness, as the concentrations of glycolic acid and retinol provide resurfacing and renewal.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your sensitive skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components like allantoin and panthenol.
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
★4.6Overall 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 sensitive skin?
This serum is a great fit for sensitive skin because it uses exfoliating acids and retinol to smooth and renew your skin, while soothing components like allantoin and panthenol keep it calm and comfortable. Niacinamide and ceramides also support your skin barrier and help reduce inflammation.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
This serum is a great fit because it uses glycolic acid and retinol to smooth and renew your skin, while niacinamide and ceramides keep your skin barrier strong. It is unlikely to cause redness or irritation because it leaves out harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like allantoin and panthenol.
What does Glycolic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Glycolic acid can be too harsh for sensitive skin, as it may easily cause redness and irritation, especially when combined with sun exposure. This skin type needs gentle, barrier-repairing ingredients like Portulaca oleracea extract to soothe irritation and protect against damage.
What does Retinol do for sensitive skin?
Retinol is usually too harsh for sensitive skin and may cause redness, peeling, and discomfort. If you still want to use it, sensitive skin needs a very gentle formula with soothing and hydrating ingredients to help calm irritation.
Toxicology Letters, 2003Dermatology Research and Practice, 2024
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after your cleanser and soothing toner, followed by a moisturizer. Lovi routines start exfoliating steps just once a week, allowing you to use them more often only if your skin tolerates it well.
Can I use this serum with BHA, and in what order?
It is best to avoid using this serum in the same routine with BHA, as combining multiple exfoliating acids may increase the likelihood of irritation on sensitive skin. Instead, you can alternate nights or use BHA in the morning and this treatment at night.
How often should I use this serum?
Start by using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your sensitive skin handles it well, you can carefully use it more often. This product is a great fit because exfoliating acids and retinol renew your skin while niacinamide and ceramides keep it calm, and it is unlikely to irritate your skin thanks to soothing ingredients like allantoin and panthenol.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts for sensitive skin since it lacks harsh ingredients and contains soothing components like allantoin and panthenol. Breakouts are a low complaint among reviewers, and the formula supports a healthy skin barrier.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).
What the research says
Topical 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, 2019A 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, 2025Repeated 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, 2017Silicone 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 stabilized retinol treatment induced HAS gene expression and increased hyaluronic acid production in human skin in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo compared to vehicle.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017Topical application of all-trans-retinol induced epidermal thickening and increased retinoid binding protein expression similar to all-trans-retinoic acid in normal human skin, but without causing significant erythema or measurable retinoic acid levels.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 1995Topical 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.
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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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