Skin Better Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum for oily skin
Niacinamide
Superoxide Dismutase
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Carnosine
Ceramide ApAverage
- 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 your oily skin, as niacinamide helps with seboregulation and antioxidant ingredients like Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract provide support, though stronger sebum-controlling agents are absent for optimal shine control.
- The serum provides excellent protection against environmental stressors with ergothioneine and arabidopsis thaliana extract, while glycerin and ubiquinone offer general hydration and antioxidant benefits.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like Bisabolol and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract.
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.
Questions and answers
How well does Skin Better Alto Advanced Defense work for oily skin?
This serum works moderately well for oily skin, helping manage oil and protecting against environmental stress with antioxidants while remaining safe and gentle. Oily skin types need a product that includes strong oil-controlling ingredients and mattifying agents for the best shine control.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
Niacinamide helps control excess oil, while antioxidants like ergothioneine and coenzyme Q10 protect your skin from daily stress. Oily skin works best with treatments that combine sebum-controlling ingredients like niacinamide and zinc PCA with lightweight hydrators and soothing extracts to manage shine and pores without causing breakouts.
What does Niacinamide do for oily skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily skin by significantly reducing excess oil production and shine. It is well tolerated and may improve skin texture without clogging pores.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Antioxidants, 2021
What does Superoxide Dismutase do for oily skin?
Superoxide dismutase helps oily skin by neutralizing free radicals and managing oxidative stress that can worsen skin irritation and breakouts. This ingredient helps calm the skin and maintain a balanced, healthy look when used regularly.
Antioxidants, 2023European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016
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, keeping things simple and safe around sun exposure. Oily skin of this type also needs stronger sebum-controlling ingredients to properly manage shine.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first and following with your retinol product, or by using this serum in the morning and your retinol at night. The formula is unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin since it contains soothing ingredients like bisabolol and green tea extract. Oily skin also needs stronger sebum-controlling agents for optimal shine control.
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment serum fits into your evening routine, where you can apply it once a day after cleansing and toning. Using antioxidants like this helps protect your skin from daily environmental damage while keeping your routine simple and safe around sun exposure.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as it has a very safe profile with soothing ingredients like bisabolol and green tea leaf extract that keep irritation at bay. However, because it lacks stronger oil-controlling agents, oily skin often needs targeted sebum-regulating ingredients to better manage shine and prevent clogged pores.
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
A triple combination of ergothioneine, collagen peptides, and sodium hyaluronate attenuated UV-induced skin damage ex vivo and improved facial skin hydration, elasticity, barrier function, and wrinkles in Chinese women.
Frontiers in Nutrition, 2026Topical treatment with coenzyme Q10 formulas replenishes Q10 levels in the skin surface and deeper epidermis, augments cellular energy metabolism, and reduces free radicals while increasing antioxidant capacity in stressed skin.
BioFactors, 2015Topical 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, 2005Topical 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 treatment with the synthetic SOD/catalase mimetic EUK-134 reduced lipid peroxide levels both at baseline on non-irradiated human skin and at the surface of UVA-exposed skin when applied before or after irradiation, compared to controls.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2004Topical superoxide dismutase formulations maintained physical stability and enzymatic activity for 6 months at 4 and 30 degrees C, and effectively inhibited UVB-induced skin erythema for 48 hours, whereas formulations combined with alpha-tocopherol were unstable.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2007Topical 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, 2022A night cream containing melatonin, carnosine, and Helichrysum italicum extract reduced oxidative stress ex vivo and improved hydration, reduced transepidermal water loss, decreased wrinkles and spots, and lowered skin reactivity in 117 individuals over up to 12 weeks of nightly use.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2020Supramolecular carnosine improves skin reactivity, upregulates Nrf2 expression, activates antioxidant defenses, and reduces AGE levels while demonstrating whitening efficacy in cells and clinical tests compared to conventional carnosine.
Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2024A targeted skincare regimen containing active ingredients such as rhodophyceae extract, ergothioneine, and L-carnosine significantly reduced transepidermal water loss by 24.09%, improved skin elasticity, and decreased redness, dryness, and desquamation in thirty-five female Chinese participants over 4 weeks following advanced optimal pulse technology treatment.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 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
Acacia Decurrens Wax Flower, Acacia Senegal Gum, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Water, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Arginine, Benzylidene Dimethoxydimethylindanone, Bisabolol, Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Carbomer, Carnosine, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Ceramide Np, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteth-20 Phosphate, Chlorogenic Acids, Cholesterol, Citric Acid, Coffea Arabica Extract Cell Leaf Coffee Extract Cell Leaf, Crocus Sativus Extract Cell Leaf Culture, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Dextran, Dicetyl Phosphate, Diisostearyl Malate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ergothioneine, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Wax Seed Sunflower Wax Seed, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Jojoba Esters, Lauryl Lactate, Lecithin, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Methyl Gluceth-20, Micrococcus Lysate, Niacinamide, Olea Europaea Fruit Extract Olive Fruit Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Phytosphingosine, Plankton Extract, Polyglycerin-3, Propanediol, Propanediol Dicaprylate Caprate, Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Allyl Ester, Ricinoleth-40, Sea Whip Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Pca, Sodium Phytate, Steareth-2, Superoxide Dismutase, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Ubiquinone, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract Grape Seed Extract, Xanthan Gum, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
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
How does it fit your skin?
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