Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum for oily skin

Retinoid Complex
Niacinamide
Ceramides
Papaver Somniferum Seed
Centella Asiatica
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- Low RiskSafety
Works for oily skin; other eye cares 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 excellent anti-aging benefits for the eye area, with hydroxypinacolone retinoate and retinol effectively minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, though niacinamide and dimethicone provide general hydration and oil control that are only moderately beneficial for your oily skin.
- The formula is generally safe for your oily skin, but the inclusion of retinol and alcohol carries a slight risk of irritation.
- While the product offers good hydration and oil control, it does not fully address your primary concern of oily shine due to the concentrations of its key ingredients.
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 2.3k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly effective at smoothing fine lines and reducing milia, with many users appreciating its hydrating texture and cooling applicator. A significant number of users experience irritation, burning, or dryness, particularly with frequent use, indicating it may be a strong formula that requires careful introduction.
Highlights
Reduces fine lines Often Mentioned
- “erased my fine lines”
- “lessens lines under eyes”
- “skin texture improved tremendously”
Drying and peeling Often Mentioned
- “dried out my undereyes”
- “skin peeling”
- “made eyes look older/wrinkly”
Irritation and burning Often Mentioned
- “burned my under eyes”
- “caused redness and irritation”
- “irritated red patchy eye”
Cooling applicator Sometimes Noted
- “cooling effect is amazing”
- “feels lovely and cooling”
- “applicator feels great”
Hydrating texture Sometimes Noted
- “velvety texture”
- “ultra moisturizing”
- “richer than expected”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “very pricey eye serum”
- “expensive but works”
- “would buy on sale”
Clears milia Rarely Noted
- “eliminated almost all milia”
- “helped milia within two weeks”
- “tackles stubborn milia”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “top falls off”
- “design better packaging”
- “cap is not secure”
Sources: lovi.care, kohls.com, ulta.com, dermstore.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, sundayriley.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum work for oily skin?
This eye serum works moderately well for oily skin, offering good anti-aging benefits around the eyes while providing only moderate oil control and hydration. It carries a slight risk of irritation from retinol and alcohol. Eye care for oily skin needs soothing and hydrating ingredients that balance moisture without clogging pores, avoid heavy or greasy textures, and feature targeted components to manage excess shine.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
Niacinamide helps control oil, while ceramides and Centella Asiatica provide soothing moisture without feeling heavy. Oily skin needs lightweight, balancing ingredients that control excess shine without clogging pores.
What does Retinoid do for oily skin?
Retinoid helps manage oily skin by reducing oil production and keeping pores clear. This type of ingredient works best when paired with oil-controlling and pore-clearing ingredients to keep skin balanced and smooth.
Journal of Dermatological Science, 2013The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017
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
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This serum belongs in the evening step of your routine. Treatments with active ingredients are placed at night for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure, though an oily skin type needs lightweight oil-control ingredients and balancing hydrators that help manage shine.
Can I use this serum with vitamin C, and in what order?
You can use this serum with vitamin C by applying vitamin C in the morning and this serum at night to keep your oily skin calm. Using retinoids and vitamin C at different times of day helps prevent irritation while still giving you anti-aging benefits.
How often should I use this serum?
This eye serum may be used daily in the evening routine, though oily skin needs a product that provides stronger oil control and lighter hydrators to properly manage oily shine.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, but the retinoids may cause temporary peeling and irritation. Oily skin works best with lightweight, oil-free hydrators and pore-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid that target excess shine directly.
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, 2019Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate can be used safely in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and Benzyl Alcohol is safe up to 10% in hair dyes, despite causing nonimmunologic contact reactions.
International Journal of Toxicology, 2001Topical 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 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Why other eye cares fit oily skin better
- Retinol in this eye care
Topical 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, 2019 Combined ascorbyl palmitate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate treatment significantly reduced facial sebum secretions in healthy female volunteers compared to a placebo control over 90 days.
Drug Research, 2017A 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, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Methicone, Polyglycerin-6, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Niacinamide, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris Trimethylsiloxy Silylethyl Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Peg-12 Dimethicone Ppg-20 Crosspolymer, Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil Fruit, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Papaver Rhoeas Extract Red Poppy Extract, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Hieracium Pilosella Extract Hawkweed Daisy Extract, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ceramide Np, Pentylene Glycol, Lecithin, Methylpropanediol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-80, Didecyldimonium Chloride, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Dehydroacetate
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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