Sephora Hydrating Serum for acne-prone skin
Glycerin
Hyaluronic Acid
Polyglutamic Acid
Low
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A weak match for acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 moisturizing for your combination skin, as glycerin and hyaluronic acid provide hydration, but these ingredients do not specifically target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- Polyglutamic acid offers additional humectant benefits, supporting overall skin hydration for your combination skin.
- The formula is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help keep breakouts under control.
- Apply after your cleanser and toner, and make sure to use your SPF right after in the morning.
- Gently spread a small amount of moisturizer over your face using soft motions. Let it absorb into the skin for a minute before getting dressed or applying makeup.
- Apply on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. This keeps your combination skin balanced without feeling heavy.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Stop using if you feel any irritation.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsThis lightweight, unscented serum is widely praised for its ability to instantly plump and hydrate the skin, making it a favorite for those with dry or dehydrated complexions. While most users appreciate its fast absorption and clean formula, a notable minority experiences issues with the texture, specifically stickiness and pilling under other products.
Highlights
Deep instant hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “Skin looks more hydrated as if plumped up with water”
- “Very effective and hydrating”
- “Intensely hydrated for 24 hours”
- “Gave me glass skin”
Lightweight absorption Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs quickly without stickiness”
- “Non-greasy texture”
- “Sinks into the skin nicely”
- “Lightweight but moisturizing”
Plumps and smooths Often Mentioned
- “Skin feels plumped”
- “Reduces appearance of wrinkles”
- “Soft, dewy, and plump skin”
- “Fine lines are reduced”
Gentle on sensitivity Sometimes Noted
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “No irritation on my sensitive skin”
- “Unscented and clean”
- “Did not cause breakouts”
Great value Sometimes Noted
- “Better for the price”
- “Affordable and quality”
- “Value for money”
- “Good budget-friendly serum”
Pills under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “Pills extremely easily”
- “Peels off every time I applied it”
- “Started pilling like dead skin cells”
- “Rolls off if you rub your face”
Difficult application Rarely Noted
- “Time consuming application”
- “Have to apply it very slowly”
- “Runs down your face”
- “Liquid consistency is hard to control”
Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
- “No results”
- “Didn't notice any improvement”
- “Just surface-level moisture”
- “Not enough hydration for dry skin”
Sticky texture Rarely Noted
- “Formula is very sticky”
- “A bit tacky at first”
- “Feels slightly sticky”
- “Left a sticky residue”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, kohls.com, influenster.com, skinsafeproducts.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Sephora Hydrating Serum a weak match for acne-prone skin?
Sephora Hydrating Serum is a weak match for acne-prone skin because while its glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and polyglutamic acid help keep skin soft and plump with moisture, they do not specifically target breakouts or blemishes. An acne-prone skin type needs a product that includes ingredients like niacinamide, peptides, or centella asiatica to help manage acne while keeping the skin balanced and smooth.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025
Which ingredients make this serum a poor fit for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and polyglutamic acid make this serum a poor fit because they provide moisture without targeting breakouts, blemishes, or excess oil. A product of this type needs acne-targeting ingredients like niacinamide, peptides, or Centella Asiatica to properly care for acne-prone skin.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025
What does Glycerin do for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep acne-prone skin hydrated and calm without clogging pores or feeling heavy. It supports the skin barrier so it stays soft and smooth while handling everyday treatments.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps acne-prone skin by soothing irritation, calming redness, and keeping the skin balanced without clogging pores. When combined with targeted ingredients like zinc oxide, it may also help reduce breakouts.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Acne-prone skin needs a treatment with targeted blemish-fighting ingredients, as this product only provides general hydration.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying the treatment first to keep your skin soft and hydrated while you use retinol. This product is unlikely to irritate your acne-prone skin, but because it does not target breakouts, acne-prone skin needs ingredients like ceramides and soothing plant extracts to calm redness and support the skin barrier.
Cutis, 2006Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
How often should I use this serum?
This hydrating serum fits well into an evening routine for acne-prone skin, as treatments work best at night for safety and simplicity. To help clear breakouts and manage acne, this skin type needs targeted ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This product is unlikely to cause irritation for your acne-prone skin because it lacks harsh ingredients, but it does not specifically target blemishes or breakouts. Acne-prone skin of this type needs ingredients that help clear pores and regulate oil.
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this serum safely around your eyes and on your body, as its hydrating ingredients are gentle on delicate areas. However, because this product does not target breakouts, acne-prone skin needs a treatment with ingredients that clear blemishes and balance oil.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What the research says
A 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, 2017Poly-gamma-glutamic acid derived from a novel Bacillus subtilis strain dose-dependently increased skin barrier markers, hyaluronic acid synthesis, and aquaporin 3 expression in keratinocytes, and elevated filaggrin, involucrin, CD44, and aquaporin 3 expression in a reconstructed skin model compared to the control.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Topical 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, 2019Curcumin-loaded polyglutamic acid and gum arabic electrospun nanofibers accelerated wound healing, increased TGF-beta1 and VEGF expression, reduced inflammatory factors, and enhanced re-epithelialization and tissue regeneration in a mouse model with acute full-thickness skin defects.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024Polyglutamic acid and polylysine composite hydrogels promote wound repair and hemostasis through high water absorption, bioadhesion, calcium ion-mediated coagulation factor activation, and inherent antibacterial properties in a deep skin defect model.
Macromolecular Bioscience, 2021
Why other moisturizers fit acne-prone skin better
Gluconolactone 14% solution significantly improved mild to moderate acne by reducing inflamed and non-inflamed lesions similarly to 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with fewer side-effects in 150 patients.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide
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.