Youth To The People Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum for dry skin
Retinal
Niacinamide
Ceramides
Squalane
Adaptogens
Average
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 exfoliation and barrier support for your dry skin due to retinal and niacinamide, while squalane and glycerin provide essential hydration and emollient benefits. Ceramides and cholesterol further aid in repairing your skin's natural barrier, enhancing overall skin health.
- The formula includes beneficial ingredients like hyaluronic acid for hydration and antioxidants for protection, contributing to general skin health.
- The product is safe for your dry skin, containing no harsh ingredients and featuring soothing components like squalane and glycerin.
How to apply
- Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1000+ reviewsUsers with acne-prone and textured skin report significant improvements in smoothness and clarity, often seeing faster results than with traditional retinols without the typical irritation. While the yellow tint and high price point are common complaints, the majority find it to be a gentle, effective solution for brightening dark spots and refining pores.
Highlights
Smoother texture Mostly Mentioned
- “acne has disappeared”
- “skin looking super smooth”
- “smoothing rough skin”
- “helped with texture”
Gentle and non-irritating Often Mentioned
- “zero irritation redness”
- “gave me nothing but happy skin”
- “gentle efficacy”
- “no discomfort”
Yellow tint Often Mentioned
- “turned skin yellow”
- “stained my skin”
- “yellow tint looks odd”
- “face yellow and tacky”
Brightening and glow Sometimes Noted
- “visibly brighter”
- “radiant look”
- “dark spots fading”
- “even out skin tone”
Fast visible results Sometimes Noted
- “results in one week”
- “fast acting”
- “results within couple weeks”
- “shocked by amount of results”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “very expensive”
- “pricey side”
- “costs way too much”
- “out of budget”
Hydrating feel Rarely Noted
- “plump juicy brighter”
- “hydrating ingredients”
- “skin feels better”
- “not heavy or greasy”
Dryness and flaking Rarely Noted
- “felt dry and flaky”
- “little drying”
- “drys out the skin”
- “skin felt dry”
Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
- “not doing anything”
- “didn't find added value”
- “unhelpful for acne”
- “no change in pores”
Pump issues Rarely Noted
- “pump is awful”
- “pump hard to press”
- “stiff pump”
- “impossible to get little product”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, kohls.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, youthtothepeople.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Youth To The People Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum work for dry skin?
This serum works moderately well for dry skin, offering gentle renewal alongside barrier support from ceramides, squalane, and glycerin. To truly thrive, dry skin needs products packed with deep hydration, nourishing barrier ingredients like propolis, ceramides, and peptides, and soothing antioxidants that prevent irritation while maintaining lasting moisture.
Scientific Reports, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry skin?
This serum fits dry skin well because it contains retinal and niacinamide for moderate exfoliation and barrier support, alongside squalane and glycerin for essential hydration. Ceramides and cholesterol further help repair your skin's natural barrier and enhance overall skin health. To work even better for dry skin, this type of product needs deeply nourishing and soothing ingredients that provide rich hydration and protect the skin barrier without causing any irritation.
Scientific Reports, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Retinal do for dry skin?
Retinal helps smooth dry skin and is unlikely to cause severe dryness when used properly, though it may occasionally lead to mild scaling or irritation as the skin adjusts. This ingredient works best when paired with gentle moisturizers to keep the face feeling soft and comfortable.
What does Niacinamide do for dry skin?
Niacinamide helps dry skin by strengthening the skin barrier, increasing hydration, and reducing water loss. It supports ceramide production and helps keep the surface smooth and calm. This ingredient tends to be very well tolerated and is unlikely to irritate dry skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Where does it go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Because dry skin needs extra care, a product of this type works best when it also includes rich hydrators and barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides and squalane.
Can I use this serum with AHA, and in what order?
It is best to avoid using this serum in the same routine as an AHA to prevent heavy irritation on dry skin. Instead, alternate nights or use your AHA in the morning and this treatment at night, always following up with a rich moisturizer.
How often should I use it?
Use this treatment in the evening once a week to start, and if your skin tolerates it well and sees good results, you may carefully use it more often. A product of this type for dry skin needs extra hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and rich moisturizers to keep skin soft and smooth.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin, but the retinal it contains may cause mild initial purging. To work best for dry skin, this type of product needs rich moisturizing ingredients like squalane, glycerin, and ceramides to keep the skin barrier soft and smooth.
Scientific Reports, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Application of Body Lotion for 5 weeks on cosmetic dry skin improved barrier properties, increased levels of cholesterol, ceramides, and long-chain fatty acids, increased beneficial skin bacteria, and enhanced microbiome functional potential compared to baseline.
Scientific Reports, 2022Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002A 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, 2017Twice daily application of retinaldehyde 0.1% and 0.05% creams for 3 months improved skin texture and hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in 40 female Korean volunteers, with only the 0.1% cream significantly improving the melanin index.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2018Topical retinaldehyde demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria both in vitro and in vivo, leading to decreased bacterial counts without inducing resistance.
Dermatology, 2002Topical 0.05% retinaldehyde applied over 1 year significantly increased epidermal thickness of the temple and cutaneous elasticity compared to an emollient control group in 40 aging skin patients.
Dermatology, 1999Topical 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, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Triethylhexanoin, Niacinamide, Squalane, Cyclodextrin, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Arginine, Retinal, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Letinus Edodes Mycelium Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil Shea Oil, Ceramide Eop, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Capryloyl Glycerin Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Diheptyl Succinate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phytosterols, Propanediol, Benzyl Glycol, Raspberry Ketone
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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.