Oily and combination skin often gets a rough deal in skincare — many formulas either strip too much, or feel too heavy to sit comfortably under makeup or throughout the day. A serum built for this skin type needs to walk a fine line: refining and refreshing, without ever tipping into harsh or drying.
Here's a closer look at what's actually inside Nova Balance Anti-Blemish Post-Breakout Serum, and why each ingredient earned its place in the formula.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
Niacinamide is one of the most widely used ingredients in modern skincare, and for good reason. It's valued for its versatile cosmetic benefits — helping to improve the appearance of uneven skin tone, supporting hydration, and leaving the complexion looking smoother and more refined. It's become a staple in serums for oily and combination skin precisely because it works well alongside other actives without overwhelming the skin.
Witch Hazel
One of the most traditionally used botanicals in natural skincare, Witch Hazel has a light, herbal aroma and a long history in cleansers and toners. It's valued for its refreshing, toning qualities, helping skin feel revitalised and well conditioned — a natural fit for a formula aimed at oily or combination skin types.
Chamomile
Chamomile brings a gentle, calming presence to the formula. Widely used in skincare for its conditioning qualities, it helps keep more delicate or reactive skin feeling comfortable and refreshed, balancing out some of the more active ingredients elsewhere in the blend.
Willow Bark Extract
A botanically derived ingredient with a long history of traditional use, Willow Bark Extract is included here for its refreshing, clarifying qualities. It's a popular choice in serums and cleansers aimed at helping skin feel smoother and more refined — a natural counterpart to Salicylic Acid elsewhere in the formula.
Zinc PCA
Zinc PCA combines zinc with the skin's own natural moisturising factor, L-PCA. It's a popular ingredient in formulations for oily or combination skin, included here to help reduce excess shine while keeping skin feeling comfortable and fresh, rather than stripped.
Salicylic Acid
A beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) with a well-established role in skincare, Salicylic Acid is included for its exfoliating properties. It helps remove dead skin cells and excess oil, leaving skin feeling smoother, clearer, and more refined — one of the more active ingredients in the blend, balanced by the gentler botanicals surrounding it.
Konjac Root Extract
A plant-derived ingredient valued for its lightweight, hydrating qualities, Konjac Root Extract is often used in serums, masks, and cleansers. It helps the skin feel soft, smooth, and refreshed, contributing to the formula's lightweight, non-greasy finish.
Aloe Vera
One of the most celebrated ingredients in natural skincare, cherished for centuries for its deeply hydrating, conditioning and nourishing properties. Aloe Vera helps keep skin feeling soft, refreshed and moisturised, without adding any heaviness or residue — essential for a serum designed with oily and combination skin in mind.
Green Tea
A well-known botanical extract in skincare, Green Tea contributes to the formula's refreshing, conditioning profile alongside the other botanical extracts in the blend.
Lavender
A much-loved essential oil with a soft, floral aroma, Lavender is traditionally used in aromatherapy for its relaxing, uplifting qualities. In skincare, it's included for its gentle conditioning properties — a small aromatic touch alongside the more functional ingredients in the formula.
Colloidal Silver
Included as a natural preservative, our Colloidal Silver is crafted using a two-stage process to achieve over 80% true colloidal content — one of the purest forms available. Its role here is to help keep the formula clean and stable, free from synthetic preservatives, so the botanical and active ingredients above can do their job without unnecessary extras.
Why the Combination Works
Nova Balance brings together three types of ingredients that oily and combination skin genuinely benefits from: refining actives (Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Zinc PCA), calming botanicals (Chamomile, Aloe Vera, Green Tea, Lavender), and lightweight hydrators (Konjac Root, Sodium Hyaluronate). It's this balance — active enough to make a visible difference, gentle enough for daily use — that lets the serum sit comfortably under makeup or a moisturiser without adding heaviness.
Making It Part of Your Routine
Apply 2–3 drops to clean, dry skin morning and night, focusing on blemish-prone areas or applying evenly across the face. As with any new active-ingredient product, it's worth avoiding layering directly with strong exfoliating acids or other highly active treatments unless advised by a skincare professional, and carrying out a patch test first if you have particularly sensitive or reactive skin.
Shop Nova Balance Anti-Blemish Post-Breakout Serum →
