Neova DNA Total Repair Serum 30 ml

What is Neova DNA Total Repair?

Neova's own framing is direct: "DNA Total Repair is not a traditional serum. It is the essential first step in restoring skin integrity at the cellular level." The formula is built on three enzymes the brand says help "identify, remove, and repair visible signs of UV-induced skin damage". Neova writes it for all skin types, even the most sensitive, naming at-rest wrinkling, distinctive pigment changes and prominent discolorations as what it is aimed at.

The three enzymes, and what each one is

Micrococcus Lysate carries UV-endonuclease, drawn from a marine microorganism. Plankton Extract carries Photolyase, which Neova calls hyper-efficient. Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract carries OGG-1, extracted from a tiny mustard plant. All three are liposome-encapsulated, and they sit twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth on the list. Alongside them, Evodia Rutaecarpa, which Neova says inhibits inflammation and soothes aggravated skin, and Ergothioneine, an antioxidant the brand says tops the ORAC score.

DNA Total Repair specifications

Texture, frequency, skin types and the enzyme descriptions are Neova's own. Ingredient positions and the oat note are read from the ingredient list.

What buyers say about it

How long a bottle lasts is the question people actually have. Used once a day, one buyer ran out after two months and another reports about a month and a half. A third says a little bit is all you need, so it lasts her several months. Those are all once-a-day figures, and Neova directs it twice a day, so a bottle goes faster at the brand's own frequency.

Three reviewers here raise price, including two who otherwise like it. One describes it as a light-weight lotion with minimal dry-down time, and reports the last of the product is hard to get out of the bottle she received.

Where it fits in a routine

Immediately after cleansing, before anything heavier, morning and night. For hydration, Advanced HA carries the same three enzymes in a hyaluronic acid base. For antioxidant cover, Power Defense is the copper peptide serum beside it. The rest of the line is on our Neova skincare page.

How to Use

• Immediately after cleansing, morning and night. Neova's own direction, in that order.


• Follow with your moisturizer.


• After the morning application, follow with SPF. Neova states this as part of the direction rather than as an afterthought.


• Neova publishes no dose for this product. Start with the least that covers the face and adjust, and read the bottle-life note above before judging how far it goes.


• Using a retinoid or an acid? Neova says DNA repair skincare is commonly used alongside them, that layering should be adjusted to your skin's tolerance, and that many people alternate nights or apply the DNA repair step after the active.

Neova DNA Total Repair FAQ

Does it contain copper peptides? No. Copper peptide is Neova's other technology and there is none of it on this ingredient list. The products that carry it are Creme de la Copper, Night Therapy, Power Defense, Daily Moisture, Cu3 Gentle Cleanser and Cu3 Lip Repair. One of our reviews is titled for copper peptides, and the reviewer is describing the brand rather than this bottle.

Morning, night, or both? Both. Neova directs it immediately after cleansing in the morning and the evening, with SPF to follow the morning application.

Is it suitable for sensitive skin? Neova writes it for all skin types, even the most sensitive, and publishes no warning, caution or patch test for it. It does contain oat kernel extract, fifteenth of thirty-eight, which is a common sensitivity, so read the list if oat is a problem for you.

How long does a 30 ml bottle last? Buyers using it once a day report a month and a half to two months. Neova directs it twice a day, which shortens that. Nobody who reviewed it here was using it at the brand's frequency.

Can I use it with a retinoid or an acid? Neova says DNA repair skincare is commonly used alongside retinoid and hydroxy acids, with layering adjusted to your tolerance, and that many people alternate nights or apply the repair step after the active. Our suggestion is to introduce one new active at a time, and to ask your provider if you are already on a prescription retinoid.

Why is there no before-and-after figure on this page? Neova publishes three figures from a pilot study. The study itself is available only as images, and the figures and the twelve-subject protocol are printed on separate lines that give different durations. We do not put a number on a page when we cannot put its conditions beside it.

KEY INGREDIENTS

Descriptions below are Neova's own.

• Micrococcus Lysate. The liposome-encapsulated DNA repair enzyme UV-endonuclease, derived from a marine microorganism. Twelfth of thirty-eight.


• Plankton Extract. The liposome-encapsulated DNA repair enzyme Photolyase, which Neova calls hyper-efficient. Thirteenth.


• Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract. The liposome-encapsulated DNA repair enzyme OGG-1, extracted from a tiny mustard plant. Fourteenth.


• Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract. Neova says it inhibits inflammation and soothes aggravated skin. Twentieth.


• Ergothioneine. An antioxidant the brand says tops the ORAC score. Tenth.

FULL INGREDIENTS

Water (Aqua), Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Saccharide Isomerate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Pentylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ergothioneine, Xylitylglucoside, Micrococcus Lysate, Plankton Extract, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Buddleja Davidii Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Phenoxyethanol, Squalane, Xylitol, Glycerin, Capryl Glycol, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Camphor, Lecithin, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Bht.

Thirty eight ingredients in total. No copper peptide, no hyaluronic acid, no niacinamide, no retinol and no fragrance.