E45 Cream for oily acne-prone skin
White Soft Paraffin
Light Liquid Paraffin
Anhydrous Lanolin Medilan
Glyceryl Monostearate
Citric Acid MonohydrateCaution
- LowOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A poor match for oily acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 oily skin due to glycerin and paraffinum liquidum, which hydrate and smooth texture, but paraffinum liquidum can be occlusive and potentially exacerbate oiliness.
- The formula lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to effectively target acne, blemishes, and breakouts, offering only moderate benefits for these concerns.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsWhile widely celebrated for being gentle and fragrance-free, some users with oily or acne-prone skin find it too heavy or comedogenic for facial use.
Highlights
Soothes dry skin Mostly Mentioned
- “stopped the itching”
- “healed dry patches”
Gentle and fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “no stinging”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “perfect for babies”
- “zero irritation”
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels soft”
- “smooths rough elbows”
- “leaves a protective film”
- “softens calluses”
Excellent value Sometimes Noted
- “huge tub lasts ages”
- “affordable price”
- “cheap but effective”
- “great budget skincare”
Versatile multi-purpose Sometimes Noted
- “good for sunburn”
- “used after shaving”
- “great hand cream”
- “works on cracked heels”
Greasy or sticky Sometimes Noted
- “feels slimy”
- “takes ages to absorb”
- “leaves a greasy film”
- “makes hands slippery”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “clogged my pores”
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “too heavy for face”
- “caused acne flare-up”
Lanolin sensitivity Rarely Noted
- “caused allergic reaction”
- “made rash worse”
- “redness and stinging”
- “irritated my skin”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pump stopped working”
- “tub is unhygienic”
- “messy to use”
- “lid broke easily”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, superdrug.com, influenster.com, ocado.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with E45 Cream for oily acne-prone skin?
Lovi advises caution because this cream contains heavy mineral oils like paraffinum liquidum, which can feel too rich, trap oil, and potentially make breakouts worse on oily skin. It also lacks targeted blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide. A moisturizer for this skin needs lightweight hydrators like low molecular weight hyaluronic acid and ceramides to provide moisture without clogging pores or adding excess oil.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Paraffinum liquidum makes this cream a poor fit because it can trap oil and potentially worsen breakouts on oily acne-prone skin. This skin needs a moisturizer that hydrates without heavy oils or pore-clogging ingredients, and instead includes helpful additions like salicylic acid, niacinamide, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, and ceramides.
What does White Soft Paraffin do for oily acne-prone skin?
White Soft Paraffin helps heal dry patches, but it is unlikely to suit oily acne-prone skin because heavy barriers can clog pores and trap oil. Oily skin needs lightweight, non-pore-clogging hydrators and ingredients that clear pores and control shine.
What does Light Liquid Paraffin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Light liquid paraffin helps keep oily acne-prone skin soft by locking in moisture and smoothing the outer layer. Because it is a heavy barrier ingredient, a product of this type for this skin needs to be lightweight, non-greasy, and paired with ingredients that balance oil and keep pores clear.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is a poor match for oily acne-prone skin because its heavy ingredients may clog pores and worsen oiliness, while lacking ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to target breakouts. An oily acne-prone routine needs a lightweight moisturizer with oil-controlling and blemish-clearing ingredients like niacinamide.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, applying it after your retinol to help soothe dryness, though its heavier oils may feel too rich for oily skin. Oily acne-prone skin needs a lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer with ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid to hydrate without clogging pores or worsening breakouts.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is a poor match for oily acne-prone skin because heavy ingredients like paraffin may trap oils and worsen breakouts, while the formula lacks acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide. To properly care for this skin type, a moisturizer needs lightweight hydration and specialized blemish-targeting ingredients.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream may clog pores and make oiliness worse because it contains heavy paraffin oils that can trap oil on your skin. A product for oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight hydration and targeted ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to help clear blemishes instead of trapping them.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is suitable for use on the body, but you should exercise caution around the eyes because the skin there is much thinner and more delicate than the thick skin found on most of the body.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2017The 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, 2020Topical treatment with skin-identical lipids in a petrolatum-rich cream base showed no superiority over pure petrolatum in promoting normalization of barrier recovery and inflammation in detergent- and tape-stripped-perturbed human skin over 14 days.
Acta Dermato-venereologica, 2000Topically applied extra virgin olive oil and petrolatum both significantly improved skin barrier function and microtopographic features in 54 healthy adult volunteers, with petrolatum exerting stronger occlusive effects and extra virgin olive oil uniquely promoting epidermal renewal.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019Daily bathing with an emulsified lanolin and mineral oil bath additive significantly reduced dry skin severity on the lower legs of patients compared to usual bath soap over 17 days.
Cutis, 1981Sunscreen formulations containing ethoxylated lanolin as an additional film former resulted in lower and constant physical-mechanical parameters and a higher and better reproducible SPF compared to the formulation without it.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2021Nanoemulsion-based lanolin derivatives increased skin hydration and oiliness without changing cutaneous pH values and proved non-toxic by causing no skin irritation.
Molecules, 2016A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical 20% citric acid lotion increases viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycan content in sun-damaged skin compared to vehicle alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 1997
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, 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.
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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
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