Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial for acne-prone skin
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Glycerin
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Low
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
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 due to glycerin and shea butter, which hydrate without targeting your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- While the formula provides general skincare benefits, it lacks specific ingredients like salicylic acid to actively treat your acne concerns.
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 6.6k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this prebiotic sleeping cream is highly regarded for its ability to make dull, thirsty skin appear plump and radiant by morning, thanks to its unique gel-cream texture that feels both lightweight and deeply nourishing. While many users enjoy its sweet, fruity scent, it is a polarizing feature that some find too strong, and a small number of users with very dry skin feel it may not be rich enough for winter use.
Highlights
Luxurious texture Mostly Mentioned
- “whipped silk feel”
- “melts into skin”
- “lightweight but rich”
- “non-greasy finish”
Pleasant scent Often Mentioned
- “smells like a tropical cocktail”
- “divine fruity aroma”
- “relaxing bedtime treat”
- “scent of summer”
Soft & plump Often Mentioned
- “baby soft skin”
- “plumped morning face”
- “erases fatigue lines”
- “bouncy texture”
Radiance & glow Sometimes Noted
- “morning glow”
- “brightens dullness”
- “looks well-rested”
- “dewy complexion”
Deceptive packaging Sometimes Noted
- “jar looks half empty”
- “huge air bubble inside”
- “misleading tub size”
- “less product than expected”
Overpowering fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “sickly sweet”
- “too strong/perfumed”
- “artificial candy smell”
- “migraine inducing”
Price vs. quantity Sometimes Noted
- “finished too quickly”
- “expensive for 50ml”
- “not worth full price”
- “runs out fast”
Not rich enough Rarely Noted
- “not hydrating enough for winter”
- “need a thicker cream”
- “skin still felt dry”
Sources: lovi.care, elemis.com, amazon.co.uk, boots.com, johnlewis.com, sephora.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial a weak match for acne-prone skin?
Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial is a weak match for acne-prone skin because it offers general hydration without targeting breakouts and blemishes. A moisturizing treatment for acne-prone skin needs ingredients that actively treat breakouts while providing gentle hydration without irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for acne-prone skin?
This cream is a weak match because its heavy oils and butters, such as shea butter and cocoa seed butter, may clog pores and trigger breakouts on acne-prone skin. A product of this type needs acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, along with soothing agents and zero allergens, to hydrate and clear blemishes without irritation.
What does Sweet Almond Oil do for acne-prone skin?
Sweet almond oil helps strengthen the outer skin barrier and improves skin recovery, making it useful for managing various skin conditions. However, for acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs non-clogging, lightweight ingredients and antibacterial agents to help calm breakouts and keep pores clear.
What does Butyrospermum Parkii Butter do for acne-prone skin?
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter can feel quite rich on acne-prone skin and may clog pores for some people. A product of this type needs lightweight hydration and ingredients that balance oil without heavy blockage.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This product is a weak fit for acne-prone skin because it hydrates without treating breakouts. To care for this skin, a moisturizer needs blemish-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol by applying it after your retinol treatment to help keep your skin soft and comfortable. This type of product for acne-prone skin needs to include soothing ingredients or salicylic acid to help clear breakouts while keeping your skin calm and smooth.
How often should I use it?
This moisturizer is a weak match for acne-prone skin because it lacks acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, so acne-prone skin needs a product with those targeted active ingredients instead.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizing treatment is a weak match for your acne-prone skin because it hydrates without targeting breakouts or blemishes. A product of this type needs specific blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid to properly care for this skin.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment is generally fine for the body, but the skin around your eyes is much thinner and may react differently to rich butters and oils. When applying products of this type on delicate areas, look for lightweight formulas that hydrate smoothly without feeling heavy.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, linalool, benzyl alcohol, citronellol, and citral).
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, 2017A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 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, 2012Nanostructured lipid carriers prepared with glyceryl distearate and Passiflora edulis seed oil using ultrasonication exhibited superior physicochemical properties, high occlusion, and non-irritant potential in the HET-CAM assay compared to other tested formulations.
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 2020
Why other moisturizers fit acne-prone skin better
Co-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, 2023A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A facial serum containing snail secretion filtrate, Calendula officinalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract significantly reduced inflammatory acne lesions compared to placebo in 66 participants with mild-to-moderate maskne over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Peg-8, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Parfum, Carbomer, Disodium Edta, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Bentonite, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Limonene, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Propanediol, Glyceryl Acrylate Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Litsea Cubeba Oil Fruit, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Musa Sapientum Flower Extract, Citral, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate
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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