Paula's Choice RESIST Intensive Repair Cream for acne-prone skin
Retinol
Niacinamide
Ceramide Ng
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other moisturizers 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 suitability for your combination skin, as retinol and niacinamide provide antioxidant activity and seboregulation, while ingredients like jojoba seed oil and petrolatum may be too heavy for oily areas.
- The formulation provides excellent moisturizing and anti-aging benefits with retinol and peptides for smoothing texture and minimizing fine lines, though it lacks targeted ingredients to directly address acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The safety profile is good, with no risks of irritation for your acne-prone skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing agents like licorice root extract and green tea extract.
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
★4.4Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsThis rich, retinol-infused moisturizer is widely celebrated by users with dry to very dry skin for its ability to deeply hydrate and repair the moisture barrier without feeling greasy. While most users find it soothing and effective for softening fine lines, a minority report breakouts or dissatisfaction with recent formula and packaging changes.
Highlights
Deep Hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “skin felt immediate relief”
- “biggest drink of hydration”
- “ridding me of flakes”
- “heals barrier”
Luxurious Texture Often Mentioned
- “absorbs perfectly”
- “thick and luxurious”
- “silky feel”
- “not greasy at all”
Gentle Anti-Aging Sometimes Noted
- “diminish fine lines”
- “wake up glowing”
- “gentle retinol”
- “smoother skin”
Soothing & Calming Sometimes Noted
- “calm again”
- “soothing”
- “no irritation”
- “great with tretinoin”
Formula/Packaging Changes Sometimes Noted
- “changed colour”
- “new packaging issues”
- “not as moisturizing”
- “off-white color”
Breakouts & Reactions Rarely Noted
- “clog pores”
- “small bumps”
- “cystic acne”
- “burned my face”
Insufficient Moisture Rarely Noted
- “face feels tight”
- “not enough moisture”
- “need to layer”
- “dried out quickly”
Unpleasant Scent Rarely Noted
- “bad smell”
- “smells rancid”
- “slight chemical scent”
- “smells old”
Sources: lovi.care, paulaschoice.com, dermstore.com, sephora.co.uk, cultbeauty.co.uk, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Paula's Choice RESIST Intensive Repair Cream work for acne-prone skin?
This cream works moderately well for acne-prone skin, as retinol and niacinamide help manage oil, though heavy ingredients like petrolatum may feel too thick on oily spots. It provides good anti-aging care with low irritation risk, but a product of this type needs targeted acne-fighting ingredients, lightweight hydration, and soothing plant extracts to truly excel for this skin.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Retinol and niacinamide make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin because they help balance oil and provide antioxidant support, while soothing extracts keep irritation unlikely. An acne-prone skin type needs a moisturizing treatment with targeted ingredients that directly address breakouts and blemishes while keeping hydration balanced.
What does Retinol do for acne-prone skin?
Retinol helps acne-prone skin by speeding up cell turnover and clearing pores to reduce breakouts. It regulates skin growth and fights inflammation, though it may cause some mild peeling or stinging when you first start using it.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2022The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Niacinamide do for acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide helps acne-prone skin by reducing both inflamed and uninflamed breakouts and calming redness. It is also very helpful for keeping oily skin balanced by cutting down on excess oil production, and it is well tolerated by most people.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cream goes last in your evening routine as a moisturizing treatment, or after your hydrating toner in the morning. An average fit for acne-prone skin means this product needs lighter textures and targeted ingredients to address blemishes without feeling too heavy for oily areas.
Can I use this cream with AHA, and in what order?
This cream works for your acne-prone skin, though heavy oils may feel too rich on oily areas, and you should apply it after your AHA treatment. To work best for this skin, an acne product needs lightweight hydration and ingredients that actively target breakouts.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice daily to improve hydration and smooth fine lines. Acne-prone skin needs a lighter, oil-free formula with targeted breakout-fighting ingredients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause irritation for your acne-prone skin because it lacks harsh ingredients and contains soothing agents, but some heavier oils in the formula may feel too heavy for oily areas. Acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-clogging hydrators and blemish-fighting ingredients to keep pores clear.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream works well on the thin skin around the eyes and on the body because its formulation provides rich moisture and anti-aging benefits, but acne-prone skin needs a lighter product that targets breakouts without heavy oils like petrolatum and jojoba seed oil.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol and behenyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2018Topical stabilized retinol treatment induced HAS gene expression and increased hyaluronic acid production in human skin in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo compared to vehicle.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017Topical 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, 2005Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019A 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, 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, 2001
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, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Jojoba Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate Hexacaprate, Glyceryl Stearate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Peg-100 Stearate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Retinol, Adenosine, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ceramide Ng, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Niacinamide, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Watermelon Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Soybean Sterols, Tribehenin, Peg-10 Phytosterol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Pca, Sodium Lactate, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate Dicaprate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tridecyl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Sclerotium Gum, Carbomer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysorbate 20, Disodium Edta, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid
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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