Perricone MD Essential Fx Acyl-Glutathione Intensive Overnight Moisturizer for acne-prone skin
Acyl-Glutathione
Niacinamide
Shea Butter
Lactic Acid
Vitamin F BlendAverage
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
- Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014
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 combination skin, as niacinamide helps regulate oil in the t-zone and lactic acid provides mild exfoliation, though it may not fully address oiliness.
- The formula provides excellent moisturization with shea butter and macadamia ternifolia seed oil, which support acne-prone skin by hydrating and enhancing barrier resilience.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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.
Questions and answers
How well does Essential Fx Acyl-Glutathione Intensive Overnight Moisturizer work for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer works reasonably well for acne-prone skin, helping to hydrate and keep the skin barrier strong with shea butter and niacinamide. However, a product for this skin type needs lighter, balancing ingredients and soothing extracts that control oil without heavy butters.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This cream works for acne-prone skin because niacinamide helps balance oil and lactic acid gently clears away dead skin cells. It also includes shea butter, which keeps skin soft and supports your skin barrier without causing irritation. Acne-prone skin needs products with gentle exfoliants and oil-balancing ingredients that hydrate without feeling heavy or clogging pores.
What does Acyl-Glutathione do for acne-prone skin?
Acyl-Glutathione helps support antioxidant defense and calm skin, but acne-prone skin typically needs ingredients that clear pores and reduce breakouts.
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 moisturizing treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before your final moisturizer, or it can serve as your evening moisturizer. To best fit acne-prone skin, this type of product needs a lighter, oil-balancing formula with gentle exfoliants and hydrators that do not clog pores.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, applying the retinol first and following with this moisturizer to help keep your skin hydrated and comfortable. Using a barrier-supporting moisturizer alongside retinol helps reduce dryness and flaking while making your skin more receptive to the treatment.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream works well as an evening treatment when you follow acne-prone skin routines. Daily application helps hydrate and strengthen your skin barrier while remaining safe from irritation. Acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer with niacinamide and lactic acid to balance oil and gently clear pores.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause purging since it does not contain strong exfoliating acids or retinoids, but it may feel a bit heavy and cause breakouts on acne-prone skin because it contains rich shea butter and oils. A moisturizer for this skin needs lighter hydrators like hyaluronic acid and soothing ingredients like niacinamide to keep pores clear.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This intensive moisturizing treatment can be applied around the eyes and on the body, though acne-prone skin often does better with lightweight, oil-free formulas containing salicylic acid or tea tree oil to keep pores clear.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (citronellol, limonene, and linalool).
What the research says
Glutathione amino acid precursors effectively increase cellular glutathione levels, reducing oxidative stress, ATP depletion, and DNA damage in human keratinocytes, clinical subjects, and ex vivo skin compared to controls.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024Topical oxidized glutathione significantly decreases the skin melanin index and improves moisture content, smoothness, wrinkle formation, and elasticity compared to placebo in healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Topical glutathione improves hyperpigmentation, reduces ultraviolet-induced erythema and wrinkles, decreases transepidermal water loss, and enhances antioxidant capacity.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025Topical 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, 2005A 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, 2025Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Topical application of linoleic acid achieved an almost 25% reduction in the overall size of follicular casts and microcomedones over a 1-month treatment period in patients with mild acne compared to no change at placebo-treated sites.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 1998Topical conjugated linolenic acid significantly reduced edema on post-procedure Day 3 and itching on Days 1 and 3, and improved wrinkling at Day 14 compared to 1% dimethicone ointment in 34 subjects undergoing fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing of the face.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2017Liposomal formulation of linoleic acid significantly enhances its skin whitening effect compared to non-liposomal forms in UV-stimulated guinea pig and human skin.
Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2004
Why other moisturizers fit acne-prone skin better
A 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, 2024Co-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, 2023
Ingredients
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Myristyl Myristate, Niacinamide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Palmitoyl Glycine, S-Palmitoylglutathione, Ethylhexylglycerin, Myristyl Laurate, Ribose, Lecithin, Lactic Acid, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract Rosemary Leaf Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool
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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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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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