SOME BY MI AHA-BHA-PHA Real Cica 92% Cool Calming Soothing Gel for combination skin
Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 soothing and hydration for your combination skin, as Centella Asiatica Extract and multiple forms of Hyaluronic Acid calm and moisturize effectively, though it lacks targeted ingredients to significantly address oily shine.
- Salicylic acid and citric acid provide some exfoliation and seboregulation, which is beneficial for combination skin, but the overall formula is not optimized for intense oil control.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like Centella Asiatica Extract and Niacinamide.
How to apply
- Use this moisturizer in your AM and PM routine every day to control shine. Always pair with SPF in the morning.
- Apply this moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your morning SPF.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin and avoid harsh rubbing. Let it ⏳absorb for a minute.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help it lock in moisture better. This keeps your combination skin balanced.
- Avoid the eye area when applying the moisturizer. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, this gel is highly effective for oily and acne-prone skin, providing immediate cooling and significant redness reduction for conditions like sunburns and active breakouts. However, users with dry or dehydrated skin often find it lacks sufficient moisture, leading to a tight sensation due to its exfoliating acids.
Highlights
Soothing and calming Mostly Mentioned
- “Calmed down my redness so fast”
- “Helped with bug bites and rash”
- “Great for soothing sunburn.”
Cooling sensation Often Mentioned
- “Feels light and cooling”
- “Lowers skin temperature”
- “Refreshing menthol sensation.”
Good for oily skin Often Mentioned
- “Perfect for my oily skin”
- “Controls excess sebum”
- “Doesn't turn me into an oil slick.”
Insufficient hydration Often Mentioned
- “Made my face feel tight”
- “Not moisturizing for dry winter”
- “Felt 'keset' (squeaky/dry) on skin.”
Versatile application Sometimes Noted
- “Used on face and arms”
- “Applied as a sleeping pack”
- “Good for body acne.”
Sticky residue Sometimes Noted
- “Leaves a sticky feeling”
- “Tacky finish”
- “Residue lingers.”
Medicinal scent Rarely Noted
- “Smells like medicine”
- “Strong tea tree scent”
- “Scent is too herbal.”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “Made inflammation worse”
- “Stinging sensation”
- “Too harsh for broken skin.”
Sources: lovi.care, nudieglow.com, mikaelabeauty.com, femaledaily.com, skinsort.com, yesstyle.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does SOME BY MI Real Cica 92% Cool Calming Soothing Gel work for combination skin?
This gel offers moderate soothing and hydration for combination skin, though it lacks targeted ingredients to significantly address oily shine. A moisturizing treatment for this skin needs effective brightening and oil-controlling ingredients, plus antioxidants and soothing agents to balance hydration without excess oil.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Which ingredients make this gel a good fit for combination skin?
Centella asiatica extract and multiple forms of hyaluronic acid make this gel a good fit by helping calm and moisturize your combination skin. To work best for this skin type, this type of product also needs targeted ingredients that reduce oily shine.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
What does Centella Asiatica do for combination skin?
Centella asiatica helps calm combination skin, keeps it balanced, and supports the moisture barrier without feeling heavy. It may also reduce redness and help keep breakouts under control.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Molecules, 2023
What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.
Where does this gel go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure. Combination skin also needs targeted ingredients to significantly manage oily shine.
Can I use this gel with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this gel with retinol by applying the gel first to calm your skin, followed by your retinol. This product is unlikely to cause irritation because it contains soothing ingredients like Centella Asiatica and Niacinamide.
How often should I use this gel?
You can use this soothing gel daily to calm and hydrate your combination skin. Combination skin works best with products that also provide targeted oil control and shine reduction.
Health Science Reports, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this gel clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This soothing gel is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts on combination skin, as it has a safe formula with calming ingredients like Centella Asiatica Extract and Niacinamide. However, a product of this type needs targeted oil control ingredients to better manage oily shine on combination skin.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Can I use this gel around the eyes or on my body?
This gel is safe to use on the thin skin around the eyes and on the body because it features a very gentle formula with soothing Centella Asiatica and Niacinamide. While it keeps both areas calm and hydrated, combination skin on the body and face still needs extra oil-controlling ingredients to properly manage shine.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Is this gel 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, 2017Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020Daily 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, 2021Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical treatment with 5% vitamin C and 0.1% madecassoside significantly improved clinical scores for wrinkles, suppleness, firmness, roughness, and skin hydration, along with functional and structural remodeling of the elastic fiber network in 20 female volunteers with photoaged skin after 6 months compared to baseline.
Experimental Dermatology, 2008Treatment with an asiaticoside-containing cream applied twice daily for 12 weeks significantly improved periorbital wrinkles in 65% of 27 female volunteers compared to a vehicle control cream.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2008Topical 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, 2005Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 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, 2019
Ingredients
Centella Asiatica Extract, Water, Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Leaf Water, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassoside, Allantoin, Arginine, Adenosine, Salicylic Acid, Lactobionic Acid, Citric Acid, C12-13 Pareth-9, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Rosmarinus Officinalis Oil Leaf Rosemary Oil Leaf
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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