Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Magic Cream for oily skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Vitamins C
Bionymph Peptide Complex
Shea Butter
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 the humectant action of glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, which provide hydration but do not specifically target the reduction of oily shine.
- The inclusion of oat kernel extract and aloe barbadensis leaf juice offers general skincare benefits and soothing properties suitable for oily skin.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components like tocopherol.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
- Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
- Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 5.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this rich moisturizer is highly praised for its ability to hydrate dry, mature, or dehydrated skin, creating a plump, radiant complexion and serving as an excellent base for makeup. Users with oily or acne-prone skin frequently find it too heavy or greasy, and the strong floral fragrance is a common concern for sensitive individuals.
Highlights
Excellent makeup base Mostly Mentioned
- “perfect canvas for base”
- “makeup sits so well”
- “no pilling or dragging”
- “foundation glides over it”
Intense hydration Often Mentioned
- “floods skin with moisture”
- “instantly hydrated”
- “dry cheeks felt plumped”
- “skin feels nourishing”
Radiant finish Often Mentioned
- “lit-from-within glow”
- “beautiful dewy finish”
- “catwalk radiance”
- “skin looks brighter”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “extremely overpriced”
- “hard to justify the cost”
- “investment product”
- “wish it was affordable”
Luxurious texture Sometimes Noted
- “rich and nourishing”
- “velvety texture”
- “feels luxurious”
- “melts into skin”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “grandma perfume smell”
- “scent is intense”
- “strong floral fragrance”
- “irritates my nose”
Too heavy/greasy Sometimes Noted
- “too greasy for oily skin”
- “felt like a mask”
- “oil-slick by mid-day”
- “heavy on the face”
Potential breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “burned my face”
- “spots broke through”
- “not for acne-prone skin”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, sephora.com, ulta.com, cultbeauty.com, nordstrom.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Charlotte's Magic Cream work for oily skin?
This moisturizer works moderately well for oily skin, providing hydration through glycerin and sodium hyaluronate without specifically reducing oily shine. It is safe and soothing, but an oily skin type needs a product with lightweight textures and ingredients that target excess shine and support the skin barrier without heavy oils.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, oat kernel extract, and aloe barbadensis leaf juice make this cream a fit for oily skin by providing hydration and soothing benefits. A moisturizer for this skin needs lightweight ingredients that hydrate without heavy oils, control oily shine, and support the skin barrier without clogging pores.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps oily skin by reducing extra oil and sebum production without causing irritation. Clinical studies show it successfully balances oil levels while keeping the skin comfortable.
What does Vitamin C do for oily skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin tone and smooth texture while providing antioxidant protection that prevents sebum oxidation. For oily skin, this type of product typically needs to be paired with oil-controlling or pore-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid or plant extracts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cream goes as the third step in the morning after a cleanser and hydrating toner, and as the final step in the evening after your cleanser, toner, and treatment. It provides moderate hydration for oily skin, but this skin type typically benefits more from lightweight moisturizers that help control excess shine.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing treatment with retinol by applying it after your retinol has absorbed into the skin. This cream is unlikely to irritate your oily skin and helps soothe it, but an oily skin type needs a product with ingredients that specifically target and reduce excess shine.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice daily as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular daily application helps keep your oily skin hydrated and calm, though oily skin types often benefit more from lightweight gels or oil-free hydrators that specifically target excess shine.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause breakouts for oily skin, as it has a low risk for this according to user feedback. However, because it contains rich ingredients like shea butter and oils, an oily skin type often needs a lighter, oil-free moisturizer with salicylic acid or niacinamide to keep pores clear.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment is generally safe to use, but because the skin around the eyes is much thinner than the skin on the body, richer eye-specific products or lighter body lotions may suit those areas better.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (linalool, citronellol, and geraniol). Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
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 cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical 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, 2019Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A 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, 2025Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006
Why other moisturizers fit oily 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, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Homosalate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Cetyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Steareth-21, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract Oat Kernel Extract, Carbomer, Dimethiconol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Disodium Edta, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Oil Fruit, Rosa Damascena Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Michelia Alba Oil Leaf, Sodium Lactate, Coco-Glucoside, Peg-8, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Nicotiana Sylvestris Cell Leaf Culture, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.