Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial for oily skin
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Glycerin
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Low
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for oily skin; the moisturizers alongside 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 glycerin and shea butter, which hydrate without exacerbating oiliness, but lacks specialized ingredients to control oil production and reduce shine.
- While the formula provides general skincare benefits like cleansing and soothing, it does not directly address your primary concern of oily shine.
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
★4.6Overall 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 oily skin?
This cream is a weak match for oily skin because it lacks specialized ingredients to control oil production and reduce shine. Oily skin needs lightweight moisturizers with peptides and hydrating agents, but without heavy oils, to manage hydration and keep pores clear.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for oily skin?
This cream contains heavy ingredients like shea butter, cocoa seed butter, and sweet almond oil, which are too rich for oily skin. Oily skin needs lightweight moisturizers with peptides and hydrating agents that balance hydration without heavy oils or clogged pores.
What does Sweet Almond Oil do for oily skin?
Sweet Almond Oil is a weak fit for oily skin because it is heavy and may clog pores. Oily skin needs lightweight ingredients that help control oil production and keep pores clear.
What does Butyrospermum Parkii Butter do for oily skin?
Butyrospermum parkii butter is a rich ingredient that may feel too heavy for oily skin and can sometimes clog pores. For oily skin, a moisturizer needs lighter ingredients that hydrate without feeling greasy or heavy.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and any serums, but because it is a weak match for oily skin, a product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and oil-control ingredients to manage shine.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
This cream may be used alongside retinol to keep skin soft, applying the retinol first and following with this moisturizer to help soothe any dryness. Because this product is a weak match for oily skin, an ideal product of this type for your skin needs lightweight hydrators and oil-controlling ingredients to reduce shine.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is a weak match for oily skin because it hydrates without controlling oil production and shine. Oily skin needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that manage excess oil and reduce shine.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause purging since it contains no exfoliating acids, but its rich oils and butters may feel heavy and can potentially clog pores for oily skin. A product for this skin needs oil-balancing and shine-reducing ingredients to keep pores clear.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment is not an ideal fit for the thin skin around the eyes or the skin on the body because its rich oils and heavy butters are formulated for facial care and lack specialized ingredients tailored for those specific areas.
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 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, 2025A 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, 2001Nanostructured 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 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, 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
How does it fit your skin?
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