Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Face Cream for oily acne-prone skin
Moisture Refining Complex
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Shea Butter
Vitamin E
Average
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 benefits for your oily skin, as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide excellent hydration without adding excess oil, though it lacks targeted ingredients for acne and breakouts.
- Dimethicone and squalane further support hydration and skin barrier function, which is beneficial for oily skin.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 6.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly regarded for its intense hydration, which is particularly beneficial for dry, mature, and dehydrated skin. Users frequently observe improvements in skin texture and softness, along with a reduction in fine lines. Some users find the formula too heavy for oily skin, and a moderate number of reviews mention an unappealing, strong scent.
Highlights
Intense hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “made my skin so incredibly moisturized”
- “gave me the softest skin although my face was exposed in minus degrees”
- “skin feels soft, hydrated, and comfortable after using it”
- “provides intense moisture, ensuring skin feels soft and supple”
Smoother texture Often Mentioned
- “skin looks smoother, brighter and feels moisturised”
- “smooths and refines skin texture”
- “improves skin texture and softness”
- “leaves the texture looking smooth and dewy”
Quick absorption Sometimes Noted
- “glides on, absorbs easily without pilling”
- “soft and non greasy”
- “absorbs to ease that tight feeling”
- “lightweight, non-greasy texture that absorbs easily”
Reduces lines Sometimes Noted
- “diminish the appearance of fine lines”
- “fine lines are better and frown lines less pronounced”
- “does seem to soften wrinkles”
- “fine lines around my eyes and mouth appeared to soften”
Strong scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like a really nice smelling public toilet”
- “scent is very strong”
- “don't like the strong and quite unpleasant fragrance”
- “not a fan of the very perfume smell”
Heavy/Greasy feel Rarely Noted
- “find it a little too heavy for day time use”
- “is quite greasy and some foundations don't stick to it”
- “too heavy for oily skin types”
- “too much my face can be slightly puffy”
High price Rarely Noted
- “it's an expensive product”
- “price might be a bit higher than what some would expect”
- “not sure I liked it enough for £30”
- “cosmetics have become so expensive”
Outdated ingredients Rarely Noted
- “contains beeswax and also contains mineral oil”
- “heavy fragrance, parabens, and merely-decorative retinyl palmitate”
- “lacks modern actives”
- “an old, simple formula”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, walmart.com, macys.com, elizabetharden.com, boots.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference work for oily acne-prone skin?
Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Face Cream works reasonably well for oily acne-prone skin, as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide lightweight hydration without adding excess oil, though it lacks targeted ingredients for breakouts. A moisturizer for this skin type needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients alongside lightweight hydrators to keep pores clear while maintaining a healthy moisture balance.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cream a good fit because they hydrate oily skin without adding excess oil, while dimethicone and squalane support the skin barrier. However, because this cream is only an average fit, oily acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer that also includes targeted ingredients to clear breakouts and blemishes without heavy oils.
What does Moisture Refining Complex do for oily acne-prone skin?
Moisture Refining Complex helps keep oily acne-prone skin balanced and clear by calming redness, managing oil, and improving hydration without causing irritation. Products of this type need soothing ingredients like panthenol and barrier-strengthening components to control breakouts while keeping skin smooth and comfortable.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream goes in your morning and evening routine as the final step before sunscreen in the morning and after your treatment step at night. For oily acne-prone skin, this type of product also needs ingredients that help target breakouts and blemishes.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the retinol first, letting it dry, and then smoothing on the moisturizer. This routine helps keep your skin soft and calm while reducing dryness and irritation that often comes with using retinol. Such skin types need a lightweight moisturizer with soothing ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate alongside acne-fighting components to properly balance hydration and breakouts.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizer twice daily to keep your skin hydrated without adding excess oil, though oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted ingredients for breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin, but it lacks targeted ingredients to help with acne and breakouts. To better manage breakouts while keeping skin soft, oily skin needs a moisturizer that also includes clarifying or blemish-fighting ingredients.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream on your body and around the eyes, as it has a very safe profile and is unlikely to cause irritation. Because the skin around your eyes and in some body areas is very thin, a moisturizer of this type needs lightweight hydrators like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to keep skin soft without feeling heavy.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Cetearyl 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, 2017Application of squalene/phosphotungstate calcium nanowires (Sql/PWC) oleogel on UVB-irradiated skin decreased epidermal thickness, increased dermal thickness, and promoted the expression of elastin, collagen, and skin barrier markers through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2025Topical 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, 2019The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012A 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 application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Why other moisturizers fit oily 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 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, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E, Retinyl Palmitate Vitamin A, Panthenol Vitamin B5, Allantoin, Sodium Pca, Squalane, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
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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