Glossier invisible shield for oily acne-prone skin
Avobenzone
Octisalate
OctocryleneAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other sunscreens fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
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 sun protection for your oily skin due to avobenzone and octisalate, but glycerin provides only general hydration without addressing your primary concerns of acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The formula includes ingredients like propanediol and butylene glycol for humectant action, which are supportive but do not offer significant oil control for your oily skin.
- The safety profile is good, with no harsh ingredients that would irritate your oily skin.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizing sunscreen every morning. Reapply throughout the day if you are outside.
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen as the final step of your morning routine after your moisturizer.
- Gently smooth a nickel-sized amount over your face and neck, avoiding harsh rubbing to keep oily areas calm.
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen on clean, dry skin to ensure even coverage and protection.
- Avoid getting the product into your eyes and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.0Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers with oily and combination skin praise the clear, gel-like texture for leaving absolutely no white cast and doubling as a smoothing primer under makeup. Many reviewers find the small bottle size poor value for the price, and some with sensitive eyes report stinging or a lingering greasy residue after application.
Highlights
Clear finish Mostly Mentioned
- “Invisible on skin”
- “Zero white cast”
- “Clear gel texture”
Poor value Mostly Mentioned
- “Tiny bottle”
- “Too expensive”
- “Runs out fast”
Makeup primer Often Mentioned
- “Great under makeup”
- “Acts as primer”
- “Smooths skin texture”
Lightweight feel Sometimes Noted
- “Feels like serum”
- “Not heavy”
- “Breathable formula”
Non-comedogenic Sometimes Noted
- “No breakouts”
- “Didn't clog pores”
- “Good for acne-prone”
Eye irritation Sometimes Noted
- “Stings eyes”
- “Burns sensitive eyes”
- “Watery eyes”
Greasy finish Sometimes Noted
- “Too shiny”
- “Feels oily”
- “Silicone texture”
Scent sensitivity Rarely Noted
- “Strong citrus smell”
- “Fragrance is irritating”
- “Smells like alcohol”
Sources: lovi.care, glossier.com, influenster.com, spacenk.com, gopicky.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Glossier Invisible Shield work for oily acne-prone skin?
Glossier Invisible Shield works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin, providing general hydration and sun protection without causing irritation, though it lacks specific oil-control and blemish-fighting benefits. To best suit this skin type, a product of this type needs effective ingredients like zinc oxide, niacinamide, centella asiatica, or ceramides that help manage excess oil and breakouts.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
Which ingredients make this sunscreen a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Avobenzone and octisalate provide sun protection, while glycerin, propanediol, and butylene glycol offer general hydration that is safe for your skin. However, this product needs ingredients like zinc oxide, niacinamide, and centella asiatica to control excess oil and soothe acne and breakouts.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
What does Avobenzone do for oily acne-prone skin?
Avobenzone helps protect your skin from sun damage, but it does not treat oily or acne-prone skin on its own. Sunscreens for this skin type need ingredients that feel light, absorb excess oil, and won't clog your pores.
What does Octisalate do for oily acne-prone skin?
Octisalate acts as a chemical sunscreen filter that helps protect oily, acne-prone skin from UV damage without feeling heavy or greasy. It is unlikely to cause skin irritation or clogged pores when included in a well-formulated daily sunscreen.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
Apply this sunscreen in the morning as the final step after your moisturizer, as chemical sunscreens like this are unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin. However, since it only provides general hydration without oil control or blemish-fighting benefits, oily and acne-prone skin needs a dedicated sunscreen that also offers oil-absorbing ingredients and breakout-clearing actives.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
Can I use this sunscreen with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this sunscreen in the morning as the last step of your routine after applying your moisturizer and before makeup. Oily acne-prone skin needs a sunscreen that provides oil control and ingredients that target blemishes.
How often should I use it?
You can use this sunscreen every morning as the final step of your daytime routine. It provides moderate sun protection, though oily skin often needs extra oil control and targeted blemish-fighting ingredients.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This sunscreen is unlikely to irritate your skin or cause breakouts, but it does not control oil or treat acne. A product for oily acne-prone skin needs ingredients that help balance oil and target blemishes.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
Is this sunscreen 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, 2017Topical application of 1,3-propanediol at various concentrations, alone or combined with butylene glycol and/or glycerol, increased skin hydration and reduced trans epidermal water loss in 30 healthy female subjects over an 8-hour period, with the 15% concentration and the addition of glycerol providing greater benefits.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025A mixture of propanediol, xylitol, and caprylic acid demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity against C. acnes and S. aureus, reduced 5-alpha reductase expression, and decreased skin oiliness, porphyrin, and inflammatory lesions in participants over 28 days.
Molecules, 2021Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008Simulated real-life dermal sunscreen exposure in twenty human volunteers leads to the systemic bioavailability and urinary excretion of the UV filter 2-ethylhexyl salicylate and its metabolite, reaching concentration peaks at 7 to 8 hours with 70-80% of overall excretion within 24 hours.
Archives of Toxicology, 2019Controlled single dermal exposure to an EHS-containing sunscreen in three volunteers resulted in delayed systemic resorption with elimination half-lives between 6.6 and 9.7 hours, where the parent compound EHS occurred as the dominant urinary parameter.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Dermal exposure to EHS-containing sunscreen leads to the urinary excretion of EHS as the main biomarker alongside major metabolites 5OH-EHS, 5cx-EPS, 4OH-EHS, and 5oxo-EHS, measured using an extended enzymatic hydrolysis and on-line SPE LC-MS/MS method.
Talanta, 2024Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025Early application of sunscreen after ablative fractional skin resurfacing significantly increased the sensitization rate of the UV-filter, octocrylene, and the sunscreen compared to intact skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2015Dermal sunscreen exposure in 20 healthy volunteers led to plasma concentrations of avobenzone, octocrylene, and its metabolite CDAA reaching up to 11 μg/L, 25 μg/L, and 1352 μg/L, respectively.
Environment International, 2019
Why other sunscreens 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, 2023
Ingredients
Avobenzone, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Styrene Acrylates Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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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