The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan for combination skin
Beta Glucan
Moisturizing Factors
Glycerin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Allantoin
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
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 hydration for your combination skin, as beta-glucan and sodium hyaluronate work to hydrate and improve barrier resilience, though it does not specifically target oily shine.
- Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide general skincare benefits, supporting hydration for your combination skin.
- The product is safe for your combination skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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
★4.3Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this lightweight, clear gel moisturizer is widely praised by users with oily and acne-prone skin for providing hydration without clogging pores or leaving a greasy residue. Users with dry or dehydrated skin often find it insufficient, reporting that it lacks the occlusive properties needed to lock in moisture, sometimes leaving skin feeling tight.
Highlights
Lightweight and non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “It hydrates SO deeply without feeling heavy at all.”
- “Perfect amount of hydration without my skin feeling oily.”
- “Absorbs quickly and feels like nothing on the skin.”
Ideal for oily Often Mentioned
- “Works well for my oily skin, gives better oil control.”
- “Great for acne prone and oily skin, isn't clogging.”
- “Finally a moisturizer that doesn't make me look like a greaseball.”
Insufficient for dry Often Mentioned
- “Left my skin feeling tight and dry after an hour.”
- “Not moisturizing enough, I need something thicker.”
- “My face felt parched even after applying a generous amount.”
Absorbs very quickly Sometimes Noted
- “Dries down fully after a few minutes.”
- “Sinks in really fast and doesn't leave a film.”
- “Disappears into the skin almost instantly.”
Cooling gel texture Sometimes Noted
- “Feels very refreshing and cooling upon application.”
- “The clear gel texture is unique and feels like water.”
- “Soothing on my sensitive skin, especially in summer.”
Sticky or tacky Sometimes Noted
- “Leaves a sticky residue that takes a while to go away.”
- “Felt tacky on my face, my hair kept sticking to it.”
- “The texture is a bit glue-like before it dries.”
Causes pilling Rarely Noted
- “Pills terribly when I try to apply sunscreen over it.”
- “Balls up if you rub your face too much.”
- “Does not layer well under my makeup.”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “Has a weird plastic-y smell to it.”
- “Smells a bit like chemicals, though it fades fast.”
- “Not a fan of the scent, even though it's fragrance-free.”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, sephora.co.uk, sephora.nz, theordinary.com, ulta.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan work for combination skin?
This moisturizer offers moderate hydration for your combination skin, though it does not specifically target oily shine. A product for this skin needs ingredients that provide effective moisturization while reducing oily shine without causing irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for combination skin?
Beta-glucan, glycerin, and sodium hyaluronate make this cream a good fit by providing moderate hydration and supporting your skin barrier. To fit combination skin even better, a moisturizer of this type needs brightening ingredients that reduce oily shine without causing irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
What does Beta Glucan do for combination skin?
Beta-glucan helps hydrate combination skin while calming redness and supporting barrier repair. It acts as an effective moisturizer that improves skin moisture levels without feeling heavy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Food Science & Nutrition, 2025
What do Natural Moisturizing Factors do for combination skin?
Natural Moisturizing Factors help balance combination skin by holding onto water and keeping the skin barrier strong, which keeps dry areas soft without making oily zones greasy. A product of this type for combination skin needs a lightweight blend of these moisture-holding elements along with skin-repairing lipids to hydrate without feeling heavy.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2024Dermatologic Therapy, 2004
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This moisturizer goes near the end of your routine, right before sunscreen in the morning and as a final step in the evening. Using a daily moisturizer helps keep your skin soft and supports your skin barrier.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol, applying it after your retinol treatment to help keep your skin calm and hydrated. Combination skin works best with products that also help control oily shine and balance moisture.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizer twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular daily application helps keep your skin hydrated and supports the skin barrier.
Health Science Reports, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for combination skin, as it has a safe formula with no harsh or irritating ingredients. However, combination skin with oily areas needs a moisturizer that also targets excess shine and oil control.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this moisturizer around the eyes and on the body because it has a gentle formula with no harsh ingredients. However, to best care for very thin skin like the eyelids, this type of product needs extra ingredients that specifically target fine lines and improve dark circles.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Skin care regimens containing beta-glucan improved hemoglobin index, skin hydration, and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in 20 patients undergoing fractional laser therapy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Optimized transfersomes loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate and hyaluronic acid increased cell viability while reducing lipid peroxidation, intracellular ROS, and MMP expression in HaCaT cells, and exhibited higher skin permeation and deposition compared to plain EGCG.
Drug Delivery, 2017A 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 hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Treatment with topical formulations containing beta-glucan combined with nanofractional radiofrequency plus magnetic nanofractional radiofrequency showed the best efficacy and was tolerable and effective in Chinese women with abdominal stretch marks compared to control groups.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2023Topical beta-glucan mildly improved striae gravidarum, 1565-nm non-ablative fractional laser showed better results than topical beta-glucan, and the combined strategy further improved striae gravidarum atrophy compared to single treatment.
The Journal of Dermatology, 2022Topical application of oat beta-glucan ameliorates epidermal hyperplasia and accelerates epidermal barrier recovery by promoting keratinocyte differentiation through dectin-1-mediated ERK and p38 signaling pathways that upregulate CaSR expression.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021The 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, 2012Topical 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 gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018
Ingredients
Water, Ppg-24-Glycereth-24, Propanediol, Betaine, Beta-Glucan, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Proline, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Trehalose, Xylitol, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitylglucoside, Sodium Pca, Pca, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sphingolipids, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, P-Anisic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
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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