Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream for oily skin
White Petrolatum
Sorbitol Solution
Cetearyl Alcohol
Ceteareth-20
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, as white petrolatum and sorbitol solution hydrate and enhance barrier resilience without causing irritation.
- While it provides general skincare benefits, the formula lacks specialized ingredients for oil control, which is your main goal for oily shine.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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
★4.7Overall rating based on 3.0k+ reviewsA moderate number of users find the texture too heavy or greasy for facial use, especially in warm weather. Some users also reported issues with the pump mechanism, while a smaller number experienced breakouts or pilling.
Highlights
Sensitive skin safe Mostly Mentioned
- “No burning or stinging”
- “zero fragrance”
- “dermatologist recommended”
Deeply hydrating Often Mentioned
- “Saved my dry skin”
- “moisture lasts all day”
- “healed cracked hands”
- “great winter moisturizer”
Great value Sometimes Noted
- “Huge tub lasts forever”
- “bang for your buck”
- “inexpensive but effective”
- “little goes a long way”
Versatile use Sometimes Noted
- “Good for face and body”
- “safe for whole family”
- “mixes well with serums”
- “great makeup base”
Heavy or greasy Sometimes Noted
- “Feels sticky”
- “takes forever to absorb”
- “leaves a shiny film”
- “too thick for day”
Pump issues Sometimes Noted
- “Pump stopped working”
- “hard to get product out”
- “straw too short”
- “pump broke immediately”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Gave me whiteheads”
- “clogged my pores”
- “too heavy for acne-prone skin”
- “caused cystic acne”
Pilling issues Rarely Noted
- “Pills under sunscreen”
- “doesn't layer well”
- “rolls off skin”
- “clumps with makeup”
Unpleasant application Rarely Noted
- “Hard to rub in”
- “drags on skin”
- “feels like glue”
- “sweaty feeling in heat”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, target.com, walmart.com, ulta.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream work for oily skin?
Vanicream Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream works moderately well for oily skin, as white petrolatum and sorbitol solution hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier without causing irritation. However, it lacks specialized ingredients for oil control, which is your main goal for oily shine. Oily skin needs lightweight moisturizers with peptides, soothing extracts, and ingredients that support the skin barrier without heavy oils or excess grease.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
White petrolatum and sorbitol solution make this cream a moderate fit for your oily skin by hydrating and supporting your skin barrier without causing irritation. However, because it lacks specialized oil control ingredients, a moisturizer for oily skin needs peptides, soothing extracts, and lightweight hydrating agents that manage shine and improve texture without clogging pores or adding excess oiliness.
What does Water do for oily skin?
Water helps keep oily skin hydrated without adding grease or clogging pores. Keeping oily skin properly hydrated may also help balance oil production and reduce unwanted shine.
What does White Petrolatum do for oily skin?
White Petrolatum may feel too heavy and trap excess oil on oily skin, as it creates a thick seal to lock in moisture. Oily skin needs lightweight, non-greasy hydrators and ingredients that help balance oil without clogging pores.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This moisturizer goes near the end of your morning and evening skincare routines, right before sunscreen in the morning and after treatments at night. Oily skin also needs a moisturizer with specialized oil-control ingredients to manage shine.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying your retinol treatment first and following with the moisturizer. This order helps keep your skin soft and lowers the chance of dryness or irritation while you use retinol.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing cream daily as part of your morning and evening routine, because white petrolatum and sorbitol solution help hydrate and protect your skin. This product is very safe and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause irritation for your oily skin, though some reviewers do mention that it can feel heavy or greasy. To truly manage oily shine and keep pores clear, an oily skin type needs lightweight or oil-controlling ingredients.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream safely on your body and around your eyes, as it is very gentle on the skin. White petrolatum and sorbitol solution help keep the skin moisturized and comfortable without causing irritation.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Exogenous sorbitol protected epidermal keratinocytes from osmotic toxicity in vitro and significantly improved skin barrier repair and moisturization in individuals in arid environments.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2013The 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, 2020Topical treatment with skin-identical lipids in a petrolatum-rich cream base showed no superiority over pure petrolatum in promoting normalization of barrier recovery and inflammation in detergent- and tape-stripped-perturbed human skin over 14 days.
Acta Dermato-venereologica, 2000Topically applied extra virgin olive oil and petrolatum both significantly improved skin barrier function and microtopographic features in 54 healthy adult volunteers, with petrolatum exerting stronger occlusive effects and extra virgin olive oil uniquely promoting epidermal renewal.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025Barley beta-glucan films formulated with sorbitol and acacia gum demonstrated suitable mechanical properties and stimulated in vitro keratinocytes growth.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2023The non-ionic detergent Cetomacrogol 1000 B.P.C. reduced cleansing time, improved skin condition, enhanced odour control, and increased detergent ability compared to toilet soap and other creams in incontinent patients.
Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1978
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, White Petrolatum, Sorbitol Solution, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Ceteareth-20, Simethicone, Glyceryl Monostearate, Polyethylene Glycol Monostearate, Sorbic Acid, Bht
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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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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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