Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer for acne-prone skin
Total Soy Complex
Panthenol Vitamin B5
Glycerin
DimethiconeAverage
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- Low RiskSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other sunscreens fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 and sun protection for your combination skin due to glycerin and UV filters, but these benefits are not directly relevant to your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- While it provides general hydration and some oil control, the formula lacks sufficient ingredients to optimally address your specific concerns with acne and breakouts.
- The product is generally safe for combination skin, though the presence of alcohol and parabens may pose a slight risk of irritation.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen AM every morning as the final step of your daily routine.
- Layer the moisturizing sunscreen after your moisturizer has fully absorbed, right before heading out into the sun .
- Smooth a nickel-sized amount of the moisturizing sunscreen evenly over your face, avoiding harsh rubbing.
- Apply the moisturizing sunscreen onto clean, dry skin to ensure even coverage and protection.
- Perform a patch test before first use and avoid direct contact with the eyes.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 5.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly regarded for providing lightweight, non-greasy hydration that visibly evens skin tone and fades dark spots, particularly for those with normal to oily skin. Some users with sensitive or acne-prone skin have experienced irritation and breakouts, potentially due to the added fragrance and light-diffusing mica.
Highlights
Lightweight, non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “The texture is lightweight and absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue.”
- “My skin felt moisturized, without feeling greasy or oily.”
- “It's a very light formula and doesn't make my skin feel oily.”
- “Absorbs into the skin quickly without leaving behind a greasy or oily feeling.”
Evens skin tone Often Mentioned
- “It evens out my skin (which is often difficult because I am biracial with dark spots).”
- “All my spots softened, my skintone began to even out and I had an overall healthy glow.”
- “I did notice that my overall complexion looked very even and smooth.”
- “Helped improve the texture of the skin and... improve my uneven skin tone and dark spots.”
Includes SPF Often Mentioned
- “I found the SPF aspect did a great job protecting my skin from the sun.”
- “I also really like the fact that it has SPF and it provides some protection from UV rays.”
- “This cream also includes SPF so it provides protection against UV rays, which is great.”
- “Love that it has some spf as well.”
Causes breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “The fragrance in it causes me irritation and new breakouts.”
- “I think the 'light diffusers' clog my pores which leads to me breaking out.”
- “I notice bumps on my face in the next morning.”
- “I will say the non-comedogenic claim is untrue for me.”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “It smells fresh, like white flowers, but it's pretty strong.”
- “The smell is good, but not great... mixed in with the smell of sunscreen.”
- “The fragrance in it causes me irritation.”
- “At times, the scent reminded me a little of an older lady scent.”
Contains glitter Rarely Noted
- “Beware that the product does have small glitter in it that can be noticeable when looking closely!”
- “At first, I didn't even realize there were very fine glitters until I looked at my fingers.”
- “The multicoloured shimmers (pink, gold, silver) highlighted the dry lines on my fingers.”
- “The 'light diffusers' are simply small glitters in the moisturizer.”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, kroger.com, fredmeyer.com, aveeno.ca, chickadvisor.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer work for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer works reasonably well for acne-prone skin, though other products fit it better. It offers moderate hydration and sun protection, but lacks targeted ingredients to actively clear blemishes and breakouts. To truly suit this skin type, a product needs gentle hydrators and soothing ingredients that manage breakouts without adding extra oil.
Which ingredients make this moisturizer a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer provides moderate hydration and sun protection through glycerin and UV filters, though these ingredients do not directly target acne and breakouts. To better fit acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs ingredients that effectively address blemishes without adding excess oil, support the skin barrier, and avoid potential irritants like alcohol and parabens.
What does Soy do for acne-prone skin?
Soy is a natural ingredient that helps care for acne-prone skin by improving skin health and reducing irritation. It is often included in skincare routines to calm redness and support clear, smooth skin.
What does Panthenol do for acne-prone skin?
Panthenol helps soothe acne-prone skin while keeping it hydrated and supporting the skin barrier. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may reduce redness, making it a gentle option for skin that breaks out.
Where does this moisturizer go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer goes in the morning routine after a hydrating toner and before your sun protection. An acne-prone skin type needs a moisturizer with targeted ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to help clear breakouts and control oil.
Can I use this moisturizer with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer in the morning before sunscreen, or after your evening retinol treatment to help keep your skin comfortable and soft. While it provides basic hydration, acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer with soothing and clarifying ingredients to actively help clear breakouts.
How often should I use this moisturizer?
You can use this moisturizer daily in the morning as part of your routine. It provides general hydration and sun protection, though acne-prone skin needs lightweight hydration and targeted blemish-fighting ingredients to properly care for breakouts.
Can this moisturizer clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer may sometimes cause breakouts on acne-prone skin because it lacks specific ingredients to target blemishes and contains additives like parabens and alcohol that carry a slight risk of irritation. A product of this type needs targeted ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to properly keep pores clear and calm breakouts.
Is this moisturizer fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol) and drying alcohol (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, 2017Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate can be used safely in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and Benzyl Alcohol is safe up to 10% in hair dyes, despite causing nonimmunologic contact reactions.
International Journal of Toxicology, 2001ANT1 soybean extract cream ameliorated complications and enhanced skin recovery after Nd:YAG laser therapy in 45 Asian women, with higher concentrations significantly reducing wrinkles, spots, and pores compared to placebo.
Annals of Plastic Surgery, 2018Genistein and daidzein inhibited UVB-induced hydrogen peroxide production in keratinocytes acting as free radical scavengers with negligible skin disruption, whereas glycitein showed no protective activity.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2008A phytoestrogen-enriched cosmetic formulation containing biotransformed soybean extract increased collagen-I expression in fibroblast cells and skin explants in an estrogen receptor beta-dependent manner without harming skin microbiota.
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research = Revista Brasileira de Pesquisas Medicas E Biologicas, 2023Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000The 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, 2012Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007
Why other sunscreens fit acne-prone skin better
Biomimetic hyaluronic acid-stabilized zinc oxide nanoparticles selectively inhibited C. acnes, outperformed erythromycin in preclinical acne models, and safely reduced acne lesions and redness in a clinical trial.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2025Topical 0.5% hyaluronic-ZnO nanogel applied twice daily reduced inflammatory-lesion counts by 58% at week four in human subjects compared to baseline without causing erythema.
Biomedicines, 2025Malaysian thermal spring water as an adjunct to standard acne therapy improved skin hydration, reduced dryness and stinging, enhanced overall tolerability, and improved the acne disability index in patients with mild to moderate acne.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024
Ingredients
Octocrylene, Octisalate, Avobenzone, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Steareth-2, Glycerin, Steareth-21, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Panthenol Vitamin B5, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Lecithin, Soy Isoflavones, Polysorbate 80, Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium Edta, Benzalkonium Chloride, Bht, Triethanolamine
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.