Bayer Skinoren Cream 20% for oily skin
Azelaic Acid
Benzoic Acid
Glycerin
Cetearyl Alcohol
Glyceryl Stearate
High
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily skin; a few serums fit it even 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
- Highly suitable for your oily skin due to the presence of azelaic acid, which offers excellent treatment for acne-prone skin by reducing lesions and blemishes while managing oil production.
- The formulation also provides moderate benefits for oily shine, further complementing your skin type.
- 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
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
People Say
★4.0Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsA significant number of reviewers note that patience is required due to a slow initial working period and common side effects like intense itching and dryness upon application.
Highlights
Clears active acne Mostly Mentioned
- “Cleared cystic acne”
- “Stopped new breakouts”
- “Pimples disappear in days”
- “Heals spots faster”
Itching and stinging Mostly Mentioned
- “Pins and needles”
- “Burned like fire”
- “Itches every time”
- “Stings for 15 mins”
Fades dark spots Often Mentioned
- “Faded red marks”
- “Lightened acne scars”
- “Removed hyperpigmentation”
- “Evened skin tone”
Drying and flaking Often Mentioned
- “Skin became flaky”
- “Dried out lips”
- “Tight chalky feeling”
- “Caused peeling”
Reduces redness Sometimes Noted
- “Less pink skin”
- “Inflammation went down”
- “Soothed angry spots”
Smooths skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “Skin feels smoother”
- “Reduced oiliness”
- “Unclogged pores”
- “Mattifies the skin”
Initial purging phase Sometimes Noted
- “Worse before better”
- “Broke out initially”
- “More whiteheads appeared”
- “Caused a purge”
Slow onset Sometimes Noted
- “Took 4-8 weeks”
- “Results are slow”
- “Requires patience”
- “Months to see difference”
Sources: lovi.care, acne.org, gopicky.com, skinsort.com, reddit.com, superdrug.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Skinoren Cream 20% a great fit for oily skin?
Skinoren Cream 20% is a great fit for your oily skin because azelaic acid helps clear acne lesions and blemishes while managing oil production. The formula also helps control oily shine and has an excellent safety profile without harsh ingredients that might irritate your skin.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Bayer Skinoren Cream 20% is a great fit for oily skin mainly because of azelaic acid, which helps clear up blemishes and manage oil production. It also includes glycerin to keep your skin balanced without feeling heavy.
What does Azelaic Acid do for oily skin?
Azelaic acid helps calm acne and clear out pores without changing how much oil your skin makes. It targets multiple causes of breakouts and helps fade dark spots left behind by pimples.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Acta Dermato-venereologica. Supplementum, 1989
What does Benzoic Acid do for oily skin?
Benzoic acid helps manage oily skin by fighting bacteria and clearing skin issues, though it is important to patch test since it may cause irritation. For oily skin to stay balanced and clear, this type of product needs oil-controlling ingredients and gentle cleansers that do not clog pores.
Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 2025Materials Science & Engineering. C, Materials for Biological Applications, 2020
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing toners and before your moisturizer. Applying treatments at night helps manage oil production and reduces blemishes while providing extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying them on alternate nights or separating them into your morning and evening routines to avoid irritation. Since both ingredients help clear blemishes, alternating them is unlikely to cause redness or discomfort while keeping your skin calm.
How often should I use this cream?
Use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. It is a great fit for your oily skin and helps manage oil production and blemishes while keeping irritation unlikely.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
Yes, this cream may cause an initial purging phase as it treats acne-prone skin by reducing lesions and blemishes. Reviewers also frequently complain about drying, flaking, itching, and stinging.
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
Azelaic acid nanocrystal hydrogel 10% achieved a higher success rate and greater lesion reduction than azelaic acid cream 20% in patients with mild to moderate facial acne.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Application of 15% azelaic acid gel significantly reduced post-inflammatory erythema and hyperpigmentation, decreased hemoglobin and melanin content, improved quality of life, and contributed to acne improvement in patients with mild to moderate acne compared to placebo.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2024Topical application of a dermocosmetic containing Myrtus communis extract and azelaic acid reduced acne relapses and helped maintain remission compared to a light moisturizing cream in adult females in the acne maintenance phase over 16 weeks.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2023Topical administration of 20% azelaic acid cream and 5% tranexamic acid solution comparably improved acne-related postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in patients with acne vulgaris, while tranexamic acid demonstrated a significantly better safety profile at week 4.
Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2023Azelaic acid 15% gel showed comparable efficacy to adapalene 0.1% gel in reducing lesions, severity, and Dermatology Life Quality Index in women with adult acne, with significantly lower dryness and scaling, and demonstrated superiority during maintenance compared to no further treatment.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2015Trioxsalen bath PUVA therapy suppressed nonimmunologic immediate contact reactions to benzoic acid and methyl nicotinate in 12 dermatologic patients, with the suppressive effect intensifying during therapy.
International Journal of Dermatology, 1989A 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, 2017The 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, 2001
Ingredients
Azelaic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cocoglycerides, Benzoic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Malate, Cetearyl Nonanoate, Cetearyl Octanoate, Stearoyl Macrogolglycerides, Peg-30 Stearate
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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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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