Bioderma Sébium Mat Control for dry skin

Fluidactiv Patent
Salicylic Acid
Zinc Gluconate
Glycerin
Mannitol
Caution
- LowDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A poor match for dry skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 exfoliation for your dry or flaky skin due to salicylic acid, but ingredients like methyl methacrylate crosspolymer and cyclopentasiloxane can be drying, making it moderately unsuitable for your dry skin type.
- While zinc gluconate and fomes officinalis extract provide excellent mattifying and pore-refining effects, their benefits are limited by the potential for dryness.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and work your way up to daily use.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner and before your sunscreen in the morning. At night, use it as the final step after your serum.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra hydration. This is great for soothing dry and flaky areas .
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use .
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers with oily and combination skin widely praise this product for its dual ability to hydrate while effectively controlling shine, often describing it as an excellent primer that leaves a velvety finish. Those with drier skin zones or dehydration issues occasionally find it lacking in moisture, and some users report that the matte effect may not last a full day in very humid conditions.
Highlights
Lightweight texture Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs instantly”
- “non-greasy feel”
- “silky and smooth”
Effective oil control Often Mentioned
- “no more shiny forehead”
- “keeps face shine-free”
- “matte look for hours”
Excellent makeup base Often Mentioned
- “makeup goes on smoothly”
- “acts like a primer”
- “foundation sits better”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “fresh cucumber smell”
- “light and not overpowering”
- “clean fragrance”
Refines pores Sometimes Noted
- “tightens pores”
- “skin texture looks smoother”
- “blurs irregularities”
Insufficient hydration Sometimes Noted
- “cheeks felt dry”
- “not moisturizing enough for winter”
- “skin felt tight”
Price vs. quantity Sometimes Noted
- “tube is too small”
- “expensive for 30ml”
- “finished too quickly”
Potential breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused small bumps”
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “didn't suit sensitive skin”
Short duration Rarely Noted
- “oily again by midday”
- “shine returned after few hours”
- “didn't last in heat”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “pills under makeup”
- “product separated in tube”
- “turned watery over time”
Sources: lovi.care, bioderma.com, beautycrew.com.au, ozhairandbeauty.com, londondrugs.com, boots.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with Bioderma Sébium Mat Control for dry skin?
This product may dry out your skin because it contains ingredients like methyl methacrylate crosspolymer and cyclopentasiloxane. While salicylic acid offers some exfoliation, a product for dry skin needs rich nourishing ingredients and moisture-retaining agents like hyaluronic acid and glycerin for optimal hydration and skin barrier support.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for dry skin?
Methyl methacrylate crosspolymer and cyclopentasiloxane may dry out your skin, making this cream a poor fit for your dry skin type. A product for dry skin needs highly effective, soothing ingredients that provide significant hydration and nourishment, along with rich moisture-retaining ingredients and barrier support.
What does Fluidactiv Patent do for dry skin?
Fluidactiv Patent is not a good fit for dry skin because it is designed to manage sebum quality for oily skin. Dry skin needs rich moisturizing ingredients like ceramides, fatty acids, and nourishing oils to soothe tightness and keep the skin soft and smooth.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2023Cells, 2025
What does Salicylic Acid do for dry skin?
Salicylic acid is generally not a good fit for dry skin, as it is meant to clear out pores and remove dead skin rather than hydrate. Because dry skin needs soothing and moisture rather than exfoliation, a product for dry skin needs nourishing ingredients like urea to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing, and dry skin needs a rich moisturizer with nourishing plant oils and ceramides to stay soft and comfortable.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
Using this cream with retinol is a poor match for dry skin because its drying ingredients may increase irritation. To use them, apply your retinol first and follow with a rich moisturizer that brings soothing hydration and barrier-repairing ingredients to keep your skin soft and comfortable.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is a poor match for your dry skin because it can cause extra dryness, so if you choose to use it, start just once a week in the evening and see how your skin feels. Dry skin needs a moisturizing treatment loaded with rich hydrators and barrier-repairing ingredients instead of mattifying agents.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts since it helps mattify and refine them, but it may cause extra dryness and flaking for dry skin. To avoid this, dry skin needs a richer moisturizing treatment with soothing ingredients and extra hydration rather than oil-absorbing powders.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You should use caution applying this to the thin skin around your eyes or on your body because drying ingredients may cause irritation. A product for these areas needs gentle, hydrating ingredients and rich moisturizers to keep your skin soft and smooth.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
What the research says
Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A dermocosmetic cream containing Punica granatum Pericarp extract, Salicylic acid, Niacinamide, Zinc gluconate, and Aqua Posae Filiformis significantly decreased inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesion counts in subjects with mild to moderate acne compared to untreated hemi-faces after 15 days.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Daily use of a deep cleansing gel containing salicylic acid 2%, zinc gluconate 0.2% and lipohydroxy acid 0.05% significantly reduced total lesion count by 56.3% after 84 days in 35 subjects with mild to moderate truncal acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Different strains of Propionibacterium acnes modulate cutaneous innate immunity with varying pro-inflammatory potentials, with P. acnes type III showing the highest and P. avidum the weakest, and zinc gluconate down-regulates the expression of most induced immune markers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2013A 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, 2001Combining ectoine and mannitol with UV filters significantly improved protection of squalene oxidation, catalase activity, and trans-UCA compared to UV filters alone in 10 subjects on irradiated areas.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical mannitol cream reduced self-reported pain scores compared to a control cream in 25 adults with capsaicin-induced lip pain.
PM & R, 2015A dermocosmetic containing bakuchiol, Ginkgo biloba extract, and mannitol improves inflammatory lesions, Investigator Global Assessment, and seborrhea intensity when added to adapalene 0.1% gel in patients with acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2015
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Hdi Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Vinyl Dimethicone Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Zinc Gluconate, Disodium Edta, Salicylic Acid, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Dodecyl Gallate, Pyridoxine Hcl, Fomes Officinalis Extract Mushroom Extract, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
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
-

Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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