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COSRX Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen SPF 50+ for oily skin

High

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for oily skin; a few sunscreens 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

  • This sunscreen offers excellent sun protection for your oily skin due to the inclusion of avobenzone, homosalate, octocrylene, and octisalate, which shield effectively from UV rays. Silica is also present to help control sebum, complementing your oily skin type.
  • While it provides general hydration and sun protection, the formula lacks specialized mattifying ingredients that could more directly address your oily shine concerns.
  • The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh or prohibited ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use this moisturizing sunscreen daily in your AM routine. Reapply every two hours when exposed to direct sun.
  • Apply this moisturizing sunscreen as the final step of your morning routine after your moisturizer.
  • Smooth an even layer of the moisturizing sunscreen over your face and neck, avoiding harsh rubbing.
  • Apply the moisturizing sunscreen onto clean, dry skin for the best protection and even coverage.
  • Avoid the immediate eye area and discontinue use if any irritation occurs.

People Say

★4.6Overall rating based on 800+ reviews

This chemical sunscreen is highly praised by users with dry to normal skin for its moisturizing properties and radiant finish, with a very high frequency of comments noting no white cast. Users with oily or acne-prone skin frequently report a greasy or heavy feel, and a high number of reviews mention a strong fragrance that can cause eye irritation.

Highlights

  • No White Cast Mostly Mentioned
    • “no white cast at all”
    • “no cast on my Latino skin”
    • “blends into nothing”
  • Dewy/Glowy Finish Often Mentioned
    • “nice healthy look”
    • “radiant glow”
    • “glass skin finish”
  • Highly Moisturizing Often Mentioned
    • “skip moisturizer underneath”
    • “leaves face moisturized”
    • “hydrating and nourishing”
  • Greasy/Oily Finish Often Mentioned
    • “looking like a grease ball”
    • “too shiny/oily on my face”
    • “thick and oily”
  • Strong Fragrance Often Mentioned
    • “smells like men's deodorant”
    • “strong woodsy fragrance”
    • “scent is crazy strong”
  • Good Makeup Base Sometimes Noted
    • “layers seamlessly under makeup”
    • “works well under foundation”
    • “doesn't pill”
  • Stings Eyes Sometimes Noted
    • “stings my eyes so bad”
    • “burning sensation”
    • “eyes almost teary”
  • Thick Texture Sometimes Noted
    • “thick in consistency”
    • “feels heavy”
    • “takes time to absorb”

Sources: lovi.care, cosrx.com, ulta.com, yesstyle.com, sokoglam.com, stylevana.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes COSRX Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen a great fit for oily skin?

This sunscreen is a great fit for oily skin because it shields effectively from UV rays while silica helps control shine. It is also very safe for your skin, as it is unlikely to cause irritation.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023

Which ingredients make this sunscreen a good fit for oily skin?

Avobenzone, homosalate, octocrylene, and octisalate shield your skin from UV rays, while silica helps control extra oil. These ingredients have a safe profile with a low likelihood of causing irritation.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023

What does Vitamin E do for oily skin?

Vitamin E helps oily skin by fighting lipid damage and keeping your skin balanced when paired with the right ingredients. For the best results on oily skin, this type of product needs light, oil-reducing ingredients and antioxidants.

Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2003International Journal of Dermatology, 2017

What does Avobenzone do for oily skin?

Avobenzone protects outdoor skin from the sun, but for oily skin, it needs to be paired with lightweight hydrators and oil-controlling ingredients to keep skin clear and shine-free.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2014

Where does this sunscreen go in a skincare routine for oily skin?

This sunscreen goes as the last step of your morning skincare routine, right after your moisturizer. It is a great fit for your oily skin because it provides strong UV protection along with silica to help control shine, and it has a very low risk of irritation.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023

Can I use this sunscreen with retinol, and in what order?

Yes, you can use this sunscreen with your retinol routine, applying it as the final step in the morning after your moisturizer. It is unlikely to irritate your skin, providing safe sun protection while you use retinol.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025

How often should I use this sunscreen?

You can use this sunscreen every morning as the final step of your daytime routine. Chemical sunscreens like this are unlikely to cause irritation when applied daily.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025

Can this sunscreen clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?

This sunscreen is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as its UV filters and silica help protect and manage your skin without a high risk of irritation. Clinical reviews show that these organic sunscreen ingredients have safe profiles with minimal risk of causing skin reactions.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024

Is this sunscreen fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Behenyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.

What the research says

  • Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
  • Encapsulating avobenzone in low-porosity TiO2-embedded mesoporous silica (TiO2/SBA-S) reduced cutaneous avobenzone absorption from 0.76 to 0.50 nmol/mg while providing effective pollutant adsorbability, UVA protection, and a two- to three-fold reduction in photoaged skin cytokines/chemokines compared to the non-treatment control.

    European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023
  • The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.

    Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024
  • Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
  • Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.

    Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
  • Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
  • Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.

    Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011
  • Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.

    Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011
  • Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.

    Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008
  • Dermal application of a sunscreen containing 10% homosalate in four volunteers resulted in delayed elimination with terminal half-times around 24 h and a bioavailability of cis-homosalate a factor of 2 lower than trans-homosalate, while metabolite ratios supported using oral-route urinary excretion fractions for dermal exposure assessments.

    Archives of Toxicology, 2024
  • Homosalate exhibited the highest permeation among tested filters with a relative permeability rate of 4.2% and a depth of 60 um, and specific thickeners and emulsifiers successfully reduced its permeation without inhibiting the skin permeation of niacinamide.

    Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2026
  • An online-SPE-LC-MS/MS method successfully quantified specific urinary homosalate metabolites for up to 96 hours after dermal sunscreen application in a volunteer and detected metabolites exclusively in three German pilot participants who had used sunscreen within five days.

    Analytica Chimica Acta, 2021
  • Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.

    Antioxidants, 2025
  • Early application of sunscreen after ablative fractional skin resurfacing significantly increased the sensitization rate of the UV-filter, octocrylene, and the sunscreen compared to intact skin.

    The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2015
  • Dermal sunscreen exposure in 20 healthy volunteers led to plasma concentrations of avobenzone, octocrylene, and its metabolite CDAA reaching up to 11 μg/L, 25 μg/L, and 1352 μg/L, respectively.

    Environment International, 2019
  • Simulated real-life dermal sunscreen exposure in twenty human volunteers leads to the systemic bioavailability and urinary excretion of the UV filter 2-ethylhexyl salicylate and its metabolite, reaching concentration peaks at 7 to 8 hours with 70-80% of overall excretion within 24 hours.

    Archives of Toxicology, 2019
  • Controlled single dermal exposure to an EHS-containing sunscreen in three volunteers resulted in delayed systemic resorption with elimination half-lives between 6.6 and 9.7 hours, where the parent compound EHS occurred as the dominant urinary parameter.

    Archives of Toxicology, 2024
  • Dermal exposure to EHS-containing sunscreen leads to the urinary excretion of EHS as the main biomarker alongside major metabolites 5OH-EHS, 5cx-EPS, 4OH-EHS, and 5oxo-EHS, measured using an extended enzymatic hydrolysis and on-line SPE LC-MS/MS method.

    Talanta, 2024

Ingredients

Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Octisalate, Water, Propanediol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Vp Eicosene Copolymer, Silica, Trisiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, C14-22 Alcohols, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Parfum, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum Extract, Glucose, Tocopherol

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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