e.l.f. Skin Holy Hydration! Face Cream for acne-prone skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Niacinamide
Peptides
Squalane
Glycerin
Average
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other moisturizers 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 hydration for your combination skin, with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate providing essential moisture and plumping effects, while niacinamide helps to regulate oil production. Trehalose further supports humectant action, contributing to overall skin comfort.
- The formulation is generally safe for your combination skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
- While beneficial for general hydration and suitable for your skin type, the product's focus on acne and blemishes is limited, offering only basic moisturizing benefits for these concerns.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help keep breakouts under control.
- Apply after your cleanser and toner, and make sure to use your SPF right after in the morning.
- Gently spread a small amount of moisturizer over your face using soft motions. Let it absorb into the skin for a minute before getting dressed or applying makeup.
- Apply on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. This keeps your combination skin balanced without feeling heavy.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Stop using if you feel any irritation.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsThis cream is highly praised for providing deep hydration without a heavy or greasy feel, making it ideal for combination and oily skin types. It is frequently noted for creating a smooth canvas for makeup. Some users with very dry skin found it insufficient, and a few experienced issues with the scent in the original formulation or eye irritation with the SPF version.
Highlights
Excellent makeup base Mostly Mentioned
- “Honestly the best face cream I have ever used under makeup!”
- “Smooths skin under makeup.”
- “Makeup just glides on.”
Deeply hydrating Often Mentioned
- “My skin looks and feels like velvet.”
- “Keeps my skin soft, hydrated, and protected throughout the day.”
- “Replenishes lost moisture for supple skin.”
Lightweight & non-greasy Often Mentioned
- “Sinks in quickly to leave smooth, soft skin.”
- “Texture feels lightweight yet deeply moisturizing.”
- “Non-greasy formula sinks into skin.”
Gentle & non-irritating Sometimes Noted
- “Great everyday moisturizer for sensitive skin.”
- “Hypoallergenic and free of fragrance.”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “Burn my eyes when I rub my skin near my eye.”
- “Causes eyes to burn like some SPFs do.”
- “Stinging sensation around the eye area.”
Jar packaging Rarely Noted
- “Wish the packaging was in a tube instead of a jar.”
- “I wish this product came with a lil spatula.”
- “Prefer tubes/pump bottles.”
Not rich enough Rarely Noted
- “Didn't feel like it gave me as much hydrating omph.”
- “Might be better for summer than winter.”
- “Not moisturizing enough for very dry skin.”
Scent issues Rarely Noted
- “Smells terrible like the oil in it is rancid.”
- “Scent is very subtle... but my skin can be sensitive.”
- “Wish I would have returned it sooner [due to smell].”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, target.com, walmart.com, byrdie.com, skinsafe-products.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Face Cream work for acne-prone skin?
This cream works for your acne-prone skin, though other products fit it better because its focus on blemishes is limited to basic moisturizing benefits. To work best for this skin, a product needs effective ingredients for breakouts, a low risk of irritation, and a formula that supports hydration and skin repair.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, and niacinamide help make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin by providing essential moisture and helping regulate oil production. Acne-prone skin needs a product that specifically targets breakouts with specialized ingredients while keeping the skin calm, clear, and hydrated without feeling heavy.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Scientific Reports, 2024
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps acne-prone skin by soothing irritation, calming redness, and keeping the skin balanced without clogging pores. When combined with targeted ingredients like zinc oxide, it may also help reduce breakouts.
What does Niacinamide do for acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide helps acne-prone skin by reducing both inflamed and uninflamed breakouts and calming redness. It is also very helpful for keeping oily skin balanced by cutting down on excess oil production, and it is well tolerated by most people.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer goes as the last daytime step before your sunscreen and follows your treatment step at night. For acne-prone skin, this type of product needs ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid to help regulate oil and target blemishes more effectively.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying it after your retinol treatment to help keep your skin calm and moisturized. Using a gentle moisturizer alongside retinol is unlikely to cause irritation and may help your skin tolerate the treatment better.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Daily application helps keep skin soft and supported, though acne-prone skin needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing actives for better results.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream works for acne-prone skin, though other products fit it better because its focus on blemishes is limited to basic moisturizing benefits. To truly care for breakouts, acne-prone skin needs targeted ingredients that actively clear pores and calm inflammation.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is safe to use on the body and around the eyes, though the skin in those areas may need extra care since eyelid skin is very thin. To properly care for acne-prone skin on the body and face, a moisturizing treatment needs ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to effectively clear blemishes and smooth rough patches.
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
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, 2017Treatment with a combination of niacinamide and hyaluronic acid improved skin aging signs and demonstrated a senomorphic effect by decreasing SASP and autocrine signaling genes in women.
Scientific Reports, 2024Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025The 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, 2012
Why other moisturizers fit acne-prone skin better
Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023A facial serum containing snail secretion filtrate, Calendula officinalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract significantly reduced inflammatory acne lesions compared to placebo in 66 participants with mild-to-moderate maskne over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Isohexadecane, Stearyl Heptanoate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Olivate, Trehalose, Squalane, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Aluminum Octenylsuccinate Starch, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Panthenol Vb5, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Polyethylene, Disodium Edta, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer
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
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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