Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Soft Cream for acne-prone skin
Hyaluronic Acid
Squalane
Caffeine
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few moisturizers fit it even better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018
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 high suitability for your combination skin, as Glycerin and Hyaluronic Acid provide essential hydration without exacerbating oiliness, though it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target acne and breakouts.
- Adenosine and Tocopherol offer excellent moisturizing and anti-aging benefits, supporting overall skin health for your acne-prone skin.
- The formulation is safe for your acne-prone skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
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 2.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly regarded by users with oily and combination skin for its lightweight, hydrating formula that improves elasticity and smooths fine lines without feeling greasy. Users with dry skin conditions often find it lacks sufficient moisture for colder months, and a few users reported minor breakouts or an unpleasant scent.
Highlights
Lightweight gel texture Mostly Mentioned
- “The texture is like a cloud—so lightweight”
- “Feels like gel rather than cream.”
- “Much more lightweight and gel like than the original”
- “Lightweight, essence-like texture that it's perfect for summer”
Absorbs quickly Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs beautifully but does not completely disappear or feel greasy.”
- “Absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy or sticky residue”
- “Really absorbs into the skin rather than just sitting on top”
- “Quickly absorbs into a shine free finish.”
Plumps and hydrates Often Mentioned
- “Plumps and hydrate my skin as it absorbs over night.”
- “My skin feels bouncy”
- “Plumps up skin. Awesome all-rounder”
- “Highly moisturizing and hydrating, keeping the skin soft”
Smooths fine lines Sometimes Noted
- “Smoothens fine lines.”
- “Smoothed out my forehead lines after two weeks”
- “I do think it helped with the fine lines”
- “Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles”
Insufficient for dry skin Sometimes Noted
- “People with dry skin might find it too lightweight”
- “Not enough moisture for their needs.”
- “Next time I'll buy a product more suitable for dry skin!”
- “Gave it to my mom who has dry skin.”
May cause breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Started to notice some little pimples”
- “Got some small bumps on my forehead”
- “Not sure about potential blemishes”
Pilling or heavy Rarely Noted
- “Slight pilling effect and it feels a bit heavy”
- “Didn't love how much I felt it on my face”
- “Looks too shiny after application.”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “Has a scent which I really don't like”
- “Has a bit of an alcohol smell”
- “Faint chemical scent.”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, sephora.sg, bloomingdales.com, my-origines.com, hwahae.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Soft Cream a great fit for acne-prone skin?
This cream is a great fit because ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid give your skin essential hydration without adding excess oil. It also includes soothing components with no harsh ingredients, making it safe and unlikely to cause irritation for acne-prone skin.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and hyaluronic acid make this cream a great fit for acne-prone skin by providing essential hydration without making your face oily. Additionally, adenosine and tocopherol support overall skin health, while the formula remains safe and soothing without harsh irritants.
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 Squalane do for acne-prone skin?
Squalane may help keep acne-prone skin soft and smooth, but peroxidated forms can trigger inflammation in skin cells. For a better fit on acne-prone skin, products need non-clogging, soothing ingredients that balance oil without causing irritation.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes near the end of your morning and evening routines. It provides essential hydration without feeling heavy or oily, and its gentle ingredients are unlikely to cause irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol by applying the moisturizer first to help keep your skin comfortable and hydrated. This type of routine helps reduce dryness and irritation while supporting your skin barrier during active treatments.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this cream twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine to keep your skin hydrated. Regular daily application is unlikely to cause irritation and helps improve overall skin health.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is generally safe for your acne-prone skin and is unlikely to cause irritation, though there is a low risk it may cause breakouts. Hyaluronic acid and glycerin provide hydration without adding excess oil, but because it lacks specialized ingredients to target acne, you may want to pair it with targeted blemish treatments.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment is safe to use around the eyes, as its gentle formulation is well tolerated by delicate areas without causing irritation. The included hyaluronic acid and glycerin help keep thin skin hydrated and smooth.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). 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, 2017Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches showed similar or better efficacy on skin wrinkles, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration compared to adenosine cream in 22 female subjects.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Horse oil-spread and adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches significantly improved skin elasticity, hydration, dermal density, and wrinkles compared with adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches in 20 women without causing adverse events.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical application of a disodium adenosine monophosphate-based formulation reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation while improving hydration, barrier function, skin lifting, and epidermal turnover in female participants.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026Topical 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, 2019Squalane 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, 2025A topical cosmetic slimming product containing tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol significantly reduced body circumferences and improved skin aspect compared with placebo in 78 women over 12 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2011Topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine combined with UV filters increased in vivo anti-UVB protection by approximately 25% and showed higher SPF values compared to caffeine-free sunscreen, while being well tolerated by the skin of healthy subjects.
Frontiers in Physiology, 2019Caffeine gel combined with choline geranate showed high skin permeation capacity and superior clinical results in cellulite treatment compared to caffeine gel without ionic liquid.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Caffeine, Hyaluronic Acid, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, 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
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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