Pond's Dry Skin Cream for oily acne-prone skin
Glycerin
Mineral Oil
Dimethicone
Isopropyl Palmitate
Stearic Acid
Low
- LowOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for oily acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 moisturizing for your oily skin due to glycerin and mineral oil, which hydrate and enhance barrier resilience, but these ingredients can also contribute to a greasy feel and potentially clog pores, offering limited benefits for oil control.
- While the formula is generally safe for your oily skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing glycerin, its primary benefits are supportive rather than directly addressing your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.9k+ reviewsThis moisturizer is widely celebrated for providing deep, long-lasting hydration to very dry and sensitive skin, often resolving flaky patches and winter dryness where expensive brands fail. While many users with dry skin swear by its rich, occlusive formula as a night cream or makeup base, those with oily or acne-prone skin often find it too heavy and greasy. The summary is based on a very large amount of data and should definitely be taken into account.
Highlights
Deeply moisturizing Mostly Mentioned
- “Moisture lasts all day”
- “Saved my winter skin”
- “Gone are dehydration lines”
Unbeatable value Often Mentioned
- “Best bang for your buck”
- “Lasts for months”
Excellent makeup base Sometimes Noted
- “Foundation looks natural”
- “Perfect primer”
- “Gives a dewy glow”
Soothing legacy Sometimes Noted
- “My grandma used this”
- “Smells like comfort”
Greasy texture Sometimes Noted
- “Too greasy for day”
- “Left an oil slick”
- “Felt heavy on face”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “Smell is too strong”
- “Gave me a headache”
- “Wished it was unscented”
Clogs pores Rarely Noted
- “Broke me out”
- “Caused cystic acne”
- “Too thick for pores”
Mineral oil content Rarely Noted
- “Don't like mineral oil”
- “Ingredients aren't great”
- “Prefer natural oils”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, influenster.com, target.com, byrdie.com, walgreens.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is POND'S Dry Skin Cream a weak match for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is a weak match because its heavy ingredients can feel greasy and may clog pores, offering little help for oil control or breakouts. An oily acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer with lightweight hydrating agents, peptides, and no heavy oils to maintain a clear complexion without extra shine.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Mineral oil and isopropyl palmitate make this cream a weak match for your skin because they can leave a greasy feel and clog pores. Oily acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer with lightweight hydrating agents and no heavy oils to keep pores clear and control excess oil.
What does Glycerin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It draws moisture into the skin while supporting the skin barrier so it stays soft and balanced.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Mineral Oil do for oily acne-prone skin?
Mineral oil helps lock in moisture and calm dry or irritated skin with a very low chance of causing allergies or irritation. Because it sits on top of the skin rather than absorbing deep into pores, it is unlikely to clog them, though oily acne-prone skin generally needs lightweight, non-greasy ingredients that help balance oil production.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2019
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream goes in the morning and evening routine as the final moisturizing step after your cleanser and toner. Because it leaves a greasy feel and may clog pores on oily skin, this skin type needs a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer with pore-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide instead.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream after applying your retinol treatment to help soothe dryness, though it may feel greasy and is unlikely to help control breakouts. Oily acne-prone skin needs a lightweight moisturizer with oil-controlling and pore-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this cream daily, but it is a weak match for your oily acne-prone skin and may feel greasy or clog pores. Oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight, oil-free moisturizers with ingredients that help control oil and clear breakouts rather than heavy mineral oils.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to irritate your skin, but its heavy ingredients may feel greasy and potentially clog pores on oily acne-prone skin. It does not help directly with breakouts, so this skin type needs a lightweight moisturizer with oil-controlling ingredients and salicylic acid.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream on your body and around your eyes because the skin in these areas is often drier and benefits from rich moisturizers. While the formula is generally safe and unlikely to cause irritation, it may feel too heavy or greasy on the face if used for targeted facial care.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl 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, 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, 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, 2012Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007Sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment disrupts the ordered intercellular lipid lamellar structure in hairless mouse stratum corneum, and immersion in a ceramide 3, cholesterol, and stearic acid mixture successfully reorganizes this ordered lamellar structure.
Biophysical Chemistry, 2001
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Co-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, Mineral Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Disodium Edta, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
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
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