Pond's Dry Skin Cream for oily skin
Glycerin
Mineral Oil
Dimethicone
Isopropyl Palmitate
Stearic Acid
Low
- LowOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for oily skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it 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
- Offers moderate moisturizing for your oily skin, as glycerin and mineral oil hydrate and enhance barrier resilience, but these ingredients may contribute to a greasy feel and potentially clog pores, offering limited benefits for your oily shine.
- While the formula provides general skincare benefits, its primary moisturizing ingredients are not ideal for managing excess oil.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
- Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
- Avoid the eye area and do a quick 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 skin?
This moisturizer is a weak match for oily skin because its ingredients may feel greasy and potentially clog pores while offering limited benefits for oily shine. A moisturizer for oily skin needs peptides and lightweight hydrating agents that maintain a light feel, avoid heavy oils, and support the skin barrier without causing extra oiliness or breakouts.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for oily skin?
Mineral oil and isopropyl palmitate make this cream a poor fit because they may feel greasy and clog pores on oily skin. Oily skin needs lightweight moisturizers with peptides and soothing hydrating agents that manage shine without heavy oils.
What does Glycerin do for oily skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
What does Mineral Oil do for oily skin?
Mineral oil helps trap moisture in dry skin, but it is unlikely to be a good fit for oily skin because it can feel too heavy. Oily skin needs lightweight, oil-free hydrators and ingredients that help balance shine.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cream is a poor fit for oily skin because its heavy ingredients may leave a greasy feel and clog pores. Oily skin needs lightweight, oil-balancing moisturizers with humectants and gentle hydrators that manage excess shine without heavy oils.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the retinol first, letting it absorb, and then following with the cream to help lock in moisture and calm dryness. This routine may help keep your skin comfortable while using strong treatments, though oily skin generally needs a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer that balances shine without clogging pores.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is a weak match for your oily skin because its heavier ingredients may leave a greasy feel and potentially clog pores. Oily skin needs lightweight, oil-free hydrators with ingredients like niacinamide or hyaluronic acid that balance shine without heaviness.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream may feel greasy and potentially clog pores on oily skin because its rich ingredients are not ideal for managing excess oil. Oily skin needs lightweight, oil-free hydrators and ingredients that balance shine without heavy oils.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is suitable for use on the body and the thin skin around the eyes, where hydration is beneficial. However, because it contains heavy ingredients, it is unlikely to cause issues in these areas as long as you tolerate richer formulas.
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 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, 2024
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
How does it fit your skin?
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