Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream for oily skin
Avène Thermal Spring Water
Zinc Oxide
Glycerin
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Beeswax
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
- Suboptimal compatibility with oily skin due to occlusive ingredients like paraffinum liquidum and mineral oil, which can exacerbate oiliness and offer limited benefits for your main goal of reducing oily shine.
- Glycerin and zinc oxide provide moderate moisturizing and barrier repair, but these benefits are mostly supportive and not directly targeted at 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
★4.1Overall rating based on 15.7k+ reviewsIt is also praised for its versatility in healing various skin concerns and its rich, protective texture. However, a significant number of recent reviews mention issues with the product separating into oil and water, and some users with oily or acne-prone skin report clogged pores.
Highlights
Soothes irritation Mostly Mentioned
- “Calmed my angry red skin overnight”
- “The only thing that doesn't sting my sensitive face”
- “Took the heat out of my sunburn.”
Repairs skin barrier Often Mentioned
- “Healed my over-exfoliated skin in days”
- “Saved my barrier after a bad reaction”
- “Restored my skin texture completely”
- “Magic for dry, cracking patches.”
Rich texture Often Mentioned
- “Thick but absorbs well eventually”
- “Creates a perfect seal for the night”
- “Love using this for slugging in winter”
- “Feels like a protective blanket on my face.”
Product separation Often Mentioned
- “Tube squirted water everywhere”
- “Separates into oil and solid chunks”
- “Have to shake it violently every time”
- “A watery mess despite being new.”
Versatile healing Sometimes Noted
- “Used it on my stitches and they healed beautifully”
- “Great for my baby's diaper rash”
- “Healed my chemical peel peeling faster”
- “Put it on a kitchen burn and it didn't blister.”
Causes breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “Woke up with tiny whiteheads all over”
- “Too heavy, caused deep cystic acne”
- “Triggered a bad breakout on my chin”
- “Not safe for fungal acne.”
Leaves white cast Sometimes Noted
- “Leaves a ghost-like cast”
- “Takes forever to rub in”
- “Looked pale and chalky after applying”
- “Can't wear this during the day due to the white cast.”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Tube cracked on the side”
- “Impossible to get the last bit out”
- “Metal tube splits and leaks product”
- “Cap broke off easily.”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, aveneusa.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, ulta.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Avène Cicalfate+ Cream a weak match for oily skin?
This cream is a weak match for oily skin because it contains heavy oils that can make excess oiliness worse rather than helping with shiny skin. A product of this type needs lightweight textures, ingredients like peptides and hydrating agents that manage moisture without heavy oils, and components that support the skin barrier while keeping breakouts away.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for oily skin?
Mineral oil and paraffinum liquidum make this cream a poor fit for oily skin because their heavy, sealing feel can worsen oiliness and shine. Moisturizing treatments for oily skin need lightweight hydrating agents and peptides that keep skin balanced without heavy oils or clogged pores.
What does Avène Thermal Spring Water do for oily skin?
Avène Thermal Spring Water helps calm and soothe the skin while reducing redness and sensitivity. It has a very gentle profile that is unlikely to clog pores, making it comfortable for oily skin types.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020
What does Zinc Oxide do for oily skin?
Zinc oxide helps calm oily and breakout-prone skin by reducing redness and targeting bacteria that cause blemishes. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may help balance skin oil production.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cream is a weak match for oily skin because heavy ingredients like mineral oil can make oiliness worse and do little to reduce shiny skin. Oily skin needs lightweight hydrating fluids and balancing ingredients that control excess oil without blocking pores.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the retinol first and following with the cream to help keep skin calm. This type of skin needs lightweight, oil-free hydration and ingredients that balance oil production to avoid feeling greasy.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is a weak match for oily skin because heavy ingredients like mineral oil may make your skin feel more oily. To best care for oily skin, you need lightweight products with oil-absorbing or balancing ingredients that reduce shine without clogging pores.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
Yes, this cream is a weak match for oily skin because heavy ingredients like mineral oil may make oiliness worse and can clog pores. Oily skin needs lightweight, non-greasy hydrators and oil-controlling ingredients rather than heavy barrier creams.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is generally safe to use on the body and around the eyes, where skin is thin, but it is a weak match for oily skin because heavy ingredients like mineral oil may make shine worse. Oily skin needs lightweight, oil-free hydrators and ingredients that help balance excess oil without clogging pores.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2017Balneotherapy with thermal water altered specific skin microbiota at genus and species levels in healthy female volunteers compared to tap water, which produced no significant microbiome changes.
Life, 2023Malaysian thermal spring water as an adjunct to standard acne therapy improved skin hydration, reduced dryness and stinging, enhanced overall tolerability, and improved the acne disability index in patients with mild to moderate acne.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024A 2% Sphingomonas xenophaga ferment extract cream applied twice daily for 4 weeks significantly decreased facial vascular disorder scores compared to vehicle in 86 Caucasian female subjects, alongside dose-dependent inhibition of pre-kallikrein activity in vitro.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Topical 0.5% hyaluronic-ZnO nanogel applied twice daily reduced inflammatory-lesion counts by 58% at week four in human subjects compared to baseline without causing erythema.
Biomedicines, 2025Nels cream achieved a similar reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts compared to 5% benzoyl peroxide in acne vulgaris patients, but caused significantly fewer side-effects such as peeling and dryness.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2000Topically applied coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanoparticles under flexing and massage are retained in the stratum corneum with no significant penetration into the viable epidermis and no cellular toxicity in human skin.
Nanomedicine, 2016The 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, 2012Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023Topical application of a honey, olive oil, and beeswax mixture three times daily for up to 4 weeks resulted in clinical responses in 86% of patients with pityriasis versicolor, 78% with tinea cruris, and 75% with tinea corporis.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2004A prototype body cream containing bee venom, propolis, honey, beeswax, and royal jelly demonstrated stability for 90 days, high antioxidant capacity of 85.45%, lack of cytotoxicity with over 70% cell viability, and no irritation or allergic reaction in dermatological analysis, while improving skin parameters in a panel test.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022MUD1 protected human dermal fibroblasts against AAPH-induced oxidative stress by increasing cell viability, reducing oxidative damage, improving mitochondrial functionality, and enhancing wound healing capacities.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018
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
Avene Thermal Spring Water Avene Aqua Avene Aqua, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Paraffinum Liquidum Mineral Oil, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Oil, Zinc Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquiisostearate, Peg-22 Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer, Aluminum Stearate, Aquaphilus Dolomiae Ferment Filtrate, Arginine, Beeswax Cera Alba Cera, Copper Sulfate, Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Microcrystalline Wax Cera Microcristallina Wax Cera, Tromethamine, Zinc Sulfate
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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