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Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream for oily acne-prone skin

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream

Average

  • AverageOily Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • ConcerningSafety

Works for oily acne-prone skin; other moisturizers 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 hydration for your oily skin due to sodium hyaluronate and glycerin, which hydrate and plump the skin, but it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
  • Dimethicone and rose oil provide emollient action and soothing benefits respectively, but the formula does not offer sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control on oily skin.

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

★4.7Overall rating based on 700+ reviews

Users with normal to dry skin frequently praise this cream for its lightweight, quick-absorbing formula that doubles as an excellent makeup base, leaving skin soft and prepped. A significant number of reviewers criticize the strong herbal fragrance, and some with very dry or sensitive skin report that it provides insufficient hydration or causes irritation.

Highlights

  • Excellent makeup base Mostly Mentioned
    • “doubles as primer”
    • “foundation glides on”
    • “smooth canvas”
    • “makeup sits beautifully”
  • Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly”
    • “non-greasy finish”
    • “rich yet light”
    • “doesn't feel heavy”
  • Strong fragrance Often Mentioned
    • “overpowering herbal scent”
    • “smells like coriander”
    • “lingers too long”
    • “too perfumed”
  • Good for dryness Sometimes Noted
    • “great for winter”
    • “hydrates dry patches”
    • “soothes tight skin”
    • “no dry flakes”
  • Softens & smooths Sometimes Noted
    • “skin feels velvety”
    • “leaves face soft”
    • “improves texture”
    • “plumps skin”
  • High price Sometimes Noted
    • “expensive for the size”
    • “pricey jar”
    • “not worth the cost”
    • “small amount”
  • Insufficient hydration Sometimes Noted
    • “not enough for very dry skin”
    • “sits on top”
    • “skin felt tight later”
    • “need to reapply”
  • Skin irritation Rarely Noted
    • “caused breakouts”
    • “tingling sensation”
    • “burned my eyes”
    • “redness appeared”

Sources: lovi.care, bobbibrowncosmetics.com, nordstrom.com, macys.com, boots.com, qvcuk.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream work for oily acne-prone skin?

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream works well enough for oily skin, but it lacks specialized ingredients to target acne and breakouts. A moisturizer for this skin type needs lightweight hydration, ingredients that help control oil, and blemish-fighting actives that keep pores clear without feeling heavy.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?

Sodium hyaluronate and glycerin make this cream a good fit for oily skin by providing moderate hydration, while dimethicone adds a smooth feel. Oily acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer of this type to include specialized ingredients that target blemishes, breakouts, and oil control.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?

Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022

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

Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This cream goes after your hydrating toner in the morning and after your treatment step at night. Because this product offers only an average fit for oily acne-prone skin, a moisturizer for this skin type needs specialized ingredients to target blemishes and breakouts along with oil control benefits.

Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cream alongside retinol by applying the retinol first, letting it absorb, and then smoothing this moisturizer over it. Using a moisturizer with a retinoid helps keep your skin soft and smooth while reducing dryness and irritation. To truly fit oily acne-prone skin, this type of product also needs ingredients that control excess oil and target blemishes.

Cutis, 2006

How often should I use this cream?

You can use this moisturizer daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. Daily application helps keep your skin hydrated and smooth, though oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted ingredients for oil control and blemishes.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021

Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?

This cream works for your oily acne-prone skin, though other products fit it better, but it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target blemishes and breakouts. A product of this type needs acne-fighting ingredients and oil-control agents to properly care for this skin.

Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?

You can use this moisturizer around the eyes because that skin is very thin and benefits from gentle hydration, but using it on the body may require a richer formula depending on dryness.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol and myristyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, 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, 2017
  • Petrolatum-based skin protectants demonstrated protection against irritants and maceration while providing skin hydration, whereas dimethicone and zinc oxide products showed varying or limited performance across parameters among 18 healthy volunteers compared to positive and negative controls.

    Ostomy/wound Management, 2005
  • Topical 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, 2011
  • Topical 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, 2022
  • Treatment 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, 2019
  • The 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, 2020
  • Ten 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, 2001
  • Niacinamide/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
  • Treatment with lipid algae extract reduced the level of oxidized proteins in human keratinocytes and stratum corneum skin cells.

    Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004
  • Topical astaxanthin-loaded algae extract hydrogel and lipogel formulations exhibited the highest antioxidant activity and successful in vitro release, suggesting their potential as anti-aging formulations.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
  • Antarctic marine algae extracts increased cell viability, protected against inflammation, and enhanced the barrier integrity of human intestinal and keratinocyte cell lines damaged by lipopolysaccharide or ultraviolet radiation.

    Marine Drugs, 2022
  • Wearing 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, 2024
  • Treatment 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, 2007
  • Externally applied substances such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, licorice extracts, dimethicone, petrolatum, and paraffin wax treat skin disease resulting from damage to the skin barrier.

    Clinics in Dermatology, 2012

Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better

Ingredients

Water, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic Capric Myristic Stearic Triglyceride, Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil Kukui Seed Oil, Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Algae Extract, Cetyl Phosphate, Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether, Coriandrum Sativum Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Rosemary, Rosa Canina Oil Fruit Rose Oil Fruit, Elettaria Cardamomum, Lavandula Angustifolia Lavender, Jasmine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, Linoleic Acid, Trehalose, Glycerin, Caffeine, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Myristyl Laurate, Phytantriol, Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Sodium Acrylates Acrylonitrogens Copolymer, Phytosphingosine, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbitan Laurate, Myristyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Tocopherol, Glycine, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Hydroxyproline, Proline, Citric Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol

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.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.