Kate Somerville +Retinol Vitamin C Moisturizer for oily skin
Retinol
Ascorbic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Tocopherol Vitamin E
PanthenolAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- Low RiskSafety
Works for oily skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
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 suitability for your oily skin as retinol and ascorbic acid provide antioxidant activity and support cell turnover, which can help with oily shine. Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate offer hydration, plumping the skin without adding excess oil.
- The formula provides moderate moisturizing benefits, helping to hydrate and plump your skin.
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 1.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this night cream is widely praised by users with mature, dull, or uneven skin for its ability to simultaneously brighten tone and smooth texture. Most users report waking up with a glow and softer skin. Users with sensitive skin types frequently caution that the potent combination of active ingredients can cause peeling or irritation.
Highlights
Improves texture/tone Mostly Mentioned
- “Skin looks and feels softer”
- “Brightens skin while you sleep”
- “Helps even out my skintone”
- “Diminished fine lines”
Lightweight consistency Often Mentioned
- “Perfect texture”
- “Not too oily or creamy”
- “Thick but absorbs well”
- “Silky feel”
Pleasant scent Often Mentioned
- “Smells like chocolate orange”
- “Light citrus scent”
- “Smells divine”
- “Fresh and rejuvenated smell”
Hygienic packaging Sometimes Noted
- “Dispenser is great”
- “Love the pump jar”
- “No waste dispensing”
- “Sanitary packaging”
Causes irritation Sometimes Noted
- “Left my skin peeling”
- “Caused burning sensation”
- “Not good for sensitive skin”
- “Redness and stinging”
Expensive product Sometimes Noted
- “On the pricier side”
- “Expensive for the amount”
- “Wait for a sale”
- “Costly investment”
Not moisturizing enough Rarely Noted
- “Not terribly moisturizing”
- “Need face oil afterwards”
- “Felt a bit dry”
- “Not rich enough for winter”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Pump stopped working”
- “Hard to get product out”
- “Defective dispenser”
- “Arrived broken”
Sources: lovi.care, katesomerville.com, sephora.co.uk, walmart.com, ulta.com, spacenk.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Kate Somerville Retinol Vitamin C Moisturizer work for oily skin?
This moisturizer works moderately well for oily skin, helping with oily shine and hydration without adding excess oil. To fit oily skin even better, a product of this type needs peptides and lightweight hydrating agents, without heavy oils, to support the skin barrier and prevent breakouts.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Retinol and ascorbic acid help manage oily shine, while glycerin and sodium hyaluronate hydrate the skin without adding extra oil. Oily skin works best with a product that uses peptides and lightweight hydrators, avoids heavy oils, and includes ingredients that support the skin barrier.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Retinol do for oily skin?
Retinol helps oily skin by keeping pores clear and balancing sebum production, which may reduce shine and breakouts. Because it can sometimes cause dryness or peeling in the beginning, starting slowly is recommended.
What does Vitamin C do for oily skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin tone and smooth texture while providing antioxidant protection that prevents sebum oxidation. For oily skin, this type of product typically needs to be paired with oil-controlling or pore-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid or plant extracts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cream goes in the evening routine as a treatment, followed by a moisturizer, or it can be used as a moisturizing treatment step. Oily skin often benefits from lightweight hydrators like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate along with oil-controlling ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C.
Can I use this cream with niacinamide, and in what order?
You can use this cream with niacinamide by applying niacinamide first and following with this moisturizer once it absorbs. This approach helps keep oily skin hydrated and balanced while using active ingredients.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream works well when used as an evening treatment, though oily skin often needs a lightweight hydrator and an oil-absorbing formula to better manage shine without heavy layers.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream may cause some initial purging or irritation because it contains retinol, which speeds up cell turnover. It is unlikely to cause heavy breakouts from extra oil, as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate hydrate without making skin greasy.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes, though the skin there is very thin compared to the rest of the body. The formula's hydrating ingredients may help smooth fine lines in that delicate area.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, linalool, and limonene). Cetearyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, arachidyl alcohol, and cetyl 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, 2017Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2018Topical 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, 2022Topical 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, 2019Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocoglycerides, Cetyl Esters, Parfum, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Tridecyl Neopentanoate, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Glycerin, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Retinol, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Physalis Angulata Extract, Volcanic Soil, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Amylopectin, Peg-40 Stearate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polysorbate 20, Ceteareth-20, Polysilicone-11, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Arachidyl Alcohol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Bha, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta, Cetyl Alcohol, Bht, Linalool, Limonene
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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