Avène Cicalfate Repair Cream for oily skin
Zinc Oxide
Glycerin
Beeswax
Copper Sulfate
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily skin; other moisturizers 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 suitability for your oily skin as zinc oxide and copper sulfate provide antimicrobial and seboregulation properties, while glycerin offers hydration. These ingredients support your oily shine concerns by providing general skincare benefits and soothing effects, but do not specifically target oil control.
- The formulation includes ingredients like zinc oxide and copper sulfate that are beneficial for skin repair and moisturizing, contributing to overall skin health.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.
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
★4.4Overall rating based on 17.0k+ reviewsUsers frequently report that the product separates into oil and water, and some find its texture too heavy or greasy for acne-prone skin.
Highlights
Restores skin barrier Mostly Mentioned
- “Saved my barrier”
- “holy grail for repair”
- “fixed damaged skin”
Product separation Mostly Mentioned
- “Watery liquid comes out”
- “oil and water separated”
- “blue liquid mess”
- “hard to mix back”
Rich and protective Often Mentioned
- “Thick occlusive layer”
- “locks in moisture”
- “great night mask”
- “protective seal”
Soothing and calming Often Mentioned
- “Calms redness instantly”
- “soothes irritation”
- “stops burning sensation”
- “relieves itchiness”
Gentle formula Sometimes Noted
- “Fragrance-free”
- “safe for babies”
- “no stinging”
- “great for sensitive skin”
Versatile healing Sometimes Noted
- “Great for burns”
- “heals diaper rash”
- “post-procedure recovery”
- “good for cuts/scrapes”
Greasy texture Sometimes Noted
- “Too thick”
- “leaves greasy film”
- “shiny face”
- “heavy on skin”
Acne breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Clogged my pores”
- “caused closed comedones”
- “triggered acne”
- “too rich for oily skin”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Tube splits open”
- “hard to squeeze”
- “metal tube cracks”
- “messy cap”
White cast Rarely Noted
- “Leaves white residue”
- “ghostly cast”
- “takes time to rub in”
- “visible on darker skin”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, aveneusa.com, dermstore.com, walmart.com, lovelyskin.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Avène Cicalfate work for oily skin?
Avène Cicalfate Repair Cream works moderately well for oily skin, offering soothing hydration with very low risks of irritation, though it does not specifically control oil. To fit oily skin better, this type of product needs a lightweight texture containing peptides, light hydrators, and ingredients that support the skin barrier without heavy oils or pore-clogging ingredients.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Zinc oxide, copper sulfate, and glycerin make this cream a moderate fit for your oily skin by helping to soothe, calm, and hydrate without irritation. However, because this product does not specifically control oil, a moisturizing treatment for oily skin needs peptides, lightweight hydrating agents, and ingredients that support the skin barrier without heavy oils.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Biomedicines, 2025
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.
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
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cream goes in the evening routine as a moisturizing treatment, applied after cleansing and before your final moisturizer. It is unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin due to its soothing ingredients, though a product of this type for your skin needs specialized oil-control ingredients to properly target excess shine.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the cream after your retinol to help soothe your skin and keep it comfortable. This type of product needs ingredients like ceramides and lightweight hydrators to better balance oil and protect oily skin.
How often should I use it?
You can use this moisturizing treatment in your evening routine and weekly routine. It is unlikely to irritate your oily skin because it contains soothing components and lacks harsh ingredients.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause breakouts on oily skin, as it has an excellent safety profile with soothing components and low complaints of acne. However, because it contains heavier ingredients like beeswax and mineral oil, an oily skin type needs lightweight or gel-based formulas with oil-controlling ingredients to properly balance shine and prevent clogged pores.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this moisturizing treatment on the body and around the eyes because its formula is very gentle and well-tolerated. It helps keep these areas calm and comfortable without causing irritation.
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, 2017Topical 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, 2025Topical 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, 2023Nels 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 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, 2018A single application of a topical formulation containing copper sulfate pentahydrate and Hypericum perforatum effectively managed HSV-1 and HSV-2 lesions with lower odds of burning, stinging, acute pain, erythema, and vesiculation compared to topical 5% Acyclovir cream in adult patients.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
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, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, 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, Copper Sulfate, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystalline Wax, 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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