CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion for oily acne-prone skin
3 Essential Ceramides
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Cholesterol
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
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 suitability for your oily skin as glycerin and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid provide excellent hydration and plumping effects without exacerbating oiliness.
- The inclusion of ceramides and glycerin supports your skin barrier and offers general hydration beneficial for acne and blemishes, though it lacks targeted ingredients for active acne treatment.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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 10.0k+ reviewsThis lotion is widely considered a holy grail staple for maintaining a healthy skin barrier, praised for its lightweight, non-greasy finish that works well for both face and body. While highly effective for most users with normal to dry skin, a minority of users with compromised barriers or specific sensitivities report burning sensations or breakouts. This summary is based on a very large amount of data and should definitely be taken into account.
Highlights
Lightweight, non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “Absorbs into skin without residue”
- “Skin drinks it up”
- “Perfect lightweight finish”
Effective hydration Often Mentioned
- “Keeps skin hydrated all day”
- “Resolved dryness from face washing”
- “Skin feels softer and healthier”
Gentle, fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “No weird sticky feeling”
Versatile, affordable Sometimes Noted
- “Great everyday moisturizer”
- “Bottle lasts a long time”
- “Perfect for face and body”
Insufficient hydration Sometimes Noted
- “Not moisturizing enough for winter”
- “Too light for dry skin”
- “Need the cream (tub) instead”
Burning sensation Rarely Noted
- “Face feels like it's on fire”
- “Burned my neck and prickly itchy”
- “Stings sensitive skin”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Gave me closed comedones”
- “Caused huge whiteheads”
- “Broke me out in random places”
Formula changes Rarely Noted
- “New formula smells different”
- “Texture felt too thick/thin”
- “Product consistency varies”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, amazon.com, ulta.com, target.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion work for oily acne-prone skin?
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin, as its glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide good hydration without adding excess oil, though it lacks targeted ingredients for active acne. This skin type needs a moisturizer that clears blemishes, controls oil, and uses lightweight, non-clogging ingredients to keep pores clear.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cream a good fit by providing hydration without adding extra oil, while ceramides support your skin barrier. Oily acne-prone skin typically needs lightweight hydration from ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, alongside barrier-supporting ceramides and an absence of heavy oils to keep pores clear.
What do Ceramides do for oily acne-prone skin?
For oily acne-prone skin, ceramides help repair the skin barrier and improve moisture to reduce redness and acne-related irritation. Because acne-prone skin often lacks these essential lipids, adding them back supports a stronger barrier and helps keep the skin calm and smooth.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
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
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning in the morning, and after your evening treatment or cleanser at night. It is unlikely to irritate oily skin, but this skin type also needs targeted acne-fighting ingredients for best results.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol by applying it before your retinol at night to help keep your skin calm and hydrated. This type of skin needs a moisturizer with ingredients like ceramides and glycerin to support the skin barrier, alongside targeted ingredients that treat active breakouts.
How often should I use it?
You can use this moisturizer twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Its hydrating ingredients provide moisture without feeling heavy, though oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted ingredients to treat active breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This lotion is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts on your oily skin as it has a very safe formula, though a few reviewers have reported occasional blemishes. An average fit for acne-prone skin like yours needs lightweight hydrators and barrier supporters along with targeted ingredients that directly treat active acne.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use it on your body and around your eyes. Glycerin and hyaluronic acid help provide hydration to these areas, while ceramides support the skin barrier safely.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl 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, 2017Profhilo gel combined with Dysport Botox significantly improved skin hydration, skin thickness, and GAIS scores compared to Dysport Botox injection alone in 19 participants seeking neck rejuvenation.
Dermatologic Therapy, 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, 2019The 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, 2012Wearing 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, 2007Botulinum toxin-A encapsulated in phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol nanoliposomes delivered transdermally achieved a diffusion depth of 380 μm and showed a nonsignificant advantage in relieving post-acne scarring compared to hyaluronic acid hydrogel treatment in 12 facial patients.
Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Medicine, 2024Topical application of cholesterol sulfate increases stratum corneum thickness and inhibits protease-induced cell dissociation by competitively inhibiting serine proteases in mice and human stratum corneum.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 1998Topical lovastatin treatment impairs the recovery of cutaneous permeability barrier function and stratum corneum cholesterol levels after acetone disruption in mice, an effect normalized by simultaneous treatment with mevalonate or cholesterol.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1990
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better
Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023A 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, 2024A facial serum containing snail secretion filtrate, Calendula officinalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract significantly reduced inflammatory acne lesions compared to placebo in 66 participants with mild-to-moderate maskne over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Ceteareth-20, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Methylparaben, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Disodium Edta, Dipotassium Phosphate, Propylparaben, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
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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