COSRX Centella Blemish Cream for oily skin

Centella Asiatica Extract
Zinc Oxide
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol
Oil Tree Leaf
High
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best serums for oily skin.
- The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020
- Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
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 treatment for your oily skin due to Centella Asiatica Extract and Zinc PCA, which help reduce acne lesions and blemishes, while also providing anti-inflammatory and seboregulation properties.
- The presence of Centella Asiatica Leaf Water and Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil offers general hydration and soothing benefits, though these are less relevant for managing oily shine.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing Centella Asiatica Leaf Water.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 4.7k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this thick spot-treatment cream is highly effective for acne-prone users, rapidly calming inflammation, flattening whiteheads, and reducing redness. It is also frequently noted as gentle and suitable for sensitive skin. A significant drawback is that it often leaves a noticeable white cast and can be drying if applied to larger areas.
Highlights
Calms redness Mostly Mentioned
- “Redness vanished overnight”
- “Soothed angry cystic acne”
- “Inflammation went down significantly”
Leaves white cast Mostly Mentioned
- “Looks like white paste”
- “Visible white patch”
- “Can't wear during day”
Gentle on sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “No irritation at all”
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “Doesn't sting open spots”
Heals acne quickly Often Mentioned
- “Flattened pimple in one night”
- “Shrinks whiteheads fast”
- “Zits gone in two days”
Thick texture Often Mentioned
- “Hard to spread”
- “Thick and pasty”
- “Doesn't absorb well”
Fades marks Sometimes Noted
- “Helped fade dark spots”
- “Acne scars look lighter”
- “Reduces post-breakout marks”
Small size Sometimes Noted
- “Tiny jar for price”
- “Finished very quickly”
- “Wish it was bigger”
Drying on large areas Rarely Noted
- “Dried out my skin”
- “Flaky if used all over”
- “Only for spots”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, stylekorean.com, pickyskincare.com, sociolla.com, myer.com.au, and more
Questions and answers
What makes COSRX Centella Blemish Cream a great fit for oily skin?
COSRX Centella Blemish Cream is a great fit because Centella Asiatica Extract and Zinc PCA help calm blemishes and keep oil production balanced. The cream is also unlikely to cause irritation and provides gentle soothing care for your skin.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Centella Asiatica Extract and Zinc PCA make this cream a great fit for oily skin because they help reduce blemishes and keep extra oil under control. Centella Asiatica Leaf Water and Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil also help by keeping your skin calm and hydrated.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
What does Centella Asiatica Extract do for oily skin?
Centella Asiatica Extract helps calm redness and keeps oily skin feeling balanced by soothing irritation and supporting moisture levels. It is unlikely to feel heavy, and products of this type for oily skin need ingredients that control excess shine while maintaining hydration.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Molecules, 2023
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 treatment goes in your evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before your moisturizer. It is also used after your hydrating toner and before your moisturizer in your weekly routine.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol by applying the treatment in your evening routine after cleansing and toning, followed by a moisturizer. This approach helps calm your skin and manage blemishes while minimizing any irritation from the retinol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
How often should I use this cream?
This treatment is applied in the evening as part of your routine. It is a great fit for oily skin and helps reduce blemishes and control shine safely.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as it has a very safe profile with soothing ingredients like centella water that help calm the skin. However, it has a thick texture and may leave a white cast, so you might want to apply it gently in small amounts.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Molecules, 2023
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Co-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, 2023Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020A 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, 2017Moisturizer 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 treatment with 5% vitamin C and 0.1% madecassoside significantly improved clinical scores for wrinkles, suppleness, firmness, roughness, and skin hydration, along with functional and structural remodeling of the elastic fiber network in 20 female volunteers with photoaged skin after 6 months compared to baseline.
Experimental Dermatology, 2008Topical 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 herbal treatments including lemon balm, olive leaf extract, propolis, and sage-rhubarb cream reduce pain, swelling, lesion size, and healing time in patients with herpes labialis compared with placebo or acyclovir.
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 2025Topical oleuropein formulations reduced erythema, transepidermal water loss, and blood flow by approximately 22%, 35%, and 30% in healthy volunteers with UVB-induced erythema.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2008An oil-in-serum formulation containing olive extract standardized in hydroxytyrosol improved skin barrier function and significantly reduced hyperpigmentation in participants with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after 45 days of application.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2026
Ingredients
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Zinc Oxide, Dimethicone, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Viola Tricolor Extract, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Zinc Pca, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
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
-

Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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