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e.l.f. Skin Holy Hydration! Face Cream for oily acne-prone skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

e.l.f. Skin Holy Hydration! Face Cream

Average

  • HighOily 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 hydration for your oily skin, with niacinamide helping to regulate sebum and trehalose providing humectant action, but these benefits are not directly targeted at your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
  • The inclusion of glycerin and sodium hyaluronate ensures excellent moisturizing and plumping effects, which are generally beneficial for skin health.
  • The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation 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

★4.5Overall rating based on 400+ reviews

This cream is highly praised for providing deep hydration without a heavy or greasy feel, making it ideal for combination and oily skin types. It is frequently noted for creating a smooth canvas for makeup. Some users with very dry skin found it insufficient, and a few experienced issues with the scent in the original formulation or eye irritation with the SPF version.

Highlights

  • Excellent makeup base Mostly Mentioned
    • “Honestly the best face cream I have ever used under makeup!”
    • “Smooths skin under makeup.”
    • “Makeup just glides on.”
  • Deeply hydrating Often Mentioned
    • “My skin looks and feels like velvet.”
    • “Keeps my skin soft, hydrated, and protected throughout the day.”
    • “Replenishes lost moisture for supple skin.”
  • Lightweight & non-greasy Often Mentioned
    • “Sinks in quickly to leave smooth, soft skin.”
    • “Texture feels lightweight yet deeply moisturizing.”
    • “Non-greasy formula sinks into skin.”
  • Gentle & non-irritating Sometimes Noted
    • “Great everyday moisturizer for sensitive skin.”
    • “Hypoallergenic and free of fragrance.”
  • Eye irritation Rarely Noted
    • “Burn my eyes when I rub my skin near my eye.”
    • “Causes eyes to burn like some SPFs do.”
    • “Stinging sensation around the eye area.”
  • Jar packaging Rarely Noted
    • “Wish the packaging was in a tube instead of a jar.”
    • “I wish this product came with a lil spatula.”
    • “Prefer tubes/pump bottles.”
  • Not rich enough Rarely Noted
    • “Didn't feel like it gave me as much hydrating omph.”
    • “Might be better for summer than winter.”
    • “Not moisturizing enough for very dry skin.”
  • Scent issues Rarely Noted
    • “Smells terrible like the oil in it is rancid.”
    • “Scent is very subtle... but my skin can be sensitive.”
    • “Wish I would have returned it sooner [due to smell].”

Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, target.com, walmart.com, byrdie.com, skinsafe-products.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Holy Hydration! Face Cream work for oily acne-prone skin?

This cream works moderately well for your oily skin, offering safe hydration and sebum control from niacinamide, but it does not directly target acne and breakouts. Moisturizing treatments that fit this skin better need lightweight, non-clogging formulas with targeted ingredients to clear blemishes while maintaining moisture without excess oil.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Skin Research and Technology, 2024

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

Niacinamide and trehalose help regulate oil and draw in moisture, making this cream a decent fit for oily skin. However, a product of this type needs powerful hydrating and repairing ingredients that directly target acne, blemishes, and breakouts.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Skin Research and Technology, 2024

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 Niacinamide do for oily acne-prone skin?

Niacinamide helps balance oil production, calms redness, and is unlikely to irritate oily, acne-prone skin while improving blemishes. Clinical tests show it reduces excess oil and helps clear up both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne breakouts.

Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

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

This moisturizing treatment goes near the end of your routine, right before sunscreen in the morning and as the final step at night. It is safe for oily skin, but because it does not directly target acne, this skin type often needs products containing blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

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

You can use this cream with retinol by applying your retinol first and following it with this moisturizer to help keep your skin comfortable and smooth. Using a moisturizer alongside a strong acne treatment is unlikely to cause irritation and may help your skin tolerate the routine better.

Cutis, 2006The Journal of Dermatology, 2014

How often should I use this cream?

You can use this moisturizing treatment twice daily as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular daily application helps keep your oily skin hydrated and supports the skin barrier without causing irritation. Oily acne-prone skin often benefits from products that also include blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021

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

This cream is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores for oily acne-prone skin, as it is safe with no harsh ingredients. However, it does not actively target blemishes or acne, and oily acne-prone skin often needs a moisturizing treatment with ingredients that specifically help clear pores and reduce acne.

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

You can use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes and on the body because it has a gentle formulation with ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate that provide deep hydration and plumping effects. However, for oily acne-prone skin, this type of product needs targeted acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid and oil-controlling elements to properly manage breakouts.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Skin Research and Technology, 2024

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

  • Sodium trehalose sulfate decreased transepidermal water loss and increased stratum corneum water content in participants with low stratum corneum water content when applied for 4 weeks compared to placebo.

    Skin Research and Technology, 2024

  • 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

  • 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

  • Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

  • Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.

    The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008

  • Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.

    Dermatologic Surgery, 2005

  • Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.

    Molecules, 2025

  • Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.

    Antioxidants, 2025

  • 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

Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better

Ingredients

Water, Isohexadecane, Stearyl Heptanoate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Olivate, Trehalose, Squalane, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Aluminum Octenylsuccinate Starch, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Panthenol Vb5, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Polyethylene, Disodium Edta, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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How does it fit your skin?

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

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play