E45 Cream for acne-prone skin
White Soft Paraffin
Light Liquid Paraffin
Anhydrous Lanolin Medilan
Glyceryl Monostearate
Citric Acid MonohydrateLow
- LowCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 moisturizing for your combination skin, with glycerin and paraffinum liquidum providing hydration and smoothing texture, though paraffinum liquidum may be occlusive and potentially clog pores.
- The formula provides general skincare benefits but lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help keep breakouts under control.
- Apply after your cleanser and toner, and make sure to use your SPF right after in the morning.
- Gently spread a small amount of moisturizer over your face using soft motions. Let it absorb into the skin for a minute before getting dressed or applying makeup.
- Apply on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. This keeps your combination skin balanced without feeling heavy.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Stop using if you feel any irritation.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsWhile widely celebrated for being gentle and fragrance-free, some users with oily or acne-prone skin find it too heavy or comedogenic for facial use.
Highlights
Soothes dry skin Mostly Mentioned
- “stopped the itching”
- “healed dry patches”
Gentle and fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “no stinging”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “perfect for babies”
- “zero irritation”
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels soft”
- “smooths rough elbows”
- “leaves a protective film”
- “softens calluses”
Excellent value Sometimes Noted
- “huge tub lasts ages”
- “affordable price”
- “cheap but effective”
- “great budget skincare”
Versatile multi-purpose Sometimes Noted
- “good for sunburn”
- “used after shaving”
- “great hand cream”
- “works on cracked heels”
Greasy or sticky Sometimes Noted
- “feels slimy”
- “takes ages to absorb”
- “leaves a greasy film”
- “makes hands slippery”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “clogged my pores”
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “too heavy for face”
- “caused acne flare-up”
Lanolin sensitivity Rarely Noted
- “caused allergic reaction”
- “made rash worse”
- “redness and stinging”
- “irritated my skin”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pump stopped working”
- “tub is unhygienic”
- “messy to use”
- “lid broke easily”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, superdrug.com, influenster.com, ocado.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is E45 Cream a weak match for acne-prone skin?
This cream is a weak match for your acne-prone skin because, while it provides basic hydration, its heavy ingredients may clog your pores and it lacks specialized ingredients to target breakouts. A moisturizer for this skin needs soothing agents, peptides, and ingredients that provide hydration and repair without any risk of irritation or clogging pores.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for acne-prone skin?
Paraffinum liquidum makes this cream a weak match because it may be heavy and potentially clog pores on acne-prone skin. A moisturizer for this skin needs ingredients that target breakouts and blemishes, soothe irritation, and provide hydration without causing imbalance.
What does White Soft Paraffin do for acne-prone skin?
White Soft Paraffin helps keep dry skin calm and hydrated by locking in moisture and supporting barrier recovery. It is unlikely to clog pores, but acne-prone skin generally needs lightweight, non-greasy hydrators and ingredients that clear pores and soothe breakouts.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2024
What does Light Liquid Paraffin do for acne-prone skin?
Light liquid paraffin helps keep acne-prone skin soft and supports the skin barrier by sealing in moisture. However, because it is a heavy oil that seals the skin, it may feel too heavy or trigger breakouts for some people with oily skin, who often do better with lightweight, oil-free hydrators.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cream goes toward the end of your morning and evening routines as your moisturizer step, though it is a weak match for acne-prone skin because heavy ingredients like paraffinum liquidum may clog pores. Acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-clogging moisturizers with targeted ingredients like niacinamide to help keep breakouts under control.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol, applying it after your retinol treatment to help soothe your skin and keep it soft. However, because this moisturizer is a weak match for your skin, acne-prone skin needs a product with specialized ingredients to target blemishes and breakouts without clogging pores.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this cream daily, though it is a weak match for your acne-prone skin because its heavy oils may clog pores. Acne-prone skin needs a lightweight moisturizer with oil-free hydration and ingredients that actively target breakouts.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream may clog pores and cause breakouts for acne-prone skin because it contains heavy paraffin oils that can trap oil and lack ingredients to target blemishes. A moisturizer for this skin needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that help keep pores clear.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is suitable for use on the body to keep dry skin soft and smooth, but heavy oils in the formula may clog pores if applied around the eyes. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and soothing ingredients to care for the thin skin around the eyes.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
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, 2020Topical treatment with skin-identical lipids in a petrolatum-rich cream base showed no superiority over pure petrolatum in promoting normalization of barrier recovery and inflammation in detergent- and tape-stripped-perturbed human skin over 14 days.
Acta Dermato-venereologica, 2000Topically applied extra virgin olive oil and petrolatum both significantly improved skin barrier function and microtopographic features in 54 healthy adult volunteers, with petrolatum exerting stronger occlusive effects and extra virgin olive oil uniquely promoting epidermal renewal.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019Daily bathing with an emulsified lanolin and mineral oil bath additive significantly reduced dry skin severity on the lower legs of patients compared to usual bath soap over 17 days.
Cutis, 1981Sunscreen formulations containing ethoxylated lanolin as an additional film former resulted in lower and constant physical-mechanical parameters and a higher and better reproducible SPF compared to the formulation without it.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2021Nanoemulsion-based lanolin derivatives increased skin hydration and oiliness without changing cutaneous pH values and proved non-toxic by causing no skin irritation.
Molecules, 2016A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical 20% citric acid lotion increases viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycan content in sun-damaged skin compared to vehicle alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 1997
Why other moisturizers fit 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, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide
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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