Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream for oily acne-prone skin
H.E.O
Prebiotic Peptides
Hyaluronic Acid
Squalane
Shea Butter
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
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 due to the humectant action of glycerin and hyaluronic acid, which provide hydration and plumpness without exacerbating oiliness.
- While beneficial for general skincare, the formula lacks specialized ingredients to directly target your concerns of acne, blemishes, and breakouts, and could benefit from enhanced oil-control properties.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like squalane.
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
★4.8Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this lightweight, fragrance-free moisturizer is highly praised for providing deep, lasting hydration without a heavy or greasy feel, making it ideal for sensitive and combination skin types. Most users experience a plump, radiant complexion and find it works well under makeup. A small number of users with very dry skin reported it was not moisturizing enough, and there were rare mentions of breakouts.
Highlights
Lightweight and non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbed effortlessly”
- “no greasy residue”
- “velvety texture”
- “sink in instantly”
Deep hydration and plumping Often Mentioned
- “skin felt plumped”
- “100 hours of moisturisation”
- “instant increase in hydration”
- “bouncy skin”
Good makeup compatibility Often Mentioned
- “layers well under sunscreen”
- “perfect base for makeup”
- “no pilling”
- “smooth canvas”
Eco-friendly packaging Sometimes Noted
- “love the refill option”
- “recyclable jar”
- “eco-conscious”
- “easy to refill”
Soothing and barrier support Sometimes Noted
- “calming effects”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “barrier-supporting peptides”
- “reduced redness”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “expensive”
- “splurge”
- “pricey for amount”
- “luxury price”
Breakouts or reactions Rarely Noted
- “caused me to breakout”
- “stung when applied”
- “fungal acne trigger”
- “clogged pores”
Not enough hydration Rarely Noted
- “not enough hydration”
- “dried out quickly”
- “need to layer”
- “better for summer”
Packaging flaws Rarely Noted
- “plastic insert flew out”
- “jar size limiting”
- “lid issues”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “slightly sticky”
- “didn't like the feeling”
- “tacky finish”
Sources: lovi.care, spacenk.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, skinsort.com, refinery29.com, elle.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Medik8 Total Moisture work for oily acne-prone skin?
Medik8 Total Moisture works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin, providing balanced hydration through hyaluronic acid and glycerin without making your face greasy. It is safe and unlikely to cause irritation, but it lacks targeted ingredients for breakouts. A product of this type needs specialized oil-control properties, lightweight textures without heavy oils, and ingredients that clear blemishes while supporting the skin barrier.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and squalane make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin because they hydrate and soothe without clogging pores or making skin greasy. However, this skin type needs a product with specialized oil-control ingredients and targeted blemish-fighting agents to work best.
What does Hydroxyethyl Urea do for oily acne-prone skin?
Hydroxyethyl Urea helps keep oily acne-prone skin soft and smooth without clogging pores. Because this product is a poor fit for oily skin, an acne-prone routine needs lightweight, non-greasy hydrators and pore-clearing ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid.
What do Prebiotic Peptides do for oily acne-prone skin?
Prebiotic peptides help balance your skin microbiome and support your natural barrier while helping to reduce breakouts and control excess oil. These ingredients may calm redness and improve skin clarity when used consistently in your daily routine.
Skin Research and Technology, 2026Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2025
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream goes toward the end of your morning and evening routines as the moisturizing step. It helps keep your skin hydrated without feeling too heavy, but oily acne-prone skin also needs specialized ingredients that control oil and target breakouts.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol by applying it after your retinol treatment to help soothe your skin and keep dryness at bay. Using a soothing moisturizer alongside active treatments is unlikely to cause irritation and may make your routine easier to stick with.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing cream twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Daily application helps keep your skin hydrated without feeling overly oily.
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 clog pores or cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin, as it has a very low complaint rate for reactions and includes soothing squalane. However, because it lacks specialized blemish-fighting ingredients, an ideal product for this skin type needs extra oil-control properties.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizing treatment around your eyes and on your body, as its hydrating ingredients are safe for delicate skin. However, because the skin around the eyes is much thinner than on the body, a dedicated eye cream with targeted active ingredients may fit that area better.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Cetearyl alcohol, arachidyl alcohol, and behenyl 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, 2017Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Topical application of a vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate significantly increased epidermal thickness, type III collagen production, and glycosaminoglycans production in human skin explants compared to free vitamin C and vitamin C-palmitate.
Scientific Reports, 2020A topical gel containing 5% dexpanthenol formulated with 2.5% hydroxyethylcellulose showed good tolerance and anti-inflammatory activity when tested on guinea pigs compared to drops with an equal concentration.
Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica, 2004Topical 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, 2019Plant-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, 2025A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025
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, Dimethicone, Squalane, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Parfum, Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Propanediol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Inulin, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Linoleic Acid, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.