Pond's Hydra Active for combination skin
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Retinyl Palmitate
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 due to glycerin and caprylic capric triglyceride, which hydrate effectively but do not specifically target oily shine.
- While generally safe for your combination skin, the formula lacks specialized ingredients to manage excess oil on your T-zone.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, as it contains no harsh or prohibited ingredients that would cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use this moisturizer in your AM and PM routine every day to control shine. Always pair with SPF in the morning.
- Apply this moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your morning SPF.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin and avoid harsh rubbing. Let it ⏳absorb for a minute.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help it lock in moisture better. This keeps your combination skin balanced.
- Avoid the eye area when applying the moisturizer. Do a patch test before your first use.
Questions and answers
How well does POND'S Hydra Active work for combination skin?
This moisturizer works reasonably well for combination skin, providing moderate hydration through ingredients like glycerin and caprylic capric triglyceride, but it does not specifically target oily shine. A product of this type needs ingredients that target both hydration and brightness, along with soothing agents, antioxidants, and multiple peptides to manage excess oil and balance diverse skin needs without irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Life, 2023
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for combination skin?
Glycerin and caprylic capric triglyceride make this cream a good fit by hydrating combination skin effectively. To work best for this skin type, a product of this type needs ingredients that target oily shine while providing balanced moisture and soothing care without causing irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Life, 2023
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Dimethicone do for combination skin?
Dimethicone helps protect combination skin by forming a light barrier that smooths the surface without feeling heavy or greasy. It may keep skin soft and comfortable, though it is unlikely to deeply moisturize dry areas or control excess oil on its own.
Military Medicine, 2024Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2014
Where does it go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
POND'S Hydra Active goes in your morning routine after your hydrating toner and before your SPF, and in your evening routine as your final step after any treatment. While it works for combination skin, this skin type often needs products with specialized ingredients to manage excess oil on the T-zone.
Can I use this cream with niacinamide, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside niacinamide by applying your niacinamide serum first and following with this moisturizer once it absorbs. This product provides moderate hydration with glycerin and caprylic capric triglyceride, but a better fit for combination skin would include specialized ingredients to balance oil in your T-zone.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Life, 2023
How often should I use it?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine to keep your skin hydrated. Regular daily application is unlikely to cause irritation, though combination skin also needs ingredients that manage excess oil on the T-zone.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on combination skin because its ingredients have a very safe profile. However, since it lacks specialized ingredients to manage excess oil, combination skin generally needs lightweight, oil-balancing ingredients like niacinamide or salicylic acid to fully prevent shine and congestion.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Life, 2023
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizer is safe to use on the body and around the eyes, though it may not provide enough targeted care for those specific areas. Skin on the body and around the eyes needs specialized ingredients like low molecular weight heparan sulfate or targeted plant extracts to properly care for thinner areas and maintain moisture.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, 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, 2017Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023The 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, 2007Over-the-counter retinol products provided only weak evidence for a mild ameliorating effect on fine facial skin wrinkle lines in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials, and major methodological flaws call the validity of positive results into question.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010A novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to 0.02% tretinoin and reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing in female adults while causing less skin irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Caprylyl Methicone, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Potassium Chloride, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Sucrose Distearate, Titanium Dioxide, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Stearyl Dimethicone, Parfum, Stearic Acid, Magnesium Sulfate, Cholesterol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dmdm Hydantoin, Octadecane, Isomerized Linoleic Acid, Ammonium Lactate, Disodium Edta, Acetamide Mea, Retinyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Bht, Ci 17200
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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