Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum for acne-prone skin
Avobenzone
Homosalate
Octisalate
Octocrylene
Collagen Peptide
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few sunscreens fit it even 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
- Highly suitable for your combination skin due to the humectant action of glycerin and propanediol, complemented by tocopherol's antioxidant support, which are beneficial for acne-prone skin.
- The formulation offers excellent sun protection with avobenzone and homosalate, providing essential UV filtering without compromising your skin's comfort.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your combination skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen AM every morning as the final step of your daily routine.
- Layer the moisturizing sunscreen after your moisturizer has fully absorbed, right before heading out into the sun .
- Smooth a nickel-sized amount of the moisturizing sunscreen evenly over your face, avoiding harsh rubbing.
- Apply the moisturizing sunscreen onto clean, dry skin to ensure even coverage and protection.
- Perform a patch test before first use and avoid direct contact with the eyes.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.6k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users love this product's lightweight, serum-like texture that absorbs quickly and leaves no white cast, making it ideal for darker skin tones and daily wear. Its hydrating formula provides a desirable glow, and it performs well under makeup. However, some users with very oily or acne-prone skin find it too greasy or shiny.
Highlights
Lightweight serum Mostly Mentioned
- “feels like nothing”
- “absorbs in seconds”
- “not tacky or sticky”
- “thin fluid consistency”
No white cast Mostly Mentioned
- “works on dark skin”
- “truly invisible finish”
- “no white cast at all”
- “blends seamlessly”
Hydrating glow Often Mentioned
- “doubles as moisturizer”
- “leaves a healthy glow”
- “skin feels smoother”
- “glassy skin finish”
Good under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “no pilling”
- “sits great under foundation”
- “acts like a primer”
- “makeup looks smooth”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “expensive for amount”
- “bottle is small”
- “pricey for daily SPF”
- “splurge item”
Too greasy Sometimes Noted
- “too radiant for oily skin”
- “looked shiny by noon”
- “felt heavy on t-zone”
- “greasy residue”
Chemical scent Rarely Noted
- “faint lab smell”
- “chemical scent lingers”
- “smells like sunscreen”
- “weird odor”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “stings my eyes”
- “caused tearing”
- “avoid eye area”
- “eyes sensitive to filters”
Sources: lovi.care, kiehls.com, ulta.com, sephora.com, reddit.com, nubelease.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum a great fit for acne-prone skin?
This product is a great fit because glycerin and propanediol hydrate the skin while tocopherol provides antioxidant support that helps acne-prone skin. It also provides reliable sun protection without irritating the skin or causing discomfort.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Molecules, 2021
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This serum is a great fit for acne-prone skin thanks to glycerin and propanediol which help keep your skin hydrated, alongside tocopherol for antioxidant support. It also uses safe UV filters that provide sun protection without causing irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Molecules, 2021
What does Avobenzone do for acne-prone skin?
Avobenzone protects acne-prone skin from UV rays that can worsen dark spots and inflammation, though it does not directly treat breakouts. To properly care for acne-prone skin, sunscreens should also feel light, clog-free, and non-greasy.
What does Homosalate do for acne-prone skin?
Homosalate helps protect acne-prone skin from sun damage by absorbing UV rays without clogging pores. Because chemical sunscreens of this type are unlikely to cause irritation, they are generally gentle on sensitive or breakout-prone skin.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizing SPF goes in the morning routine as the final step before sun exposure. It helps keep acne-prone skin comfortable while providing essential UV filtering.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing SPF in the morning after your retinol treatment, as part of your daily routine. Its formula provides sun protection and hydration without irritation, which helps keep acne-prone skin comfortable.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Molecules, 2021
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this moisturizing spf every morning as part of your daily routine. It helps keep your skin comfortable and protected from the sun without causing irritation.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This serum is a great fit for acne-prone skin because it relies on hydrating glycerin and propanediol along with antioxidant vitamin E to keep skin calm without causing irritation or breakouts. It has a very safe formula with no harsh ingredients, though some shoppers do mention it can feel a bit greasy.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Molecules, 2021
Is this serum 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 application of 1,3-propanediol at various concentrations, alone or combined with butylene glycol and/or glycerol, increased skin hydration and reduced trans epidermal water loss in 30 healthy female subjects over an 8-hour period, with the 15% concentration and the addition of glycerol providing greater benefits.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024A mixture of propanediol, xylitol, and caprylic acid demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity against C. acnes and S. aureus, reduced 5-alpha reductase expression, and decreased skin oiliness, porphyrin, and inflammatory lesions in participants over 28 days.
Molecules, 2021A 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, 2017Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008Dermal application of a sunscreen containing 10% homosalate in four volunteers resulted in delayed elimination with terminal half-times around 24 h and a bioavailability of cis-homosalate a factor of 2 lower than trans-homosalate, while metabolite ratios supported using oral-route urinary excretion fractions for dermal exposure assessments.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Homosalate exhibited the highest permeation among tested filters with a relative permeability rate of 4.2% and a depth of 60 um, and specific thickeners and emulsifiers successfully reduced its permeation without inhibiting the skin permeation of niacinamide.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2026An online-SPE-LC-MS/MS method successfully quantified specific urinary homosalate metabolites for up to 96 hours after dermal sunscreen application in a volunteer and detected metabolites exclusively in three German pilot participants who had used sunscreen within five days.
Analytica Chimica Acta, 2021Simulated real-life dermal sunscreen exposure in twenty human volunteers leads to the systemic bioavailability and urinary excretion of the UV filter 2-ethylhexyl salicylate and its metabolite, reaching concentration peaks at 7 to 8 hours with 70-80% of overall excretion within 24 hours.
Archives of Toxicology, 2019Controlled single dermal exposure to an EHS-containing sunscreen in three volunteers resulted in delayed systemic resorption with elimination half-lives between 6.6 and 9.7 hours, where the parent compound EHS occurred as the dominant urinary parameter.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Dermal exposure to EHS-containing sunscreen leads to the urinary excretion of EHS as the main biomarker alongside major metabolites 5OH-EHS, 5cx-EPS, 4OH-EHS, and 5oxo-EHS, measured using an extended enzymatic hydrolysis and on-line SPE LC-MS/MS method.
Talanta, 2024Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025Early application of sunscreen after ablative fractional skin resurfacing significantly increased the sensitization rate of the UV-filter, octocrylene, and the sunscreen compared to intact skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2015Dermal sunscreen exposure in 20 healthy volunteers led to plasma concentrations of avobenzone, octocrylene, and its metabolite CDAA reaching up to 11 μg/L, 25 μg/L, and 1352 μg/L, respectively.
Environment International, 2019
Ingredients
Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Water, Glycerin, C15-19 Alkane, Propanediol, C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sclerotium Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Octenylsuccinate Starch, Glyceryl Stearate, Jojoba Esters, Helianthus Annuus Wax Seed Sunflower Wax Seed, Hydroxypropyl Phosphate Starch, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Polyglycerin-3, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
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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