La Mer Moisturizing Cream for oily skin
Miracle Broth
Algae Extract
Glycerin
Lime Tea Concentrate
Vitamin E
Caution
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A poor match for oily skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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
- Low suitability for oily skin as mineral oil and petrolatum provide emollient action but may be too heavy, potentially leading to a less than optimal experience for oily shine.
- Glycerin offers moderate moisturizing benefits, but the occlusive nature of the formula is largely irrelevant or mostly supportive for your oily skin concerns.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
- Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
- Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 10.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this moisturizer is highly regarded for its intense hydration and soothing properties, with many users reporting a radiant complexion and improved skin texture. However, a significant number of users find the cream to be excessively expensive and note that its heavy texture can lead to clogged pores or breakouts, while some find the fragrance to be overpowering.
Highlights
Intense hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “heals dry patches overnight”
- “skin drinks it up”
- “saved my winter skin”
- “hydration lasts all day”
Exorbitant price Mostly Mentioned
- “astronomically expensive”
- “not worth the money”
- “glorified Nivea”
- “paying for the brand”
Plumping and glow Often Mentioned
- “gives the La Mer glow”
- “skin looks plump”
- “lines appear softened”
- “makeup sits beautifully”
Soothing Often Mentioned
- “soothed windburn instantly”
- “heals picking scars”
- “reduced redness significantly”
Luxurious experience Sometimes Noted
- “spa-like scent”
- “feels incredibly rich”
- “treat for myself”
- “relaxing ritual”
Breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “caused cystic acne”
- “clogged my pores”
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “bad for acne-prone skin”
Heavy texture Sometimes Noted
- “feels like paste”
- “sits on top of skin”
- “too greasy for day”
- “hard to spread”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “smells like old lady”
- “fragrance is overpowering”
- “scent gave me a headache”
- “too perfumey”
Sources: lovi.care, bluemercury.com, bloomingdales.com, sephora.com, influenster.com, nordstrom.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with La Mer Moisturizing Cream for oily skin?
This cream is a poor match for oily skin because heavy ingredients like mineral oil and petrolatum may feel too thick and lead to extra shine. A product for this skin needs lightweight hydrators and peptides without heavy oils to maintain a balanced texture.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for oily skin?
Mineral oil and petrolatum make this cream a poor fit for oily skin because they provide heavy richness that may lead to unwanted oily shine. A moisturizing treatment for oily skin needs lightweight hydrating agents and peptides, along with soothing ingredients, while lacking heavy oils to avoid clogged pores.
What does Miracle Broth do for oily skin?
Miracle Broth helps calm and balance oily skin by reducing irritation and supporting the skin barrier. An average or weak fit for oily skin needs lightweight, non-greasy hydration and soothing marine extracts to control excess oil while keeping the skin soft and smooth.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023Marine Drugs, 2025
What does Algae Extract do for oily skin?
Algae extract helps balance oily skin by providing lightweight hydration and powerful antioxidants that calm the skin. This ingredient may also help reduce excess shine and protect against daily environmental stress without feeling heavy.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004Marine Drugs, 2020
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes at the end of your evening routine after your treatment, or in the morning before your sunscreen. Because it contains heavy mineral oil and petrolatum, it may feel too thick for oily skin and lead to extra shine. Oily skin needs lightweight moisturizers with hydrating ingredients like glycerin instead of heavy petroleum ingredients.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing treatment with retinol, applying it after your retinol product has absorbed into the skin. While this formula provides helpful hydration through glycerin, its heavy mineral oil and petrolatum ingredients may be too rich for oily skin, which typically benefits from lightweight hydrators and non-clogging ingredients.
How often should I use this cream?
This heavy cream is a poor match for oily skin because ingredients like mineral oil and petrolatum may be too thick and lead to excess shine. Oily skin needs lighter hydrators like glycerin and refreshing lightweight gels that add moisture without heavy blocking layers.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream may be too heavy for oily skin, as heavy ingredients like mineral oil and petrolatum can clog pores and potentially lead to breakouts. Oily skin generally needs lightweight, oil-free hydrators with ingredients like hyaluronic acid or niacinamide that keep skin soft without feeling heavy.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
La Mer Moisturizing Cream can be applied around the eyes or on the body, though the skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the body and requires gentle care. This rich moisturizing treatment provides heavy hydration that may help very dry areas, but a product of this type needs lighter hydrating ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid for the delicate eye area.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene, geraniol, parfum, linalool, citronellol, citral, benzyl salicylate, and benzyl alcohol).
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, 2017Treatment with lipid algae extract reduced the level of oxidized proteins in human keratinocytes and stratum corneum skin cells.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004Topical astaxanthin-loaded algae extract hydrogel and lipogel formulations exhibited the highest antioxidant activity and successful in vitro release, suggesting their potential as anti-aging formulations.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Antarctic marine algae extracts increased cell viability, protected against inflammation, and enhanced the barrier integrity of human intestinal and keratinocyte cell lines damaged by lipopolysaccharide or ultraviolet radiation.
Marine Drugs, 2022The 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, 2012Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Algae Extract, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Microcrystalline Wax, Lanolin Alcohol, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Leaf Eucalyptus Oil Leaf, Limonene, Geraniol, Hydrogenated Oil, Magnesium Sulfate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Powder, Medicago Sativa Seed Powder, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake Sunflower Seedcake, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal Seed, Sodium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Magnesium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Potassium Gluconate, Paraffin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Parfum, Linalool, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Cinnamyl Alcohol
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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