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La Mer The Moisturizing Fresh Cream for oily skin

Average

  • AverageOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for oily skin; other moisturizers fit it better.

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

  • Offers excellent moisturizing for your oily skin due to glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, which hydrate and plump without exacerbating oiliness.
  • While dimethicone and squalane provide emollient benefits, they may not offer sufficient seboregulation for managing oily shine.
  • The formula is safe for your oily skin, featuring soothing algae and yeast extracts and avoiding harsh ingredients.

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 400+ reviews

This moisturizer is a lightweight, gel-based option favored by users with combination and oily skin for its ability to provide a hydrated and firm appearance without a greasy residue. While it is widely praised for its refreshing feel and smoothing effects, some users report concerns regarding its high cost, fragrance content, and potential for breakouts on sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Highlights

  • Lightweight feel Mostly Mentioned
    • “Super lightweight and feels fresh.”
    • “Not at all greasy.”
    • “Feather-light gel face cream.”
  • Very high price Mostly Mentioned
    • “It's a total splurge.”
    • “Ridiculous price point.”
    • “Paying for the brand, not actives.”
  • Cooling sensation Often Mentioned
    • “Within seconds, cools and refreshes.”
    • “Sinks in cool and weightless.”
    • “Does feel very refreshing.”
  • Improves radiance Sometimes Noted
    • “Radiates my face with a youthful glow.”
    • “Skin looked younger and fresher.”
    • “My skin looks beautiful.”
  • Softens and firms Sometimes Noted
    • “Renews skin's youthful bounce.”
    • “Skin feels bouncy and looks clearer.”
    • “Skin felt firmer and stronger.”
  • Contains fragrance Sometimes Noted
    • “Fragranced, with several allergens.”
    • “Smell is something I don't care for.”
  • Potential breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “Made me break out in whiteheads.”
    • “Clogging my pores.”
    • “Giving me different results.”

Sources: lovi.care, samsclub.com, cremedelamer.com, macys.com, bluemercury.com, youtube.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does La Mer The Moisturizing Fresh Cream work for oily skin?

La Mer The Moisturizing Fresh Cream works moderately well for oily skin, providing good hydration with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, but its squalane and dimethicone may not control shiny oiliness enough. Oily skin needs a lightweight moisturizer with oil-controlling ingredients, peptides, and no heavy oils to keep shine down without clogging pores.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?

Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cream a good fit for oily skin because they hydrate and plump without adding extra oiliness, while soothing algae and yeast extracts keep the formula safe and gentle. Oily skin of this type needs lightweight hydrators combined with ingredients that control shine and support the skin barrier without clogging pores.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily skin?

Hyaluronic acid helps oily skin by reducing extra oil and sebum production without causing irritation. Clinical studies show it successfully balances oil levels while keeping the skin comfortable.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017

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 near the end of your morning and evening routines, after cleansing and applying any treatments. For oily skin, a product of this type needs ingredients that help control shine and balance oil production while keeping the skin hydrated.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cream with retinol, and applying it after your retinol treatment helps keep your skin calm while reducing potential dryness. Oily skin also needs ingredients that balance oil and shine.

Cutis, 2006

How often should I use this cream?

You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day, in the morning and evening, as part of your regular skincare routine. Daily application helps keep your skin hydrated and smooth while supporting the skin barrier.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021

Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?

This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your oily skin, as its risk of potential breakouts is low. However, because it contains rich softening ingredients like squalane and dimethicone without oil-balancing agents, an oily skin type generally needs a lightweight, mattifying formula with ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to control shine and keep pores clear.

Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?

You can use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes and on the body, as its safe formula and gentle ingredients suit delicate areas well. However, because skin varies significantly in thickness across the body, a product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and soothing extracts to care for thin or sensitive regions effectively.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, linalool, citronellol, and geraniol) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).

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, 2017
  • Treatment 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, 2004
  • Topical 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, 2019
  • Topical 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, 2011
  • Topical 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, 2022
  • Treatment 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, 2019
  • Antarctic 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, 2022
  • Treatment with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells combined with Cystoseira algae extract significantly improved wound closure, tissue thickness, layer density, and skin elasticity while reducing oxidative indicators, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and immune markers in immunosuppressed rats compared to the control group.

    PloS One, 2024
  • An algae extract prepared from Phaeodactylum tricornutum stimulated and protected proteasome peptidase activities and lowered protein oxidative damage in human keratinocytes exposed to UVA and UVB irradiation.

    Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, 2006
  • 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, 2020
  • Ten 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, 2001
  • Niacinamide/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, 2012
  • Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.

    Molecules, 2025
  • Plant-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, 2025
  • Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
  • Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.

    The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008
  • Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.

    Dermatologic Surgery, 2005

Why other moisturizers fit oily skin better

  • A 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, 2024

Ingredients

Water, Dimethicone, Algae Extract, Glycerin, Yeast Faex Extrait De Levure Extract, Trisiloxane, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Alcohol Denat, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Isopentyldiol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Medicago Sativa Seed Powder, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake Sunflower Seedcake, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal Seed, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Leaf Eucalyptus Oil Leaf, Sodium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Magnesium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Tocopheryl Succinate, Niacin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Powder, Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Lactobacillus Ferment, Trametes Versicolor Extract, Trehalose, Squalane, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Caffeine, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Whey Lactis Proteine Du Petit-Lait Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Sucrose, Saccharide Isomerate, Peg-8, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Oleth-10, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bht, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Disodium Edta, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Tromethamine, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

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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