Paula's Choice Hydrating Treatment Mask for combination skin
Borago Officinalis Oil
Sodium Hyaluronate
Retinyl Palmitate
Tocopherol
Oenothera Biennis OilAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other nourishing masks 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 hydration for your combination skin, with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate providing humectant action and linoleic acid supporting barrier repair.
- While beneficial for general skin health, the formula does not specifically target your concern of oily shine.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and poses no irritation risk.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using your creamy mask 3x a week and work up to daily use if your skin tolerates it.
- Apply your creamy mask after cleansing and toning, but before your moisturizer to lock in benefits. This step fits nicely right in the middle of your daily routine.
- Smooth an even layer of the creamy mask gently over your face, avoiding any unnecessary heavy rubbing. Let it sit for a few minutes ⏱ so your skin can drink it in.
- Apply the creamy mask on clean and dry skin to help manage oily shine effectively. This ensures the product works best for your combination skin type.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a simple patch test before your very first use to make sure your skin is happy.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsThis mask is highly praised for its intense hydration and soothing properties, making it a favorite for dry, sensitive, and dehydrated skin types. Users often report waking up to softer, more supple skin, and it's frequently used as an overnight treatment to repair a compromised skin barrier. While many consider it a 'holy grail' for deep nourishment, some users with specific sensitivities or those preferring lighter textures have noted it can feel heavy or pill under makeup.
Highlights
Deeply hydrates skin Often Mentioned
- “My skin is smooth and hydrated in the mornings.”
- “It really locks in moisture for my extremely dry skin.”
- “Wake up with a subtle glow and no dryness.”
Softens skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “My face feels soft and supple in the morning.”
- “My skin feels so soft and smooth!”
- “Skin texture has become incredibly smooth.”
Soothes sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “It hydrates and works on sensitive skin.”
- “Helps calm my skin.”
- “Kept my skin from feeling excessively dry, irritated, and flaky.”
Versatile overnight use Sometimes Noted
- “Perfect for those lazy skincare nights!”
- “Absolutely perfect as a sleeping mask.”
- “I use this product every night.”
Pills under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “It pills under makeup, so strictly use it as a night treatment.”
- “If you apply too much, it seems to pill a bit.”
- “It pills like dead skin cells when used with other products.”
Difficult to remove Rarely Noted
- “It wouldn't wash away easily; I had to use a cleanser.”
- “Rinsing this mask off was the best part.”
Feels heavy Rarely Noted
- “For combination dehydrated skin, it feels a bit heavy.”
- “It is heavy and thick.”
- “This might be one of the thicker products in my collection.”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “As soon as I applied it, my skin started tingling and burning.”
- “Even she complained about the tingling sensation.”
- “Some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction.”
Sources: lovi.care, paulaschoice.com, skinsort.com, hwahae.com, influenster.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does the Hydrating Treatment Mask work for combination skin?
Paula's Choice Hydrating Treatment Mask works reasonably well for combination skin by offering moderate hydration, but it does not specifically target oily shine. To better manage both dry and oily areas on combination skin, a nourishing mask needs effective soothing ingredients that help control shine without causing imbalance.
Which ingredients make this mask a good fit for combination skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate help provide moderate hydration, while linoleic acid helps support barrier repair. A product of this type for combination skin needs soothing ingredients, benefits for managing oily shine, and extracts that balance both dry and oily areas without causing excess oiliness.
What does Borage Seed Oil do for combination skin?
Borage seed oil helps keep combination skin calm and supports the skin barrier, which may reduce moisture loss in drier areas without causing heavy buildup. Because it contains gamma-linolenic acid, it helps soothe irritation and keeps the skin smooth and balanced.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for combination skin?
Hyaluronic acid is a great fit for combination skin because it quenches dry areas with a boost of hydration while keeping oily zones balanced. Regular use helps smooth out fine lines and makes your skin feel soft and plump without causing irritation.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
Where does this mask go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This nourishing mask works for combination skin, though other products fit it better because it does not target oily shine while giving moderate hydration. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and balancing ingredients that keep the skin soft and calm without adding heavy oils.
Can I use this mask with niacinamide, and in what order?
You can use this mask along with niacinamide by applying niacinamide first and following with the mask once it absorbs. This mask is safe for your combination skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and poses no irritation risk.
How often should I use this mask?
This mask works for your combination skin, but it does not specifically target oily shine. To better care for combination skin, a product of this type needs lightweight hydration along with ingredients that balance oil and help control shine.
Can this mask clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This mask is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on combination skin because it has a safe profile with no harsh ingredients that pose irritation risks. However, because it does not target oily shine, combination skin generally needs a product that also helps balance oil.
Is this mask 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
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, 2017Cutaneous application of linoleic and gamma-linolenic acid triglycerides reduced the high rate of transepidermal water loss in essential fatty acid-deficient rats, whereas other fatty acid triglycerides had no effect.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1976Topical 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, 2019Over-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, 2024Topical 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, 2024Electrospun poly (vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) patches loaded with evening primrose oil applied to the forearm of volunteers for 6 hours increased skin moisture, with pore size, shape, and fiber diameter influencing oil transport.
Biomaterials Advances, 2022A topical preparation containing urea, sunflower oil, evening primrose oil, wheat germ oil, and sodium pyruvate led to clinical improvement after a month in diverse hyperkeratotic skin conditions except pityriasis lichenoides.
Medicina Cutanea Ibero-latino-americana, 1986Topical application of linseed, evening primrose, and olive oil emulsions accelerated wound closure in rats with excision wounds compared to untreated controls, though via different mechanisms.
Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2019
Why other nourishing masks fit combination 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, 2024Application of Galactomyces ferment filtrate skin care formula significantly reduced the net values and daily fluctuation of facial pore area, roughness, and redness in young Japanese women.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021
Ingredients
Retinyl Palmitate Vitamin A Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hectorite, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate Dicaprate, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Stearate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Monostearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Ethyl Macadamiate, Glyceryl Behenate Eicosadioate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Oil Apricot Oil, Glycine Soja Soybean Sterols, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascorbyl Palmitate Vitamin C Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Sclerotium Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Olea Europaea Oil Olive Oil, Linoleic Acid
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.