Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION for oily skin
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Squalane
Low
- LowOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A weak match for oily skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2006
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 moderate moisturizing for your oily skin due to glycerin and squalane, which hydrate and smooth texture, but these ingredients may be too heavy for oily shine concerns.
- The presence of dimethicone and squalane provides emollient action that is moderately unsuitable for oily skin.
- The safety profile is good, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or 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
★4.7Overall rating based on 2.6k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this rich cream is highly favored by users with mature or dry skin for its luxurious texture and ability to deeply hydrate, leaving skin feeling plump and bouncy. Many users experience an immediate glow and softer skin, with long-term benefits including improved firmness and reduced dullness. A significant number of users find the product to be expensive, and a moderate number find the floral fragrance overpowering.
Highlights
Deep hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel”
Luxurious texture Mostly Mentioned
- “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin”
Visible firming Often Mentioned
- “tighter jawline, lifted appearance, improved elasticity, less sagging”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “expensive, investment piece, pricey for the amount, luxury cost”
Pleasant experience Sometimes Noted
- “spa-like scent, high-quality packaging, little goes a long way”
Radiance and glow Sometimes Noted
- “brighter complexion, healthy glow, less dullness, even skin tone”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “overpowering scent, too perfumed, smell lingers, headache-inducing”
Lack of dramatic results Rarely Noted
- “no visible lifting, just a moisturizer, didn't erase deep wrinkles”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “heavy jar, waste of plastic, faulty pump (on dispenser versions)”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts, red face, acne flare-ups, stinging sensation”
Sources: lovi.care, shiseido.com, macys.com, influenster.com, sephora.com, costco.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Shiseido Vital Perfection Cream a weak match for oily skin?
This cream is a weak match because its glycerin and squalane hydrate and smooth texture, but these ingredients may be too heavy for oily shine concerns. A moisturizing treatment for oily skin needs peptides and lightweight hydrating agents that manage shine and support the skin barrier without heavy oils or clogged pores.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for oily skin?
Dimethicone and squalane make this cream a weak match for your oily skin because they feel too heavy and may increase oily shine. A better moisturizing treatment for oily skin needs a lightweight texture with peptides and hydrating agents that control oiliness and support the skin barrier without heavy oils.
What does Glycerin do for oily skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
What does Dimethicone do for oily skin?
Dimethicone helps protect skin and lock in moisture, though it may have limited performance compared to petrolatum. For oily skin, a product of this type needs a lightweight, oil-free formula that hydrates without clogging pores.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes in the morning routine after your hydrating toner and before your sunscreen, and in the evening routine after your cleansing toner. Because it contains glycerin and squalane, it may feel too heavy and add unwanted shine to oily skin.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2006
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing treatment with retinol by applying your retinol first, letting it dry, and then smoothing this cream on top to keep your skin soft. This routine helps reduce the dryness and irritation that often come with retinol use. To better fit oily skin, a product of this type needs lightweight ingredients that hydrate without adding heavy shine.
How often should I use this cream?
This moisturizing treatment is a weak match for oily skin because ingredients like glycerin and squalane may add too much heavy shine. Oily skin of this type needs lightweight hydrators and oil-controlling ingredients that keep skin smooth without feeling heavy.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause purging since it does not contain exfoliating active ingredients, but it may feel too heavy for oily shine concerns and contribute to clogged pores or breakouts. Oily skin needs a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer with hydrating humectants and clarifying ingredients like niacinamide or salicylic acid rather than heavy emollients.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2006
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment is safe to use around the eyes and on the body since it is very gentle on the skin. However, because it is a weak match for oily skin, it may feel too heavy and add to oily shine concerns. An oily skin type needs lightweight, oil-free hydration and ingredients that control excess oil without heavy smoothing agents.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains 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, 2017Peroxidated squalene induces an early activation of NF-kappaB, an increase in PPARalpha levels, and an upregulation of IL-6 production in HaCaT keratinocytes, which is subsequently counteracted by PPARalpha activation.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2006The 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, 2007Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-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
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Behenyl Alcohol, Squalane, Peg Ppg-14 7 Dimethyl Ether, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Disodium Edta, Tocopherol, Bht, Phenoxyethanol
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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