SkinMedica HA5® for acne-prone skin
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrolyzed CollagenAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it 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
- Offers moderate moisturizing for your combination skin due to the presence of hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which provide hydration without directly addressing acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The formula is highly suitable for combination skin due to the humectant action of hyaluronic acid and glycerin, offering general skincare benefits.
- 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
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help keep breakouts under control.
- Apply after your cleanser and toner, and make sure to use your SPF right after in the morning.
- Gently spread a small amount of moisturizer over your face using soft motions. Let it absorb into the skin for a minute before getting dressed or applying makeup.
- Apply on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. This keeps your combination skin balanced without feeling heavy.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Stop using if you feel any irritation.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 2.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly effective for dry, dehydrated, and aging skin, providing deep and lasting moisture. Users frequently observe a plumper complexion and smoother skin texture, with many noting a reduction in fine lines. A common concern is the high price point, and some users find the need for damp application to be a minor inconvenience.
Highlights
Deeply hydrates skin Mostly Mentioned
- “My skin felt hydrated throughout the day and night!”
- “Delivers a surge of moisture that leaves my skin refreshed.”
- “Super hydration throughout the day, skin feels great.”
- “Keeps that extra moisture in that is definitely needed.”
Plumps and smooths Often Mentioned
- “Plumps and smoothes my skin.”
- “My skin is so soft and flawless in the morning.”
- “Left my skin plump which in return reduced fine lines.”
- “Noticed that my skin became instantly soft and smooth.”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “Efficient serum but expensive.”
- “The product is expensive.”
- “It is expensive! But it's worth it.”
- “Falls under the upper price category.”
Lightweight, non-greasy feel Sometimes Noted
- “Absorbed nicely into the skin with no oily feeling.”
- “Non-greasy and doesn't leave a film.”
- “This is not heavy at all.”
- “Blends in well and isn't greasy.”
Reduces fine lines Sometimes Noted
- “Helps decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”
- “Reduced the appearance of wrinkles, and enhanced skin texture.”
- “Smooths out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”
- “Visibly smooth the appearance of fine lines.”
Requires damp application Sometimes Noted
- “Works better for me with wet fingers when applying.”
- “Be sure to wet your fingers before applying as the instructions state.”
- “HA5 is water-loving, so wet your fingertips prior to applying.”
- “Apply to clean, slightly damp skin.”
Formula consistency changes Rarely Noted
- “Did they change the formula in the last 2-3 years?”
- “Now it feels a little thicker.”
- “I don't feel like it's as amazing as it was.”
- “Reformulation costs meaningfully more than the original.”
Sources: lovi.care, lovelyskin.com, dermstore.com, walmart.com, dermapproved.com, thebusymommylife.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does SkinMedica HA5 work for acne-prone skin?
SkinMedica HA5 works moderately well for acne-prone skin, offering hydration with hyaluronic acid and glycerin without directly targeting blemishes. This product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, peptides, or Centella Asiatica to actively manage acne while keeping the skin balanced and smooth.
Which ingredients make this moisturizing treatment a good fit for acne-prone skin?
SkinMedica HA5® works for your acne-prone skin because hyaluronic acid and glycerin provide hydration without directly addressing blemishes. This moisturizing treatment needs ingredients like Niacinamide, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, peptides, and Centella asiatica to better target acne and breakouts while keeping skin soft and smooth.
What does Water do for acne-prone skin?
Water-based hydration helps keep acne-prone skin balanced by providing essential moisture without adding excess oil. Proper hydration also helps reduce dryness and flakiness that can sometimes result from harsh acne treatments.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps acne-prone skin by soothing irritation, calming redness, and keeping the skin balanced without clogging pores. When combined with targeted ingredients like zinc oxide, it may also help reduce breakouts.
Where does this moisturizing treatment go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes in the evening routine after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer, or you can use it in your weekly routine after a hydrating toner. It offers moderate hydration through hyaluronic acid and glycerin without directly addressing acne, so acne-prone skin also needs ingredients that target breakouts and blemishes.
Can I use this moisturizing treatment with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing treatment with retinol by applying the treatment after your retinol to keep skin calm and soft. The formula is very safe and unlikely to cause irritation, but acne-prone skin needs a product that specifically helps clear blemishes and target breakouts.
How often should I use this moisturizing treatment?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice daily to keep your skin soft and hydrated. It provides moderate moisture with a very safe profile, though acne-prone skin needs other targeted blemish-fighting ingredients for a better fit.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this moisturizing treatment clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizing treatment is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts on acne-prone skin because it lacks harsh ingredients, though it provides only moderate hydration without directly addressing blemishes. Acne-prone skin needs products with targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and lightweight hydrators to keep pores clear.
Can I use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment can be used around the eyes and on the body because its gentle formula has a very safe profile with no harsh ingredients. However, because skin is much thinner around the eyes and varies in thickness across the body, a product of this type needs lightweight hydrators like hyaluronic acid and glycerin to feel comfortable without clogging pores.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
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, 2017Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Topical 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, 2019Topical application of TAC/Collagen postbiotics gel improved skin moisture score and inflammation index, and reduced porphyrins and brown spots in 20 volunteers with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical collagen tripeptide application improved skin wrinkles, elasticity, and density while reducing advanced glycated end products in 22 Asian women over 4 weeks.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Marine collagen extracted from Greenland halibut skin showed a non-cytotoxic effect on fibroblast cells and provided a slight skin hydration effect when incorporated into cosmetic hydrogel formulations at dosages of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% in 23 healthy volunteers.
Marine Drugs, 2023
Why other moisturizers fit acne-prone skin better
Gluconolactone 14% solution significantly improved mild to moderate acne by reducing inflamed and non-inflamed lesions similarly to 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with fewer side-effects in 150 patients.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023
Ingredients
Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, 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
How does it fit your skin?
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