CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for oily acne-prone skin

3 Essential Ceramides
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Cholesterol
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 sodium hyaluronate, which hydrate and plump without targeting your specific concerns of acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- While glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide humectant action suitable for oily skin, the formula lacks strong seboregulating ingredients to address oiliness.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing agents like ceramides.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 71.0k+ reviewsA small number of users with acne-prone skin reported breakouts, and some experienced a stinging sensation, particularly on compromised barriers.
Highlights
Deep hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “saved my dry skin”
- “keeps skin soft”
- “long-lasting moisture”
- “healed my cracked hands”
Gentle and soothing Often Mentioned
- “no fragrance”
- “doesn't irritate”
- “calms redness”
Non-greasy texture Often Mentioned
- “absorbs quickly”
- “thick but not sticky”
- “matte finish”
- “doesn't feel oily”
Value and versatility Sometimes Noted
- “huge tub lasts forever”
- “use on face and body”
- “great price point”
- “good for whole family”
Packaging issues Sometimes Noted
- “pump stopped working”
- “tub is unhygienic”
- “broken pump on arrival”
- “hard to get last bit out”
Burning sensation Rarely Noted
- “stung my face”
- “burned upon application”
- “caused a rash”
- “irritated my eyes”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused cystic acne”
- “clogged my pores”
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “too heavy for face”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “pills under makeup”
- “feels waxy”
- “too thick to spread”
- “leaves a film”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, walmart.com, target.com, ulta.com, cerave.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does CeraVe Moisturizing Cream work for oily acne-prone skin?
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin, providing basic hydration through glycerin and sodium hyaluronate without targeting breakouts. It is safe and soothing with ceramides, but this skin type needs a moisturizer that regulates oil and fights blemishes with targeted active ingredients.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate hydrate your oily skin without adding excess oil, while ceramides help soothe the skin without irritation. To better fit oily and acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs powerful ingredients that target breakouts and control oiliness while keeping the skin hydrated.
What do Ceramides do for oily acne-prone skin?
For oily acne-prone skin, ceramides help repair the skin barrier and improve moisture to reduce redness and acne-related irritation. Because acne-prone skin often lacks these essential lipids, adding them back supports a stronger barrier and helps keep the skin calm and smooth.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer goes near the end of your morning and evening routines, right after your toner or treatment. It is safe for oily skin, but to truly fit this skin type, a product of this type needs ingredients that help balance oil and target blemishes.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol to help keep your skin calm and soft while treating acne. Apply the moisturizer either before or after your retinol treatment to help maintain a strong skin barrier and reduce dryness.
How often should I use it?
You can use this moisturizer twice a day, in the morning and evening, to keep your skin soft and hydrated. Daily application helps maintain skin moisture and supports the skin barrier without causing irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause irritation or heavy breakouts on your oily skin because it contains soothing ceramides, but some reviewers do mention that it can occasionally cause breakouts. Because it lacks ingredients that actively control oil and target blemishes, oily and acne-prone skin often needs a lightweight hydrator combined with oil-controlling ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizer on your body and around your eyes, as it has a very good skin safety profile. Because the skin around the eyes is exceptionally thin, this gentle formula hydrates safely without causing irritation.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, 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, 2017A facial cream containing Centella asiatica leaf extract, ceramide NP, and panthenol reduced mean SS-10 scores by 66% and 76% after 2 and 4 weeks in Chinese females with sensitive skin, providing effective soothing and barrier-repairing properties with mild adverse events.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical 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, 2019The 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, 2007Botulinum toxin-A encapsulated in phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol nanoliposomes delivered transdermally achieved a diffusion depth of 380 μm and showed a nonsignificant advantage in relieving post-acne scarring compared to hyaluronic acid hydrogel treatment in 12 facial patients.
Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Medicine, 2024Topical application of cholesterol sulfate increases stratum corneum thickness and inhibits protease-induced cell dissociation by competitively inhibiting serine proteases in mice and human stratum corneum.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 1998Topical lovastatin treatment impairs the recovery of cutaneous permeability barrier function and stratum corneum cholesterol levels after acetone disruption in mice, an effect normalized by simultaneous treatment with mevalonate or cholesterol.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1990
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone 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, 2024Co-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, 2023A facial serum containing snail secretion filtrate, Calendula officinalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract significantly reduced inflammatory acne lesions compared to placebo in 66 participants with mild-to-moderate maskne over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Petrolatum, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
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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