e.l.f. Nourishing Night Cream for acne-prone skin
Jojoba
Aloe Barbadensis
Shea Butter
Glycerin
Sodium HyaluronateAverage
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
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 suitability for combination skin, as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide excellent hydration and plumping effects beneficial for acne and blemishes, but lack targeted ingredients for optimal oil control on oily areas.
- The formula is generally safe for your combination skin, with shea butter and aloe vera offering soothing properties without harsh ingredients.
- While providing good moisturizing benefits, the product does not offer specific treatments for acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 3.4k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly effective at deeply hydrating and soothing dry, flaky, and sensitive skin, leaving it plump and soft by morning. Most users appreciate its lightweight, non-greasy texture that absorbs quickly. A smaller number of users with highly sensitive skin reported mild irritation or found the fragrance to be strong.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “Provides deep hydration, making it ideal for dry skin.”
- “Highly moisturizing, transforming dry skin.”
- “Replenishes lost moisture and soothes skin.”
- “Keeps it hydrated, even for those with dry patches.”
Affordable price Often Mentioned
- “Affordable yet effective.”
- “Skin-loving ingredients at good-for-you prices.”
- “A little goes a long way, providing good value.”
- “Affordable and effective in nourishing the skin.”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “Texture is incredibly light and absorbs quickly.”
- “Lightweight, non-greasy formula that absorbs effectively.”
- “Does not feel oily or tacky and is creamy and light.”
- “Absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue.”
Soothes sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “Soothing and helps to calm any irritation.”
- “Gentle ingredients that work overnight to repair.”
- “Reduces flakiness, dryness, and irritation.”
- “Great option for sensitive skin.”
Overwhelming fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “Concerns about the fragrance.”
- “Strong floral scent might be overwhelming.”
- “Eyes even watered during application.”
- “Not completely unscented.”
Insufficient moisture Rarely Noted
- “Lacking moisture, it's lacking emollient.”
- “Just did not do it for me.”
- “Not a moisturizing product.”
- “Did not do anything for moisturizing my skin.”
Mild burning sensation Rarely Noted
- “Initial application you do get a little bit of a burn.”
- “Did get a little bit of a burning and tingling.”
- “Might be overwhelming if you have sensitive skin.”
- “Read ingredient lists carefully to avoid any potential irritation.”
Sources: lovi.care, target.com, walmart.ca, desertcart.com.pa, influenster.com, ubuy.mq, and more
Questions and answers
How well does e.l.f. Nourishing Night Cream work for acne-prone skin?
This night cream works decently for acne-prone skin by delivering soothing moisture through glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, and aloe vera, but it lacks targeted blemish treatments and oil control. To truly thrive, acne-prone skin needs products that provide dedicated blemish-fighting ingredients and oil balance alongside hydration.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin by providing deep hydration, while shea butter and aloe vera help soothe the skin without harsh ingredients. However, because it lacks targeted treatments for breakouts and oil control, a moisturizer for this skin type needs specialized blemish-fighting and oil-balancing ingredients.
What does Jojoba Oil do for acne-prone skin?
Jojoba oil helps calm acne-prone skin and supports skin recovery. It strengthens the outer skin layer and helps manage skin conditions effectively.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2022Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024
What does Aloe Vera do for acne-prone skin?
Aloe vera helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing redness, swelling, and the number of blemishes. It works well to soothe irritated areas while keeping the skin smooth and comfortable.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cream goes in your morning and evening routine as the final step to lock in moisture, just before sunscreen in the morning. While it provides good hydration with ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer that also includes targeted oil control and blemish treatments.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying it after your retinol treatment to help soothe the skin and reduce dryness. Moisturizers with barrier-supporting and soothing ingredients are helpful when using strong acne treatments, though this type of skin also needs targeted ingredients for oil control and breakouts.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this cream daily as part of your morning and evening routine to keep your skin hydrated and calm. Regular daily application helps improve moisture levels and supports your skin barrier, though acne-prone skin also needs targeted blemish treatments and oil control ingredients.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause purging since it does not contain active ingredients that speed up cell turnover, but it may feel a bit heavy and lead to clogged pores or breakouts for acne-prone skin. It lacks targeted oil control ingredients and specific blemish treatments, so acne-prone skin generally needs a lighter moisturizer packed with salicylic acid, niacinamide, or oil-balancing ingredients.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream around your eyes and on your body, as its moisturizing formula is generally safe for skin everywhere. However, because the skin on your body and eyelids differs in thickness from facial skin, a product of this type needs specific targeted ingredients and lighter or richer textures suited to those areas.
Is this cream 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, 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, 2022A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024Topical jojoba oil application in male mice decreased exercise-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression (Il-1b and Il-6 in soleus, Il-1b in gastrocnemius) compared to untreated exercised mice.
Biomolecules, 2025Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025The 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, 2012Topical 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, 2019
Why other moisturizers fit acne-prone skin better
Co-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 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, 2024A 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, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Jojoba Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Dimethiconol, Tocopheryl Acetate Ve, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium Edta, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Leaf Extract Fruit, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Sugar Maple Extract, Lemon Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
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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