La Mer Moisturizing Cream for acne-prone skin
Miracle Broth
Algae Extract
Glycerin
Lime Tea Concentrate
Vitamin E
Low
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside 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 glycerin and algae extract, but the presence of occlusive ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can clog pores and is not ideal for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- While the formula is generally safe and free of harsh irritants for combination skin, it lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control on your oily areas.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 10.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this moisturizer is highly regarded for its intense hydration and soothing properties, with many users reporting a radiant complexion and improved skin texture. However, a significant number of users find the cream to be excessively expensive and note that its heavy texture can lead to clogged pores or breakouts, while some find the fragrance to be overpowering.
Highlights
Intense hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “heals dry patches overnight”
- “skin drinks it up”
- “saved my winter skin”
- “hydration lasts all day”
Exorbitant price Mostly Mentioned
- “astronomically expensive”
- “not worth the money”
- “glorified Nivea”
- “paying for the brand”
Plumping and glow Often Mentioned
- “gives the La Mer glow”
- “skin looks plump”
- “lines appear softened”
- “makeup sits beautifully”
Soothing Often Mentioned
- “soothed windburn instantly”
- “heals picking scars”
- “reduced redness significantly”
Luxurious experience Sometimes Noted
- “spa-like scent”
- “feels incredibly rich”
- “treat for myself”
- “relaxing ritual”
Breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “caused cystic acne”
- “clogged my pores”
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “bad for acne-prone skin”
Heavy texture Sometimes Noted
- “feels like paste”
- “sits on top of skin”
- “too greasy for day”
- “hard to spread”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “smells like old lady”
- “fragrance is overpowering”
- “scent gave me a headache”
- “too perfumey”
Sources: lovi.care, bluemercury.com, bloomingdales.com, sephora.com, influenster.com, nordstrom.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is La Mer Moisturizing Cream a weak match for acne-prone skin?
This cream is a weak match because, while it provides moderate hydration with glycerin and algae extract, heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can clog pores and lead to breakouts on acne-prone skin. It also lacks the specific oil-controlling ingredients needed for oily areas. A moisturizing treatment for acne-prone skin needs ingredients that target blemishes, keep oil in check, and hydrate without clogging pores.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for acne-prone skin?
This cream contains mineral oil and petrolatum, which can clog pores and may trigger breakouts on acne-prone skin. A product of this type needs soothing extracts and ingredients that provide oil control and fight blemishes without clogging pores.
What does Miracle Broth do for acne-prone skin?
Miracle Broth is unlikely to suit acne-prone skin well because it lacks the ingredients needed to clear breakouts and balance oil. Acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-greasy ingredients that calm redness and keep pores clear, such as azelaic acid or plant oils with a high linoleic acid to oleic acid ratio.
Postepy Dermatologii I Alergologii, 2023American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018
What does Algae Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Algae extract helps calm acne-prone skin and may reduce breakouts through its soothing and purifying properties. Because this type of skin is often easily upset, it needs lightweight hydrators and gentle ingredients that target swelling and clear pores without clogging them.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cream goes toward the end of your morning and evening routines as the moisturizer step, right after your toner and treatment. Because it contains heavy ingredients that may clog pores and lacks oil control, acne-prone skin needs a lighter moisturizer with ingredients that balance oil and keep pores clear.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, applying it after your retinol treatment to help lock in moisture and calm dryness. However, this heavy, thick cream contains mineral oil and petrolatum which may clog pores and trigger breakouts on acne-prone skin, so this skin type generally needs a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer with pore-clearing and oil-balancing ingredients instead.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is best used daily as the final step in your morning and evening routines. However, because it contains heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil that can clog pores, it is a weak match for your acne-prone skin and may cause breakouts. To properly care for acne-prone skin, a moisturizer of this type needs lightweight hydrators and oil-controlling ingredients that keep pores clear.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream may clog pores and cause breakouts on acne-prone skin because it contains heavy sealing ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil. It lacks sufficient ingredients for oil control, so acne-prone skin needs lightweight, oil-free moisturizers with pore-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid instead.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment is generally safe to use around the eyes or on the body, though the skin around the eyes is much thinner than most body areas. Heavy or rich creams like this one may help keep dry areas soft, but the delicate eye area and body skin often need lighter textures or specialized ingredients depending on your specific needs.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene, geraniol, parfum, linalool, citronellol, citral, benzyl salicylate, and benzyl alcohol).
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, 2017Treatment with lipid algae extract reduced the level of oxidized proteins in human keratinocytes and stratum corneum skin cells.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004Topical astaxanthin-loaded algae extract hydrogel and lipogel formulations exhibited the highest antioxidant activity and successful in vitro release, suggesting their potential as anti-aging formulations.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Antarctic marine algae extracts increased cell viability, protected against inflammation, and enhanced the barrier integrity of human intestinal and keratinocyte cell lines damaged by lipopolysaccharide or ultraviolet radiation.
Marine Drugs, 2022The 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 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, 2024
Why other moisturizers fit 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, 2023
Ingredients
Algae Extract, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Microcrystalline Wax, Lanolin Alcohol, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Leaf Eucalyptus Oil Leaf, Limonene, Geraniol, Hydrogenated Oil, Magnesium Sulfate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Powder, Medicago Sativa Seed Powder, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake Sunflower Seedcake, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal Seed, Sodium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Magnesium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Potassium Gluconate, Paraffin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Parfum, Linalool, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Cinnamyl Alcohol
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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