🇮🇪Ireland

La Mer the moisturizing soft cream for oily acne-prone skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

La Mer the moisturizing soft cream

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 suitability for oily skin, as petrolatum and shea butter provide emollient action to hydrate and enhance barrier resilience, though it lacks sufficient ingredients for strong oil control.
  • The inclusion of algae extract and hyaluronic acid offers general skincare benefits like hydration, which are supportive but not specifically targeted for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.

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 1.8k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this product is frequently praised for its deep hydration, lightweight feel, and ability to impart a luminous glow, benefiting normal, combination, and sensitive skin types. Many users report improvements in skin texture and a reduction in redness. However, a moderate number of users with acne-prone or oily skin experienced breakouts, and a very high frequency of reviews mention concerns about the product's exceptionally high price point relative to its perceived benefits.

Highlights

  • Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
    • “Keep my skin soft and hydrated all day.”
    • “It's deeply moisturising and my skin never looks better.”
    • “Provides an excellent base for my makeup... just a hydrated and luminous glow.”
    • “This has completely changed the texture and appearance of my skin.”
  • Extremely expensive Mostly Mentioned
    • “While I did enjoy the La Mer face cream, I definitely don't think it's worth the high cost.”
    • “The long-term results weren't as 'miraculous' as the price might suggest.”
    • “Unfortunately high end skincare products are highly overrated and 90% of the times not worth their price tag.”
  • Lightweight, absorbs fast Often Mentioned
    • “The texture is lighter than the original cream, absorbs quickly and doesn't feel too heavy.”
    • “Absorb into my skin immediately leaving it looking fresh and healthy.”
    • “It feels light weight with out any oily residue.”
    • “I put it on my skin and I was surprised my skin immediately drank it up.”
  • Luminous glow Often Mentioned
    • “I really like the luminous glow that it gives.”
    • “Not glittery, not oily—just that 'my skin is healthy' look.”
    • “Gives a glow effect. nourishes the skin and makes it hydrated.”
    • “It gives me a healthy, hydrated glow rather than a greasy shine.”
  • Calms redness Sometimes Noted
    • “The algae definitely helped with some of the redness I had.”
    • “When my skin is stressed, this is one of the moisturizers I reach for because it feels calming.”
    • “Works well to moisturise and calm skins.”
    • “It's a nearly unscented gentle moisturizer that I incorporated... without any signs of irritation.”
  • Causes breakouts Sometimes Noted
    • “It doesn't moisturize well, it leaves a weird film and it clogged my pores.”
    • “Unfortunately, all it did was contribute to massive breakouts and an oily complexion.”
    • “Interestingly, I can't do the soft cream and I can only do the original cream [due to breakouts].”
    • “Because I have oily, acne-prone skin... I do think [other products] work better.”
  • Leaves residue Rarely Noted
    • “It didn't absorb well and left a heavy residue.”
    • “The cream failed to absorb into my skin (like at all), leaving my face feeling coated.”
    • “I found it difficult to use at night because the cream would get all over my pillow, leaving behind residue.”

Sources: lovi.care, nordstrom.com, sephora.sg, influenster.com, reddit.com, lemon8-app.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does LA MER The Moisturizing Soft Cream work for oily acne-prone skin?

This cream works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin, providing hydration and barrier support with ingredients like petrolatum and shea butter while lacking strong oil control. It is very safe and unlikely to cause irritation, but this skin type needs lightweight products with powerful ingredients that actively manage breakouts without clogging pores.

Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?

Shea butter and petrolatum help hydrate and protect your skin, while hyaluronic acid and algae extract provide general moisture. However, this cream lacks strong oil-control ingredients, so an oily acne-prone skin type needs a product with lightweight, non-clogging hydrators and blemish-clearing ingredients that balance moisture without adding excess oil.

What does Algae Extract do for oily acne-prone skin?

Algae extract helps keep oily, acne-prone skin balanced by providing lightweight moisture and powerful antioxidants that calm irritation. Because this skin type needs ingredients that soothe redness and protect against breakouts without clogging pores, a product of this type needs non-greasy hydrators and calming plant extracts.

Pharmaceutics, 2025Molecules, 2021

What does Butyrospermum Parkii Butter do for oily acne-prone skin?

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter helps protect the skin barrier, but because it is quite heavy, it may feel too rich for oily acne-prone skin. Skin of this type usually needs lighter, balancing ingredients like natural plant oils with a higher linoleic acid to oleic acid ratio that help keep pores clear and smooth.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018

Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This cream fits into your routine as a moisturizer used in the morning and evening, providing hydration and barrier support while remaining unlikely to cause irritation. Because oily acne-prone skin needs strong oil control and ingredients targeted specifically at blemishes, a product of this type works best when paired with oil-balancing and blemish-clearing actives.

Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cream alongside retinol, applying it after your retinol treatment to help keep your skin calm and moisturized. This type of product needs to include ingredients that help manage excess oil and target blemishes to work best for oily acne-prone skin.

Cutis, 2006

How often should I use this cream?

You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Daily application helps keep skin hydrated and supports the skin barrier with a very low risk of irritation, though oily acne-prone skin works best with a product that also provides strong oil control and targeted acne-fighting ingredients.

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 irritate oily skin because it lacks harsh ingredients, but it may cause breakouts for this skin type since petrolatum and shea butter are not specifically targeted for acne and blemishes.

Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?

This moisturizing treatment is gentle enough for the thin skin around the eyes and dry areas on the body, as it has a very safe formula with soothing ingredients and heavy softeners like shea butter and petrolatum. However, to care for delicate eye skin or larger body areas properly, a product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and targeted soothing agents that keep skin comfortable without feeling heavy.

Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, linalool, citronellol, and geraniol) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).

What the research says

  • Topical 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, 2022

  • A 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, 2025

  • Treatment 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, 2004

  • Topical 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, 2019

  • Antarctic 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, 2022

  • A 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, 2025

  • Topical 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, 2011

  • Topical 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, 2022

  • Treatment 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

  • 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, 2017

  • The 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, 2020

  • Ten 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, 2001

  • A topical cosmetic slimming product containing tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol significantly reduced body circumferences and improved skin aspect compared with placebo in 78 women over 12 weeks.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2011

  • Topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine combined with UV filters increased in vivo anti-UVB protection by approximately 25% and showed higher SPF values compared to caffeine-free sunscreen, while being well tolerated by the skin of healthy subjects.

    Frontiers in Physiology, 2019

  • Caffeine gel combined with choline geranate showed high skin permeation capacity and superior clinical results in cellulite treatment compared to caffeine gel without ionic liquid.

    AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021

Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better

Ingredients

Algae Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Distearate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Cholesterol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Steareth-10, Urea, Glucose, Polyacrylamide, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Peg-8, Laureth-7, Lecithin, Triacetin, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-51, Potassium Phosphate, Alcohol Denat, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Geraniol, Bht, Disodium Edta, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caffeine, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Pca, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract, Zinc Gluconate, Tocopheryl Succinate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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Prices checked 3 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for Ireland.

How does it fit your skin?

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