Naturopathica Gotu Kola Intense Repair Balm for oily acne-prone skin
Centella Asiatica
Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil Fruit
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil
Coconut OilLow
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A weak match for oily acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside 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 Olea Europaea Oil Fruit and Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract provide hydration and support skin repair, but the emollient base may pose risks for congestion.
- The formulation includes Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract to help with acne and blemishes, though it lacks sufficient ingredients for effective oil control on oily skin.
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
★4.9Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, this balm is highly praised for its ability to deeply hydrate and repair compromised skin. Users frequently report significant improvements in skin barrier health, reduction in redness, and relief from irritation caused by dryness, acne, or environmental stressors.
Highlights
Deeply hydrates skin Mostly Mentioned
- “Woke up to the smoothest, most hydrated, calmest skin.”
- “Perfect for nightly hydration.”
- “Intensely moisturizing, multi-use balm.”
Soothes irritation Often Mentioned
- “Helps with breakouts and irritation.”
- “Quieting things down nicely.”
- “Sped up the process of bringing my skin back to life.”
Effective for acne Sometimes Noted
- “Helps keep my acne at bay.”
- “Helped with the breakouts.”
- “Miracle worker for sensitive and acne-prone skin.”
Repairs skin barrier Sometimes Noted
- “Strengthens the skin barrier.”
- “Helps improve skin barrier health.”
- “Builds a strong barrier to protect aggravated skin.”
Heavy, oily texture Sometimes Noted
- “It can feel heavy.”
- “Feels thick, emollient, and oily.”
- “Needs to be warmed up... takes 20 to 30 minutes to absorb.”
Requires warming Rarely Noted
- “Waxy and stiff straight out of the container.”
- “Needs to be warmed up in the palm of your hand.”
- “Warm between fingers to melt and activate.”
Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, thedailybeast.com, heydayskincare.com, naturopathica.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Naturopathica Gotu Kola Intense Repair Balm a weak match for oily acne-prone skin?
This balm is a weak match because its heavy oil base may clog pores and cause congestion on oily skin, even though it contains helpful calming and repairing extracts. Oily acne-prone skin needs a lightweight moisturizer without heavy oils that hydrates effectively and controls oil without clogging pores.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Molecules, 2023
Which ingredients make this treatment a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Olea Europaea Oil Fruit, coconut oil, and other rich oils in the base may pose risks for congestion on oily acne-prone skin. This skin type needs a moisturizing treatment with lightweight textures, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and other ingredients that provide hydration and improve skin texture without clogging pores or adding excess oil.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Molecules, 2023
What does Centella Asiatica do for oily acne-prone skin?
Centella asiatica helps calm redness, reduce acne breakouts, and improve moisture while supporting skin barrier repair. It may also help decrease inflammation and excess oil.
Molecules, 2023Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
What does Olive Oil do for oily acne-prone skin?
Topical application of olive oil may damage the outer skin barrier and is likely a poor fit for oily, acne-prone skin. This type of skin needs lightweight ingredients like sunflower seed oil that help preserve skin integrity and improve hydration without causing irritation.
Where does this treatment go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine, after cleansing and before moisturizing, though it is a weak match for oily acne-prone skin. This type of skin needs lightweight, oil-controlling ingredients and non-heavy moisturizers that balance oil and keep pores clear without causing congestion.
Can I use this treatment with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol, but apply your retinol first and follow with this balm to help soothe dryness. Because this product is a heavy oil-based balm, it may cause breakouts on oily skin and lacks oil-controlling ingredients. This skin type needs lightweight moisturizers with oil-balancing and clarifying ingredients to stay clear.
How often should I use this treatment?
This moisturizing treatment is a weak match for oily acne-prone skin, as its rich oils may clog pores and lack the oil control this skin type needs. Oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight, oil-free hydration and targeted blemish-clearing ingredients to stay clear and balanced.
Can this treatment clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This treatment may pose risks for congestion on oily skin because its heavy, oily texture and rich oils can easily clog pores and cause breakouts. Oily acne-prone skin needs a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer with ingredients that control excess oil and clear pores without heavy oils.
Can I use this treatment around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment can be used on both the thin skin around the eyes and on the body, as its heavy oils and plant extracts help hydrate and soften dry areas. However, because skin is exceptionally thin around the eyes, apply it carefully to avoid any irritation.
Is this treatment fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene, linalool, and citral).
What the research says
Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Co-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, 2023Asiatic acid-loaded solid lipid microparticles stabilized with poloxamer-188 reduced porphyrin intensity, enhanced skin barriers, and improved skin hydration and brightness in fifteen participants with mild-to-moderate acne.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2024Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020A 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, 2017Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Overnight virgin coconut oil application provides a skin protective effect against damage and increased TEWL from frequent alcohol-based hand sanitizer usage in 60 volunteers, resulting in a 25% increase in perceived moisture content compared to the control group.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
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, 2024A peel-off facial mask containing myoinositol and trehalose-loaded liposomes improved adult female acne by decreasing lesion counts, sebum production, GAGS scores, and local androgen levels while increasing beclin-1 levels.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017
Ingredients
Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil Fruit, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Coconut Oil, Zingiber Officinale Oil Root, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Garcinia Indica Seed Butter, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil Fruit, Lemon Peel Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Leaf Extract Flower, Raspberry Tocopheryl Succinate Aminopropanediol Esters Seed Oil, Silica, Lauroyl Lysine, Limonene, Linalool, Citral
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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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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