No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream for combination skin
Avobenzone
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other sunscreens fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 excellent sun protection for your combination skin due to avobenzone and octisalate, while glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide hydration without feeling heavy.
- The formulation is safe for your combination skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
- While it provides general hydration benefits, the product does not directly address your concern of oily shine.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen AM daily to protect your skin and control shine. Reapply as needed throughout the day.
- Use it as the final step of your morning routine after applying your moisturizer. It combines hydration and sun protection in one.
- Gently smooth a nickel-sized amount evenly over your face, avoiding harsh rubbing. Let it absorb fully before putting on makeup.
- Apply it directly to clean, dry skin for the best oil-controlling finish. Ensure your face is completely dry so the product sets properly.
- Avoid the immediate eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cream is highly regarded for its rich hydration and ability to smooth skin texture, making it a favorite for those with dry or mature skin. Many users report visible improvements in fine lines and appreciate the added SPF protection. Some users with sensitive or oily skin experienced irritation or found the formula too heavy and heavily fragranced.
Highlights
Deep hydration Often Mentioned
- “Keeps skin moisturized all day”
- “Eliminates dry patches”
- “Feels nourishing”
Smoother skin Often Mentioned
- “Leaves skin feeling soft”
- “Velvety finish”
- “Improves roughness”
Anti-aging results Sometimes Noted
- “Fine lines appear reduced”
- “Skin looks plumper”
- “Firmer feel”
Good makeup base Sometimes Noted
- “Absorbs well”
- “Non-greasy under foundation”
- “Acts like a primer”
Sun protection Sometimes Noted
- “SPF inclusion is convenient”
- “Prevents sunburn”
- “Good daily defense”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “Scent is overpowering”
- “Smells like perfume”
- “Lingers too long”
Packaging concerns Rarely Noted
- “Jar is unhygienic”
- “Prefer a pump”
- “Heavy glass container”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “Caused breakouts”
- “Burning sensation”
- “Redness or rash”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “Can pill/roll off”
- “Feels heavy/greasy”
- “Takes time to absorb”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, ulta.com, walgreens.com, target.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does No7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream work for combination skin?
This cream works decently for your combination skin, giving you good sun protection and light hydration without feeling heavy, though it does not directly address oily shine. To work best for this skin type, a product of this kind needs to be completely safe against irritation, effectively manage oily shine with lightweight hydration and barrier support, and include nourishing antioxidants.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for combination skin?
Avobenzone and octisalate help protect your combination skin from the sun, while glycerin and sodium hyaluronate hydrate it without feeling heavy. To be a better fit for this skin type, a product of this kind needs ingredients that actively help manage oily shine while providing safe, lightweight moisture.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
What does Avobenzone do for combination skin?
Avobenzone helps protect combination skin from sun damage, but it is best used in a stable formulation because it can break down under sunlight. Encapsulating this ingredient or combining it with photostability boosters may reduce skin irritation and improve safety.
European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. B, Biology, 2015
What does Butyrospermum Parkii Butter do for combination skin?
Butyrospermum parkii butter helps keep combination skin soft and smooth while supporting the skin barrier. This ingredient is generally well tolerated, though a product for this skin type also needs lightweight hydration to balance oilier zones without clogging pores.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This moisturizing spf goes in the morning routine after your hydrating toner. It helps protect your skin from the sun and keeps it soft without feeling heavy, though combination skin also needs a product that helps manage oily shine.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
Can I use this cream with niacinamide, and in what order?
You can use this cream with niacinamide by applying niacinamide first and letting it absorb before putting on this moisturizer. This combination is unlikely to irritate your skin, though an average fit for combination skin also needs ingredients that balance oily shine.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this cream every morning as part of your daytime routine to help keep your skin hydrated and protected from the sun. Daily application of moisturizers of this type helps improve overall skin moisture and barrier function.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on combination skin because it lacks harsh ingredients that typically cause irritation and uses lightweight hydrators. However, a product for this skin needs oil-absorbing or balancing ingredients to properly control oily shine.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
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, 2017Encapsulating avobenzone in low-porosity TiO2-embedded mesoporous silica (TiO2/SBA-S) reduced cutaneous avobenzone absorption from 0.76 to 0.50 nmol/mg while providing effective pollutant adsorbability, UVA protection, and a two- to three-fold reduction in photoaged skin cytokines/chemokines compared to the non-treatment control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008A 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, 2025A 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, 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, 2019Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A multi-modal methodology combining MALDI-MSI, in vivo RCM, echography, and histology revealed age-related decreases in extracellular matrix and epidermal-dermal junction proteins and undulation depth, while a blend of palmitoyl oligopeptide and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 improved subepidermal low-echogenic band thickness, density, and extracellular matrix structure compared to placebo.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2015Chronomodulated daytime application of baicalin and nighttime application of palmitoyl tripeptide-1 synergistically improved skin luminance by 16.29%, nasolabial fold depth by -36.35%, and firmness by 24.35% in 30 female participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, acetyl hexapeptide-8, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-10 significantly increased type III collagen levels in human dermal fibroblasts following UV exposure, with their combination demonstrating a greater effect in vitro and enhancing type I, III, and IV collagen levels in ex vivo skin tissues compared to individual components.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2026
Ingredients
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Tribehenin, Alcohol Denat, Dimethicone, Aluminum Octenylsuccinate Starch, Cetearyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Methylparaben, Dimethiconol, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ethylparaben, Dipropylene Glycol, Retinyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Tetrasodium Edta, Sorbitan Laurate, T-Butyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Medicago Sativa Extract, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Avobenzone, Octisalate, Octocrylene
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.