Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula for combination skin
Theobroma Cacao Butter
Vitamin E
Dimethicone
Octinoxate
Oxybenzone
Caution
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A poor match for combination skin; the sunscreens alongside fit it better.
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 moderate moisturizing for your combination skin due to the presence of Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter and Glycerin, but Petrolatum and Mineral Oil can clog pores, making it less suitable for your oily shine.
- While Glycerin provides humectant action for your combination skin, the formula lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control on your oily areas.
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
★4.8Overall rating based on 15.0k+ reviewsUsers consistently report positive outcomes such as improved skin texture, faded stretch marks, and a soft, radiant complexion, though a few find the rich formula slightly heavy.
Highlights
Deeply moisturizes skin Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin visibly smooth and moisturized”
- “provides deep, long-lasting hydration”
- “keeps skin moisturized during winters”
- “transforms even the roughest, driest areas”
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “reduces and fades stretch marks over time”
- “fading of stretch marks and spots”
- “arms and legs are smooth and young looking”
- “helps calm rough, flaky skin”
Pleasant cocoa scent Often Mentioned
- “leaves skin visibly smooth and moisturized”
- “provides deep, long-lasting hydration”
- “keeps skin moisturized during winters”
- “transforms even the roughest, driest areas”
Absorbs quickly Sometimes Noted
- “absorbs well into skin without residue”
- “does not feel oily the rest of the day”
- “melts nicely into skin”
- “absorbs quickly, creating a protective barrier”
Faulty pump dispenser Rarely Noted
- “pump breaks or detaches”
- “affecting lotion dispensing”
- “prone to clogging”
- “issues with the product's packaging”
Greasy or sticky Rarely Noted
- “feels a bit greasy, which is annoying”
- “was also sticky and didn't soak in”
- “heavier than a regular lotion”
- “demasiado grasosa”
Overpowering scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is much too strong”
- “walk around smelling like a Hershey chocolate bar”
- “didn't care for the smell”
- “cocoa butter scent is noticeable... not subtle”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, target.com, amazon.com, palmers.com, gopicky.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula for combination skin?
Lovi advises caution because heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can clog pores and worsen oily shine on your combination skin. A product of this type needs lightweight oils and hydrating ingredients that manage oily shine without clogging pores while providing balanced moisture and sun protection.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1978Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for combination skin?
Petrolatum and mineral oil make this cream a poor fit because they can clog pores and worsen oily shine on combination skin. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and oil-control ingredients to balance dry and oily areas without clogging pores.
What does Cocoa Butter do for combination skin?
Cocoa butter is generally too heavy for combination skin and may clog pores or make oily areas feel greasy. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil without heavy blocking agents to properly care for combination skin.
What does Vitamin E do for combination skin?
Vitamin E helps balance combination skin by boosting moisture while calming redness and reducing oiliness in shiny areas. It is generally well-tolerated and may help protect the skin barrier, keeping both dry and oily patches comfortable and smooth.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
Where does it go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This product is used as a moisturizer and sunscreen in the morning routine for combination skin. Because it can clog pores and worsen oily shine, combination skin needs lighter moisturizers with oil-controlling ingredients and non-clogging hydrators like glycerin.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
This cream is a poor match for your combination skin because heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can clog your pores and increase oily shine. To use this type of product safely with retinol, you need a lightweight moisturizer that balances dry areas while providing oil control without heavy oils.
How often should I use it?
This moisturizer is a poor fit for your combination skin because ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can clog your pores and make your oily areas too shiny. A product of this type for combination skin needs balancing ingredients that provide moisture without clogging pores and ingredients for proper oil control.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream may clog pores and cause breakouts on combination skin because heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can trap oil in your shine-prone areas. To work well for this skin type, a product of this type needs lighter hydrators and ingredients that help control excess oil without clogging pores.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum and benzyl alcohol). Cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and myristyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Ultraviolet radiation enhanced the comedogenic capacity of human sebum, sulphur, cocoa butter, squalene, and coal tar in rabbits, and of coal tar and squalene in humans.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1978A 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 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, 2024Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007Replacing 20% of the chemical UV filter octyl methoxycinnamate with urucum oil in solid lipid nanoparticles maintained the skin protection factor without inducing toxic responses or significant skin penetration in human volunteers.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2018Liposomal encapsulation of octyl methoxycinnamate increases its safety, skin affinity, and in vivo solar photoprotection factor while slowing its release and enhancing retention in the stratum corneum compared to a conventional formulation.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2013Encapsulation 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, 2011Daily whole-body topical application of sunscreens benzophenone-3, octyl-methoxycinnamate, and 3-(4-methylbenzylidene) camphor results in systemic absorption in healthy human volunteers but does not alter endogenous reproductive hormone levels.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2004Topical application of sunscreen agents in human volunteers resulted in significant skin penetration of all agents and systemic absorption of oxybenzone and its metabolites.
Journal of Chromatography. B, Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences, 2004Benzophenone-3 loaded starch microsponges provided improved photoprotection, higher sun protection factor, and reduced cutaneous penetration compared to raw benzophenone-3 cream.
Materials Science & Engineering. C, Materials for Biological Applications, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum Mineral Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Palm Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Tocopherol Vitamin E, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Peg-8 Stearate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Butylene Glycol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cellulose, Sodium Acetate, Parfum, Dimethyl Stearamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Yellow 5 Ci 19140, Ci 15510, Benzyl 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
How does it fit your skin?
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