APLB Glutathione Niacinamide Sunscreen for combination skin
Glutathione
Madecassoside
Squalane
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best sunscreens for combination skin.
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
- This sunscreen offers high compatibility with your combination skin, as niacinamide and glutathione work to control oiliness and brighten your complexion. The inclusion of Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Octocrylene provides excellent sun protection, safeguarding your skin from UV damage.
- The formula is well-suited for your oily shine concerns, with ingredients like niacinamide and glutathione offering antioxidant activity and regulating melanogenesis.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
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
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.4k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with sensitive and combination skin frequently praise this chemical sunscreen for its lightweight, lotion-like texture that absorbs quickly without stinging the eyes. While the inclusion of Glutathione and Niacinamide is highlighted for potential brightening effects over time, the immediate consensus focuses on its comfortable, moisturizing finish that leaves no white cast, though some find the 40ml tube smaller than average.
Highlights
Lightweight texture Mostly Mentioned
- “feels like a light moisturizer”
- “absorbs in seconds”
- “weightless on skin”
- “not sticky at all”
No white cast Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves no white cast”
- “finish is totally transparent”
- “blends like your own skin”
- “no white film”
Non-irritating Often Mentioned
- “doesn't sting my eyes”
- “calmed my redness”
- “no irritation on sensitive skin”
- “gentle formula”
Moisturizing finish Sometimes Noted
- “leaves a healthy glow”
- “moisturizing without stickiness”
- “skin feels hydrated”
- “good base for makeup”
Small volume Sometimes Noted
- “size seems small”
- “wish it came in a bigger bottle”
- “finished it in a month”
- “tube feels a bit empty”
Limited hydration Rarely Noted
- “dry skin may need something richer”
- “lightly hydrating but not enough for winter”
- “need a cream underneath”
Shiny finish Rarely Noted
- “a bit too glowy for me”
- “initially shiny”
- “takes a moment to absorb fully”
- “prefer a matte finish”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, stylevana.com, yesstyle.com, reddit.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes APLB Glutathione Niacinamide Sunscreen a great fit for combination skin?
APLB Glutathione Niacinamide Sunscreen is a great fit for your combination skin because glutathione and niacinamide help control oiliness and brighten your complexion while shielding you from UV damage. It is very safe with no harsh ingredients, making it unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for combination skin?
Glutathione and niacinamide make this sunscreen a great fit for your combination skin by helping to control oiliness, brighten your complexion, and manage oily shine. The formula has a very safe profile with no harsh ingredients, meaning it is unlikely to cause irritation.
What does Glutathione do for combination skin?
Glutathione helps brighten sun-exposed areas and reduce dark spots for combination skin, while also improving moisture and smoothness. It is unlikely to cause irritation and maintains a safe profile for regular use.
What does Madecassoside do for combination skin?
Madecassoside helps keep combination skin calm and hydrated while supporting the skin barrier. It may also improve moisture balance and reduce irritation in areas that tend to be dry or flaky.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This moisturizing sunscreen goes last in your morning routine, right after your moisturizer to protect your skin from the sun. It is a great fit for combination skin because it helps control oiliness and shields you from UV damage without causing irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2013
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing spf during the day as the final step of your morning routine, while saving your retinol for the evening. Applying your sunscreen over a lightweight moisturizer in the morning protects your skin from UV rays while you use retinol at night.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing spf every morning as the final step of your routine before sun exposure. Daily application helps protect your skin from UV damage while keeping your combination skin balanced and hydrated throughout the day.
Health Science Reports, 2021International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2013
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for combination skin, as it has a very safe formula with no harsh ingredients that trigger irritation. It helps keep your skin balanced without feeling heavy.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Stearyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical oxidized glutathione significantly decreases the skin melanin index and improves moisture content, smoothness, wrinkle formation, and elasticity compared to placebo in healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Liposomal 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, 2013Glutathione amino acid precursors effectively increase cellular glutathione levels, reducing oxidative stress, ATP depletion, and DNA damage in human keratinocytes, clinical subjects, and ex vivo skin compared to controls.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Topical glutathione improves hyperpigmentation, reduces ultraviolet-induced erythema and wrinkles, decreases transepidermal water loss, and enhances antioxidant capacity.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025RayGel reduced skin reaction severity with a lower average score of 93.7 compared to 123.3 for the placebo group in patients undergoing whole breast external-beam irradiation.
American Journal of Surgery, 2005Combining high-intensity focused ultrasound with a topical agent containing glutathione and hyaluronic acid significantly improves skin quality, fine wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, hydration, and brightness in female volunteers compared to the topical agent alone.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 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, 2019Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dipropylene Glycol, Squalane, C14-22 Alcohols, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Propanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract Grape Fruit Extract, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Uncaria Sinensis Extract, Glycerin, Adenosine, Disodium Edta, Rice Bran Extract, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucose, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sucrose Stearate, Glutathione, Cyclodextrin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside, Tropolone, Potassium Hyaluronate
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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