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Avène Cold Cream for oily skin

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

Avène Cold Cream

Average

  • AverageOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for oily skin; other moisturizers fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 oily skin due to the presence of mineral oil and beeswax, which hydrate and enhance barrier resilience without causing irritation.
  • While it provides general skincare benefits, the emollient and occlusive functions of these ingredients are not directly targeted at managing oily shine.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
  • Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
  • Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
  • Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
  • Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.6Overall rating based on 100+ reviews

Based on limited data, users find this cream to be a winter essential, deeply nourishing and protecting very dry, sensitive skin. It is highly effective for restoring the moisture barrier and soothing irritation, though some users report a heavy or greasy texture that they prefer for nighttime use.

Highlights

  • Intense winter protection Mostly Mentioned
    • “Saves my skin in winter”
    • “creates a protective mask”
    • “essential for skiing”
    • “blocks the sharp wind”
  • Deeply moisturizing Often Mentioned
    • “Restores moisture barrier”
    • “healed my dry patches”
    • “skin feels supple again”
    • “no more flaking”
  • Greasy finish Often Mentioned
    • “Leaves a greasy film”
    • “too shiny for day use”
    • “feels heavy on face”
    • “pillow gets oily”
  • Rich and economical Sometimes Noted
    • “A little goes a long way”
    • “tube lasts for months”
    • “very rich texture”
    • “thick and creamy”
  • Soothing for sensitivity Sometimes Noted
    • “Relieved itching immediately”
    • “calms my redness”
    • “perfect for sensitive skin”
    • “doesn't sting”
  • Old-fashioned scent Sometimes Noted
    • “Smells like grandma”
    • “strong herbal scent”
    • “perfumey smell”
    • “wish it was unscented”
  • Potential breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “Caused closed comedones”
    • “clogged my pores”
    • “too rich for my T-zone”
    • “gave me spots”
  • Price vs. size Rarely Noted
    • “Tiny tube for the money”
    • “expensive for the amount”
    • “wish it came in a bigger tub”

Sources: lovi.care, lovelyskin.com, influenster.com, makeup.uk, boots.com, sweetcare.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Avène Cold Cream work for oily skin?

Avène Cold Cream works moderately well for oily skin by offering hydration and comfort through mineral oil and beeswax, though it does not manage oily shine. It has an excellent safety profile and is unlikely to cause irritation. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrating agents, peptides, and soothing extracts that provide moisture without heavy oils or contributing to breakouts and excess oiliness.

Scientific Reports, 2021

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

Paraffinum Liquidum Mineral Oil and beeswax help make this cream a fit by keeping the skin soft and protecting it without causing irritation. However, because this cream is an average fit for oily skin, a better-suited product of this type needs lightweight hydrating agents, peptides, and soothing extracts that manage shine and support the skin barrier without heavy oils.

Scientific Reports, 2021

What does Mineral Oil do for oily skin?

Mineral oil sits on top of the skin to lock in moisture, which may feel too heavy or greasy if you already have oily skin. This type of skin needs lightweight ingredients that help control shine and balance oil production.

What does Avene Thermal Spring Water do for oily skin?

Avène Thermal Spring Water helps calm and soothe oily skin while reducing redness and sensitivity. It has a great safety profile and is unlikely to cause irritation when used in your daily routine.

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020

Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily skin?

This moisturizer goes after your hydrating toner in the morning, and after your treatment step in the evening. It is unlikely to irritate your oily skin because it lacks harsh ingredients, but a product of this type for oily skin needs oil-controlling ingredients that manage shine.

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

You can use this cream with retinol by applying the cream after your retinol treatment to help soothe the skin and reduce irritation. Using a barrier-enhancing moisturizer with retinol is well supported in skincare and helps improve skin comfort while maintaining the treatment response.

Cutis, 2006

How often should I use it?

You can use this moisturizer daily in your morning and evening routines, as its gentle mineral oil and beeswax formula is safe and unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin. Applying a moisturizing cream twice a day helps keep your skin soft and maintains a strong moisture barrier.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021

Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?

This cream is unlikely to cause breakouts for your oily skin because it has a very safe formula with no harsh or irritating ingredients. However, it may leave a greasy finish since it is not specifically designed to manage oily shine, so an oily skin type generally needs a lighter moisturizer with oil-controlling ingredients.

Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?

You can use this moisturizer around your eyes or on your body because it is very safe and unlikely to cause irritation. Oily skin around the eyes and body needs products with mineral oil and beeswax to hydrate and protect the skin barrier.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Scientific Reports, 2021

Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.

What the research says

  • A lubricant mixture of 20 wt% beeswax, 40 wt% olive oil, and 40 wt% mineral oil reduced the instantaneous and 4-hour coefficient of friction by 87% and 59%, respectively, compared to unlubricated skin in seven participants.

    Scientific Reports, 2021

  • Both US- and Tanzanian-sourced beeswax-pine resin mixtures produced equivalent short-term skin irritation compared to a hydrocolloid active comparator in 35 healthy volunteers over 7 days.

    Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing, 2026

  • Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.

    International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019

  • Balneotherapy with thermal water altered specific skin microbiota at genus and species levels in healthy female volunteers compared to tap water, which produced no significant microbiome changes.

    Life, 2023

  • Malaysian thermal spring water as an adjunct to standard acne therapy improved skin hydration, reduced dryness and stinging, enhanced overall tolerability, and improved the acne disability index in patients with mild to moderate acne.

    The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024

  • A 2% Sphingomonas xenophaga ferment extract cream applied twice daily for 4 weeks significantly decreased facial vascular disorder scores compared to vehicle in 86 Caucasian female subjects, alongside dose-dependent inhibition of pre-kallikrein activity in vitro.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025

  • Topical application of a honey, olive oil, and beeswax mixture three times daily for up to 4 weeks resulted in clinical responses in 86% of patients with pityriasis versicolor, 78% with tinea cruris, and 75% with tinea corporis.

    Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2004

  • A prototype body cream containing bee venom, propolis, honey, beeswax, and royal jelly demonstrated stability for 90 days, high antioxidant capacity of 85.45%, lack of cytotoxicity with over 70% cell viability, and no irritation or allergic reaction in dermatological analysis, while improving skin parameters in a panel test.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022

  • MUD1 protected human dermal fibroblasts against AAPH-induced oxidative stress by increasing cell viability, reducing oxidative damage, improving mitochondrial functionality, and enhancing wound healing capacities.

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018

  • A soap-free cleansing lotion containing cetyl alcohol and sodium cocoyl apple amino acids reduced skin surface impurities and improved skin hydration, barrier function, and skin tone in 27 healthy adult subjects over 30 days.

    Cureus, 2025

Why other moisturizers fit oily 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, 2024

Ingredients

Paraffinum Liquidum Mineral Oil, Avene Thermal Spring Water Avene Aqua Avene Aqua, Beeswax Cera Alba Cera, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Bht, C20-40 Pareth-10, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Phosphate, Parfum, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Triethanolamine, Water

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

How does it fit your skin?

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How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play