EltaMD Skin Recovery Night Mask for combination skin
Aacomplex
Sodium Hyaluronate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Bisabolol
Aloe Barbadensis Flower ExtractAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other nourishing masks 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 saccharide isomerate and sodium hyaluronate, which hydrate and enhance barrier resilience, though it lacks targeted ingredients for your oily shine.
- Bisabolol provides anti-inflammatory action, offering general soothing benefits that are supportive but not directly addressing your primary concern of oil control.
- The product is safe for your combination skin with no risks of irritation, as it avoids prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using your creamy mask 3x a week and work up to daily use if your skin tolerates it.
- Apply your creamy mask after cleansing and toning, but before your moisturizer to lock in benefits. This step fits nicely right in the middle of your daily routine.
- Smooth an even layer of the creamy mask gently over your face, avoiding any unnecessary heavy rubbing. Let it sit for a few minutes ⏱ so your skin can drink it in.
- Apply the creamy mask on clean and dry skin to help manage oily shine effectively. This ensures the product works best for your combination skin type.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a simple patch test before your very first use to make sure your skin is happy.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsThis night mask is highly praised for its lightweight, gel-like texture that effectively calms redness and strengthens the skin barrier without leaving a greasy residue. While it is a favorite for sensitive and acne-prone skin types seeking overnight rejuvenation, a subset of users with severely dry skin noted that it may not provide enough intense moisture on its own.
Highlights
Hydrating and soothing Mostly Mentioned
- “Wake up the next morning to hydrated skin.”
- “My skin feels so soft and with glow.”
- “Hydrates and soothes.”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “Absorbing quickly and leaving no residue.”
- “Lightweight, calming gel-like texture.”
- “No greasy or sticky feeling.”
Reduces redness Often Mentioned
- “Takes down redness overnight.”
- “Redness around my cheeks and nose... was noticeably reduced.”
- “Helps reduce redness and irritation.”
Sensitive skin friendly Sometimes Noted
- “Non-reactive for my sensitive skin.”
- “Fragrance-free is also fantastic.”
- “Suitable for sensitive and acne-prone skin.”
Insufficient hydration Sometimes Noted
- “If you have severely dry skin, this is probably not for you.”
- “It might need more hydrating ingredients.”
- “Not as hydrating as CeraVe.”
Irritation potential Rarely Noted
- “Burnt my under-eye skin!”
- “This product dried my skin out.”
Jar packaging Rarely Noted
- “It's not the most hygienic option.”
- “It would be nice if... a pump or a more sanitary dispenser.”
Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, ellemesmedspa.com, bluemercury.com, trustpilot.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does the EltaMD Skin Recovery Night Mask work for combination skin?
This mask works reasonably well for combination skin by providing moderate moisture and calming irritated areas, though it does not help control oily shine. A product for this skin type needs a well-balanced formula that hydrates dry spots without feeling too rich, along with ingredients that target excess oil.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Which ingredients make this mask a good fit for combination skin?
Sodium hyaluronate and saccharide isomerate make this mask a good fit by hydrating dry areas and strengthening the skin barrier, while bisabolol helps calm the face. However, this skin type also needs ingredients that target oily shine and balance moisture without feeling too rich.
What does AA Complex do for combination skin?
AA Complex helps calm redness and reduces irritation on combination skin while speeding up how fast the skin repairs itself. This blend is especially useful when your skin feels sensitive in certain spots and needs a gentle recovery boost.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for combination skin?
Hyaluronic acid is a great fit for combination skin because it quenches dry areas with a boost of hydration while keeping oily zones balanced. Regular use helps smooth out fine lines and makes your skin feel soft and plump without causing irritation.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
Where does this mask go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This mask goes at the end of your evening routine as your moisturizer step, providing gentle hydration and calming dry areas without clogging pores. Because it lacks oil-controlling ingredients, combination skin needs a nourishing mask of this type to also include targeted balancing ingredients to manage oily shine.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Can I use this mask with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this mask in the evening along with your retinol, applying it after your retinol treatment as the final moisturizing step to help calm your skin. It is unlikely to irritate your skin, but combination skin with oily shine needs a product that also provides oil control.
How often should I use this mask?
You can use this nourishing mask regularly as part of your evening routine, as it is unlikely to irritate combination skin. To properly care for combination skin, a product of this type needs ingredients that balance moisture while helping to control oily shine.
Can this mask clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This mask is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on your combination skin because it avoids harsh ingredients, though it also lacks specific oil-controlling components. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and balancing ingredients to manage oily shine while keeping dry areas soft and smooth.
Is this mask fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A novel moisturizer containing saccharide isomerate accelerates skin barrier recovery, improves hydration, reduces erythema, and alleviates discomfort compared to a control moisturizer following intense pulsed light treatment in subjects with skin aging.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025A 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, 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, 2021An amino acid complex formulated in a Skin Recovery System reduced skin irritation and redness while accelerating the skin repair process in 37 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical 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 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, 2025Topical 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, 2024A topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced air pollution-induced skin pigmentation and proinflammatory gene expression ex vivo, and improved skin aging signs in 40 healthy adult females after 90 days of daily use.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Application of an alpha-bisabolol-containing cream produced a significant skin-lightening effect in pigmented skin compared to a vehicle control in the majority of female subjects after 8 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2010The combination of allantoin, bisabolol, D-panthenol and dipotassium glycyrrhizinate reduces UVB-induced PGE2, inflammatory cytokines, and mitochondrial superoxide in human epidermal keratinocytes.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010
Why other nourishing masks fit combination 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
Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Propanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Polyacrylamide, Phenoxyethanol, Taurine, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Arginine, Saccharide Isomerate, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Laureth-7, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Lespedeza Capitata Stem Extract Leaf, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Glycine, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Jojoba Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Leaf Extract Flower, Curcuma Longa Root Extract
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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