La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat for oily skin
Thermal Spring Water
Salicylic Acid
Dimethicone
Glycerin
Capryloyl Salicylic AcidAverage
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- 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 mattifying benefits for your oily skin due to silica and perlite, which absorb excess sebum, and mild exfoliation and sebum regulation from salicylic acid and capryloyl salicylic acid.
- The formula is highly suitable for oily skin, with these key ingredients working to manage oiliness and refine skin texture.
- The product is safe for your skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and poses no risk of irritation.
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
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.4k+ reviewsThis moisturizer is praised by users with oily and acne-prone skin for its ability to instantly mattify the face and serve as an excellent primer for makeup. The lightweight, non-comedogenic formula is appreciated for minimizing the appearance of pores. Some users find it insufficiently hydrating for drier areas or experience pilling when layered with other products. This summary is based on a very large amount of data and should be definitely taken into account.
Highlights
Effective Oil Control Mostly Mentioned
- “sucked up the shine”
- “not greasy at all”
- “keeps oil to a minimum”
- “leaves a nice matte finish”
Excellent Makeup Base Often Mentioned
- “foundation glides on”
- “makeup lasts longer”
- “perfect canvas for makeup”
- “prevents foundation sliding”
Lightweight Texture Often Mentioned
- “sinks almost immediately”
- “lightweight gel consistency”
- “doesn't feel clogging”
- “feels like nothing on skin”
Price vs. Quantity Often Mentioned
- “expensive for small amount”
- “wish it was bigger”
- “pricey for 40ml”
- “tube runs out fast”
Gentle on Skin Sometimes Noted
- “hasn't broken me out”
- “non-irritating”
- “good for sensitive skin”
- “calms redness”
Pore Minimizing Sometimes Noted
- “tightens pores”
- “pores look less obvious”
- “refines skin texture”
- “smooths out pores”
Pilling/Peeling Sometimes Noted
- “noticed a bit of peeling”
- “pills under sunscreen”
- “balls up if rubbed”
- “flakes off”
Short Duration Sometimes Noted
- “oily again after 3 hours”
- “shine came back by noon”
- “doesn't stop shine completely”
- “need to blot later”
Fragrance/Scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is a little strange”
- “strong floral scent”
- “smells like baby powder”
- “wish it was unscented”
Insufficient Hydration Rarely Noted
- “skin felt tight”
- “not moisturizing enough”
- “left dry patches”
- “need more hydration”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, dermstore.com, target.com, influenster.com, beautycrew.com.au, and more
Questions and answers
How well does La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat work for oily skin?
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat works reasonably well for oily skin, offering moderate shine control with silica and perlite along with gentle exfoliation from salicylic acid. While it is safe and suitable, a top-performing moisturizer for oily skin needs a combination of peptides and lightweight hydrating agents to balance moisture without heavy oils or breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat contains silica and perlite to absorb excess shine, along with salicylic acid and capryloyl salicylic acid to gently clear pores and regulate oil. To work best for oily skin, a moisturizer of this type needs a combination of peptides and hydrating agents to keep the skin balanced and lightweight, without heavy oils that can clog pores.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
What does Thermal Spring Water do for oily skin?
Thermal spring water helps calm oily skin by reducing redness and irritation while supporting skin comfort. Hot environments may increase greasiness and oiliness, and this water helps keep skin refreshed and balanced throughout the day.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2019
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?
Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cream goes in your morning and evening moisturizing steps as part of your daily routine. Oily skin works best with moisturizers that contain lightweight hydrators and oil-absorbing ingredients to keep shine under control.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying your retinol first and following with this moisturizer to help keep your skin comfortable and reduce potential dryness. This type of routine for oily skin typically needs ingredients like ceramides and soothing agents to better support the skin barrier while using strong treatments.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day as part of your daily routine. Oily skin typically needs a formula with oil-absorbing ingredients like silica and perlite, alongside salicylic acid to help regulate oil and refine texture.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020BioMed Research International, 2020
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and poses no risk of irritation. Salicylic acid and capryloyl salicylic acid help clear pores, though some users may experience mild pilling that can affect how the product sits on the skin.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is not ideal for the thin skin around the eyes and is better suited for facial use. To properly care for the delicate eye area or body skin, a product needs gentle, hydrating ingredients specifically designed for those thinner areas.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A 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, 2017Balneotherapy 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, 2023Malaysian 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, 2024A 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, 2025Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010Wearing 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, 2024Treatment 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, 2007Externally applied substances such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, licorice extracts, dimethicone, petrolatum, and paraffin wax treat skin disease resulting from damage to the skin barrier.
Clinics in Dermatology, 2012The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Capryloyl salicylic acid peel reduced fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation comparably to glycolic acid peel in 44 female volunteers, with no statistically significant differences between the two treatments.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008Combining a salicylic acid and lipohydroxy acid facial serum and mask improved closed comedones and acne severity significantly more than serum alone in adults with acne over 8 weeks, with no adverse reactions reported.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Parity was demonstrated between an OTC BPO 5.5% formulation with lipohydroxy acid and tretinoin cream 0.025% versus prescription clindamycin 1%-BPO 5% gel and tretinoin cream 0.025% in participants with mild to moderate acne vulgaris at 12 weeks.
Cutis, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Isocetyl Stearate, Alcohol Denat, Silica, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Acrylamide Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Peg-100 Stearate, Cocamide Mea, Sarcosine, Glyceryl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Isohexadecane, Perlite, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Tetrasodium Edta, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Salicylic Acid, Parfum
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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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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