St. Ives Renewing Moisturizer for acne-prone skin

Collagen
Elastin
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Hydrolyzed Elastin
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- Low RiskSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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, as propylene glycol and dimethicone hydrate and smooth texture, but it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- While dimethicone provides emollient action suitable for combination skin, the formula's humectant levels are insufficient for optimal hydration, and the absence of acne-fighting ingredients poses a risk of worsening existing conditions.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help keep breakouts under control.
- Apply after your cleanser and toner, and make sure to use your SPF right after in the morning.
- Gently spread a small amount of moisturizer over your face using soft motions. Let it absorb into the skin for a minute before getting dressed or applying makeup.
- Apply on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. This keeps your combination skin balanced without feeling heavy.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Stop using if you feel any irritation.
Questions and answers
How well does St. Ives Renewing Moisturizer work for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer gives you moderate hydration and smooth texture, but it lacks targeted ingredients to actively clear blemishes and breakouts. A better choice for acne-prone skin needs soothing agents, specialized blemish-fighting ingredients, and allergen-free formulas that hydrate and repair without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Propylene glycol and dimethicone make this cream a moderate fit by hydrating and smoothing skin texture. However, because it lacks specialized blemish-fighting ingredients, an acne-prone skin type needs a product formulated with soothing extracts, specific breakout-targeting ingredients, and nourishing peptides to maintain balance without irritation.
What does Collagen do for acne-prone skin?
Collagen does not directly target breakouts, but it helps keep dry or aging acne-prone skin soft and hydrated without clogging pores. Because this skin type often needs lightweight moisture and soothing care, a product of this type needs non-greasy hydrators and calming ingredients to support clear skin.
Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2019
What does Hydrolyzed Elastin do for acne-prone skin?
Hydrolyzed elastin helps keep acne-prone skin soft and smooth while supporting moisture retention, though it does not directly treat breakouts. A product of this type for acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-greasy hydrators and soothing ingredients to maintain skin balance without clogging pores.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer goes in the final step of your morning routine after toner, and in the evening after your treatment. For acne-prone skin, this type of product needs added acne-fighting ingredients and better hydration to keep blemishes under control.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol to help keep your skin smooth, applying the cream after your retinol treatment absorbs. When using products like this on acne-prone skin, a good fit means choosing formulas that add specialized blemish-clearing ingredients and extra hydration to support your routine.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream works well for your skin when used daily as a basic moisturizer, though acne-prone skin needs a formula with targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and deeper hydration.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is an average fit for acne-prone skin because it lacks specialized ingredients to target breakouts and blemishes, and it may risk worsening existing conditions. An acne-prone skin needs a product with targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and balanced hydrators that keep pores clear.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream on your body and around the eyes, as its moisturizing ingredients help hydrate and smooth skin texture. However, because skin is exceptionally thin around the eyes and varies in thickness across the body, products for these areas should be chosen carefully for gentle compatibility.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, coumarin, geraniol, hexyl cinnamal, and linalool). Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical application of TAC/Collagen postbiotics gel improved skin moisture score and inflammation index, and reduced porphyrins and brown spots in 20 volunteers with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical collagen tripeptide application improved skin wrinkles, elasticity, and density while reducing advanced glycated end products in 22 Asian women over 4 weeks.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Marine collagen extracted from Greenland halibut skin showed a non-cytotoxic effect on fibroblast cells and provided a slight skin hydration effect when incorporated into cosmetic hydrogel formulations at dosages of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% in 23 healthy volunteers.
Marine Drugs, 2023Topical application of a 0.1% copper-zinc malonate-containing cream significantly enhanced elastin biosynthesis and induced elastic fibre regeneration in photoaged facial skin of 21 female patients after 6 weeks of treatment compared to baseline.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009A betaine-based deep eutectic solvent successfully enhanced the transdermal delivery of elastin peptide, which improved skin barrier repair, reduced melanin secretion and deposition, and stimulated the secretion of procollagen I and elastin.
Biomaterials Advances, 2024Bioactive recombinant humanized elastin (RHE) gel effectively restores skin elasticity, reverses UV-induced damage and oxidative stress, and promotes extracellular matrix remodeling in zebrafish and aged mice models compared to commercial vitamin E and recombinant humanized collagen gels.
Materials Today. Bio, 2025Safflower oil body-human epidermal growth factor microgel emulsions mixed with xanthan gum enhance transdermal absorption, regulate inflammation, accelerate angiogenesis, and promote re-epithelialization and remodeling in full-layer skin wounds in rats.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022
Why other moisturizers fit acne-prone skin better
Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023A 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, 2024A facial serum containing snail secretion filtrate, Calendula officinalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract significantly reduced inflammatory acne lesions compared to placebo in 66 participants with mild-to-moderate maskne over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Triethanolamine, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Coumarin, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool
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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