COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream for acne-prone skin
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
Glycerin
Tocopheryl Acetate
Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateHigh
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best sunscreens for acne-prone skin.
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
- Highly suitable for your combination skin, this product offers excellent moisturizing and sun protection due to glycerin for hydration and UV filters like bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine for broad-spectrum defense.
- While Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract and Glycerin provide general skincare benefits supportive for acne-prone skin, they do not directly target your primary concerns of acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your acne-prone skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen AM every morning as the final step of your daily routine.
- Layer the moisturizing sunscreen after your moisturizer has fully absorbed, right before heading out into the sun .
- Smooth a nickel-sized amount of the moisturizing sunscreen evenly over your face, avoiding harsh rubbing.
- Apply the moisturizing sunscreen onto clean, dry skin to ensure even coverage and protection.
- Perform a patch test before first use and avoid direct contact with the eyes.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 5.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with dry to combination skin frequently praise this sunscreen for its moisturizing properties and lack of white cast, often noting it doubles as a daily moisturizer. A moderate number of users find it soothing and good for use under makeup, with a pleasant scent. Some users with oily or sensitive skin report a greasy finish, and a low number of users mention issues with strong fragrance, eye stinging, pilling, or the presence of alcohol.
Highlights
No White Cast Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs quickly without leaving any white cast”
- “no white cast blends perfectly”
- “didn't leave a recognisable cast on him either”
- “goes on clear even on deeper skin tones”
Good Under Makeup Often Mentioned
- “sits perfectly under makeup”
- “doesn't make my foundation look patchy”
- “perfect for daily use under makeup”
- “perfect canvas for your make-up”
Moisturizing/Hydrating Often Mentioned
- “feels like a moisturizer and very lightweight”
- “hydrating without being heavy”
- “skip moisturizer and use this over serums”
- “leaves my skin feeling healthy and looking healthy”
Pleasant Scent Sometimes Noted
- “fresh aloe scent which I found pleasant”
- “soft scent of aloe”
- “smell is like a normal sunscreen smell... with a hint of Aloe Vera”
- “scent is rlly nice”
Soothing/Calming Sometimes Noted
- “feels like a hug for my skin”
- “helps soothe the skin”
- “calming formula”
- “never caused irritation, visible or otherwise”
Greasy/Shiny Finish Sometimes Noted
- “can look a tad bit greasy if you're somebody with oily skin”
- “gets a bit greasy after some time”
- “leaves a shiny finish”
- “mid-day oil slicks”
Contains Alcohol Rarely Noted
- “contains alcohol... might irritate eyes”
- “avoid anything yang ada alcohol”
- “alcohol would irritate my eyes”
- “presence of alcohol... give this one a patch test”
Eye Stinging Rarely Noted
- “stung my eyes super bad”
- “stings eyes unbearably... once it gets into them”
- “causes eye stinging”
- “sweat in my eyes... stinging”
Pilling Rarely Noted
- “pills like crazy”
- “white flakes all over my finger”
- “reapplies with cakey white marks”
- “pilling around my jawline”
Strong Fragrance Rarely Noted
- “smell is overpowering for them”
- “smells like heavy perfume”
- “unhappy with the existence of fragrance”
- “can still smell this on my skin”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, yesstyle.com, amazon.com, reddit.com, kbeautynotes.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream a great fit for acne-prone skin?
COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream is a great fit for acne-prone skin because it provides excellent moisture and sun protection with a very safe formula that avoids harsh ingredients. Glycerin keeps skin hydrated while aloe extract and other soothing ingredients help keep your face calm and comfortable without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin, aloe extract, and vitamin E make this cream a great fit for your acne-prone skin by offering soothing hydration without causing irritation or clogged pores. Its safe formula is unlikely to trigger breakouts, and UV filters protect your skin while keeping it feeling soft and smooth.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
What does Aloe Vera Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Aloe vera extract helps calm redness and shrink breakouts while keeping oily or acne-prone skin comfortable. It may also lower the number of pimples and fade marks when used regularly.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2014
What does Octinoxate do for acne-prone skin?
Octinoxate helps protect acne-prone skin from UV rays without clogging pores or disrupting normal facial bacteria. It is unlikely to trigger breakouts, though acne-prone skin still needs lightweight, non-greasy formulations.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cream goes in the morning step of your skincare routine, right after your moisturizer and before heading out. It is unlikely to cause irritation on acne-prone skin due to its safe ingredients.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol by applying it as your morning sunscreen or as a moisturizing step before or after retinol depending on your routine. Using a gentle moisturizer helps keep your skin soft and smooth while lowering the likelihood of irritation during retinoid use.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing spf daily in your morning routine to keep your skin protected and hydrated. It is very gentle on acne-prone skin and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is a great fit for your acne-prone skin and has an excellent safety profile with no harsh ingredients to cause irritation. Tocopheryl Acetate in the formula has been shown in studies to have a low likelihood of clogging pores or causing microcomedones.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).
What the research says
A 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, 2017The 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, 2024Dermatological 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, 2021A 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, 2010Replacing 20% of the chemical UV filter octyl methoxycinnamate with urucum oil in solid lipid nanoparticles maintained the skin protection factor without inducing toxic responses or significant skin penetration in human volunteers.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2018Liposomal 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, 2013Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011The 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, 2012Topical 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, 2022Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2015Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.
Advanced Science, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, C14-22 Alcohols, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Peg-100 Stearate, Silica, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta
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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