E45 Cream for combination skin
White Soft Paraffin
Light Liquid Paraffin
Anhydrous Lanolin Medilan
Glyceryl Monostearate
Citric Acid MonohydrateLow
- LowCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for combination skin; the moisturizers alongside 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 glycerin and paraffinum liquidum, which hydrate and enhance barrier resilience, but the occlusive nature of paraffinum liquidum may be unsuitable for your oily shine concerns.
- The formula provides general skincare benefits that are mostly supportive rather than directly addressing your oily shine.
How to apply
- Use this moisturizer in your AM and PM routine every day to control shine. Always pair with SPF in the morning.
- Apply this moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your morning SPF.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin and avoid harsh rubbing. Let it ⏳absorb for a minute.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help it lock in moisture better. This keeps your combination skin balanced.
- Avoid the eye area when applying the moisturizer. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsWhile widely celebrated for being gentle and fragrance-free, some users with oily or acne-prone skin find it too heavy or comedogenic for facial use.
Highlights
Soothes dry skin Mostly Mentioned
- “stopped the itching”
- “healed dry patches”
Gentle and fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “no stinging”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “perfect for babies”
- “zero irritation”
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels soft”
- “smooths rough elbows”
- “leaves a protective film”
- “softens calluses”
Excellent value Sometimes Noted
- “huge tub lasts ages”
- “affordable price”
- “cheap but effective”
- “great budget skincare”
Versatile multi-purpose Sometimes Noted
- “good for sunburn”
- “used after shaving”
- “great hand cream”
- “works on cracked heels”
Greasy or sticky Sometimes Noted
- “feels slimy”
- “takes ages to absorb”
- “leaves a greasy film”
- “makes hands slippery”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “clogged my pores”
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “too heavy for face”
- “caused acne flare-up”
Lanolin sensitivity Rarely Noted
- “caused allergic reaction”
- “made rash worse”
- “redness and stinging”
- “irritated my skin”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pump stopped working”
- “tub is unhygienic”
- “messy to use”
- “lid broke easily”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, superdrug.com, influenster.com, ocado.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is E45 Cream a weak match for combination skin?
E45 Cream is a weak match for combination skin because its heavy, heavy mineral oils may worsen your oily shine while providing only moderate hydration. A moisturizer for this skin needs effective brightening and hydrating ingredients that target oily shine and balance hydration without feeling heavy.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for combination skin?
Paraffinum liquidum makes this cream a poor fit for your combination skin because its heavy, sealing nature may worsen oily shine. A moisturizer for this skin needs ingredients that provide hydration and brightness while reducing excess oil without causing irritation.
What does White Soft Paraffin do for combination skin?
White Soft Paraffin helps lock in moisture and protects dry areas of combination skin by sealing the surface to prevent water loss. Because it is very heavy, it may feel too greasy on the oilier parts of the face and is best used sparingly.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2016
What does Light Liquid Paraffin do for combination skin?
Light liquid paraffin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by holding in moisture and improving the skin barrier. It is unlikely to clog pores when used properly, making it a safe choice for balancing drier and oilier areas.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This moisturizer goes near the end of your morning and evening routines, right before sunscreen in the day. Because heavy, sealing ingredients may not suit your oily shine, combination skin needs lightweight hydrators and balancing ingredients that soften the skin without adding extra oil.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying it after your retinol treatment to help soothe the skin. Combination skin needs a lighter, oil-free moisturizer with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide that hydrate without adding extra shine or clogging pores.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this cream daily to help keep your combination skin hydrated, though its heavier, oily-feeling ingredients may not suit your shine concerns. Combination skin of this type needs lighter, balancing hydrators that soften the skin without adding extra oil.
Health Science Reports, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause purging, but its heavy, oily ingredients may make breakouts more likely on your combination skin. A weaker match like this needs lighter hydrators and ingredients that balance oil without heavy blockers.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is suitable for use on the body, but application around the eyes requires caution as the skin there is much thinner and more delicate. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and gentle barrier-supporting ingredients that will not weigh down or irritate sensitive areas.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying 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 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, 2020Topical treatment with skin-identical lipids in a petrolatum-rich cream base showed no superiority over pure petrolatum in promoting normalization of barrier recovery and inflammation in detergent- and tape-stripped-perturbed human skin over 14 days.
Acta Dermato-venereologica, 2000Topically applied extra virgin olive oil and petrolatum both significantly improved skin barrier function and microtopographic features in 54 healthy adult volunteers, with petrolatum exerting stronger occlusive effects and extra virgin olive oil uniquely promoting epidermal renewal.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025Repeated 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, 2019Daily bathing with an emulsified lanolin and mineral oil bath additive significantly reduced dry skin severity on the lower legs of patients compared to usual bath soap over 17 days.
Cutis, 1981Sunscreen formulations containing ethoxylated lanolin as an additional film former resulted in lower and constant physical-mechanical parameters and a higher and better reproducible SPF compared to the formulation without it.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2021Nanoemulsion-based lanolin derivatives increased skin hydration and oiliness without changing cutaneous pH values and proved non-toxic by causing no skin irritation.
Molecules, 2016A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Daily 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, 2021Topical 20% citric acid lotion increases viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycan content in sun-damaged skin compared to vehicle alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 1997
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.