The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan for skin with dark spots
Beta Glucan
Moisturizing Factors
Glycerin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Allantoin
High
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best moisturizers for skin with dark spots.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dark spots: hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. 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 normal skin due to the presence of beta-glucan and sodium hyaluronate, which provide excellent humectant action and barrier repair for your skin.
- While the product offers general skincare benefits like hydration and soothing, its primary function is not targeted towards addressing your pigmentation concerns.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your normal skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply this moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your morning SPF.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing it too hard so it absorbs nicely.
- For the best moisture, you can apply it when your skin is slightly damp. This helps your skin stay soft and happy.
- Remember to avoid the eye area when applying. Always do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this lightweight, clear gel moisturizer is widely praised by users with oily and acne-prone skin for providing hydration without clogging pores or leaving a greasy residue. Users with dry or dehydrated skin often find it insufficient, reporting that it lacks the occlusive properties needed to lock in moisture, sometimes leaving skin feeling tight.
Highlights
Lightweight and non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “It hydrates SO deeply without feeling heavy at all.”
- “Perfect amount of hydration without my skin feeling oily.”
- “Absorbs quickly and feels like nothing on the skin.”
Ideal for oily Often Mentioned
- “Works well for my oily skin, gives better oil control.”
- “Great for acne prone and oily skin, isn't clogging.”
- “Finally a moisturizer that doesn't make me look like a greaseball.”
Insufficient for dry Often Mentioned
- “Left my skin feeling tight and dry after an hour.”
- “Not moisturizing enough, I need something thicker.”
- “My face felt parched even after applying a generous amount.”
Absorbs very quickly Sometimes Noted
- “Dries down fully after a few minutes.”
- “Sinks in really fast and doesn't leave a film.”
- “Disappears into the skin almost instantly.”
Cooling gel texture Sometimes Noted
- “Feels very refreshing and cooling upon application.”
- “The clear gel texture is unique and feels like water.”
- “Soothing on my sensitive skin, especially in summer.”
Sticky or tacky Sometimes Noted
- “Leaves a sticky residue that takes a while to go away.”
- “Felt tacky on my face, my hair kept sticking to it.”
- “The texture is a bit glue-like before it dries.”
Causes pilling Rarely Noted
- “Pills terribly when I try to apply sunscreen over it.”
- “Balls up if you rub your face too much.”
- “Does not layer well under my makeup.”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “Has a weird plastic-y smell to it.”
- “Smells a bit like chemicals, though it fades fast.”
- “Not a fan of the scent, even though it's fragrance-free.”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, sephora.co.uk, sephora.nz, theordinary.com, ulta.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan a great fit for skin with dark spots?
The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan is a great fit because it provides deep hydration and helps repair the skin barrier, even though it does not specifically target dark spots. Its gentle formula is unlikely to cause irritation for your skin.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for skin with dark spots?
While this moisturizer is a great fit for your skin, none of its ingredients are specifically targeted to fade dark spots. Instead, ingredients like beta-glucan and sodium hyaluronate work to deeply hydrate your skin and repair its barrier, while being gentle and unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015
What does Beta Glucan do for skin with dark spots?
Beta-glucan helps moisturize and calm the skin, which supports an even-looking tone and overall recovery. It is unlikely to directly fade dark spots on its own, so skin with dark spots typically needs added brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide to help fade discoloration.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Food Science & Nutrition, 2025
What do Natural Moisturizing Factors do for skin with dark spots?
Natural Moisturizing Factors help hydrate dry skin and smooth its surface, but they do not specifically target dark spots or skin discoloration. To address dark spots effectively, skin needs brightening ingredients like niacinamide that help even out skin tone.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This moisturizer goes near the end of your morning and evening routines, right before your sunscreen in the day and after your treatment at night. Using a moisturizer helps lock in hydration and keeps your skin calm and smooth without causing irritation.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol by applying it before your retinol treatment in the evening to help keep your skin calm and hydrated. This type of routine helps reduce dryness and supports your skin barrier while you use strong ingredients.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizer daily in both your morning and evening routines to keep your skin hydrated and calm. Daily application helps improve overall moisture and supports skin barrier recovery without causing irritation.
Health Science Reports, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This moisturizer is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for skin with dark spots because it has an excellent safety profile with no harsh ingredients.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizer around the eyes and on the body, as its gentle ingredients are safe for these thinner areas. Skin in these regions is quite thin, so using a well-tolerated formula helps keep it hydrated without causing irritation.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Skin care regimens containing beta-glucan improved hemoglobin index, skin hydration, and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in 20 patients undergoing fractional laser therapy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Hyaluronic acid extracts are safe and efficacious products for skin repair when used in tissue regeneration alone or in combination with herbal or Western medicine.
Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Treatment with topical formulations containing beta-glucan combined with nanofractional radiofrequency plus magnetic nanofractional radiofrequency showed the best efficacy and was tolerable and effective in Chinese women with abdominal stretch marks compared to control groups.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2023Topical beta-glucan mildly improved striae gravidarum, 1565-nm non-ablative fractional laser showed better results than topical beta-glucan, and the combined strategy further improved striae gravidarum atrophy compared to single treatment.
The Journal of Dermatology, 2022Topical application of oat beta-glucan ameliorates epidermal hyperplasia and accelerates epidermal barrier recovery by promoting keratinocyte differentiation through dectin-1-mediated ERK and p38 signaling pathways that upregulate CaSR expression.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021A 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, 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, 2001Topical 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 gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018
Ingredients
Water, Ppg-24-Glycereth-24, Propanediol, Betaine, Beta-Glucan, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Proline, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Trehalose, Xylitol, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitylglucoside, Sodium Pca, Pca, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sphingolipids, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, P-Anisic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
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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