Bubble Cloud Surf Water Cream Moisturizer for combination skin
Glycerin
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Syringa Vulgaris Extract
Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for combination skin; other moisturizers 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, as glycerin and caprylic capric triglyceride hydrate and enhance barrier resilience, while Syringa Vulgaris Extract may offer some seboregulation. Biosaccharide Gum-4 also provides humectant action, supporting overall skin hydration.
- The formula is generally safe for your combination skin, with Syringa Vulgaris Extract and Tocopherol providing soothing benefits and no harsh ingredients.
- While it provides general skincare benefits like hydration, it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address your main goal of oily shine on your combination skin.
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 3.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this water cream is widely praised as an ideal middle-ground moisturizer for normal-to-combination skin, effectively balancing hydration without feeling heavy or greasy. While it excels at controlling oil and preventing breakouts for acne-prone users, those with drier skin types often find it insufficiently moisturizing, particularly during colder months.
Highlights
Lightweight & non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “feels like nothing on”
- “absorbs immediately”
- “zero greasy residue”
- “perfect under makeup”
Balances combination skin Often Mentioned
- “perfect for my combo skin”
- “doesn't make my forehead oily”
- “balanced my dry patches”
- “great summer moisturizer”
Acne-safe & gentle Sometimes Noted
- “didn't break me out”
- “calmed my redness”
- “safe for sensitive skin”
- “helped clear my texture”
Fun packaging Sometimes Noted
- “love the flower pump”
- “cute packaging”
- “easy to dispense”
- “satisfying to use”
Not hydrating enough Sometimes Noted
- “skin felt tight after”
- “need more moisture”
- “dried out my face”
- “not for winter”
Small quantity Sometimes Noted
- “finished in two weeks”
- “bottle is tiny”
- “too expensive for the amount”
- “runs out fast”
Pump issues Rarely Noted
- “pump stopped working”
- “hard to get the last bit”
- “dispenser broke”
- “had to open the bottle”
Scent complaints Rarely Noted
- “smells like plastic”
- “weird natural scent”
- “smells a bit chemical”
- “wish it had a scent”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, target.com, walmart.com, bubbleskincare.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Bubble Cloud Surf Water Cream work for combination skin?
Bubble Cloud Surf Water Cream works moderately well for combination skin, offering basic hydration and soothing benefits through glycerin and caprylic capric triglyceride. However, it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address oily shine, which combination skin requires for a top-tier fit.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for combination skin?
Glycerin and caprylic capric triglyceride help make this cream a good fit by hydrating your skin and supporting its barrier. Syringa Vulgaris Extract and tocopherol also provide soothing benefits.
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride do for combination skin?
Caprylic/capric triglyceride helps keep combination skin hydrated and soft while reducing moisture loss. It is generally well tolerated and unlikely to clog pores.
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 morning and after your treatment step at night. A moisturizer of this type works well for combination skin when it includes balancing ingredients to control oily shine and lightweight hydrators to keep dry areas soft.
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 the retinol first, letting it dry, and then smoothing on this moisturizer. Using a moisturizer alongside retinol helps keep skin comfortable and reduces dryness while supporting your skin barrier.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizer daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It provides moderate hydration for your combination skin, but to better manage oily shine, this skin type needs oil-control ingredients like niacinamide, salicylic acid, or clay.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your combination skin, as its formula is generally safe and free of harsh ingredients. However, because it is only an average fit for your skin, a product of this type needs specialized oil-controlling ingredients to properly manage oily shine.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream works fine on the body and around the eyes, where skin is much thinner than the back. Glycerin and caprylic capric triglyceride help keep skin hydrated and comfortable in these areas, though a product for this skin needs ingredients that specifically target oily shine.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023A 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, 2017Verbascoside- and teupolioside-containing extracts significantly accelerated wound healing, exhibited anti-inflammatory action, inhibited reactive oxygen species release, and suppressed chemokine and growth factor expression in cultured human keratinocytes compared to pro-inflammatory controls.
Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2007The 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, 2012Hibiscus syriacus ethanolic extract stimulated fibronectin and collagen synthesis, fibroblast contractility, and wound healing activity in human skin cells and explants, while increasing skin hydration gene expression.
BioMed Research International, 2017Polydeoxyribonucleotide derived from Hibiscus sabdariffa callus at 5 μg/mL promoted wound healing and upregulated related genes and proteins in human keratinocytes.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2024Water extracts from Roselle leaves and callus cells exhibited different biochemical components, transcriptome profiles, and effects on human skin cells, with the callus extract demonstrating anti-melanogenic, skin barrier, and antioxidant activities, while the plant extract affected angiogenesis, oxidation-reduction, and glycolysis.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023Phenylpropanoids from Syringa vulgaris plant cell culture reduced lipid storage, pre-inflammatory mediator release, and P. acnes growth while increasing antimicrobial peptide synthesis in human skin models, and decreased sebum production, inflamed blemishes, and retentional lesions in volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017
Ingredients
Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Isododecane, Maltodextrin, Syringa Vulgaris Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Celery Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fructose, Sorbitan Isostearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Tocopherol, Polylysine, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
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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