CeraVe Advanced Repair Ointment for acne-prone skin
Ceramide Np
Ceramide Ap- Ceramide Eop
Sodium Hyaluronate
Dimethicone
Low
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside 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 excellent moisturizing for your combination skin due to petrolatum and ceramides, which enhance barrier resilience, but lacks ingredients specifically targeting oil control for your oily areas.
- While it provides general skincare benefits like hydration, these are largely supportive and not directly beneficial for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
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.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsWhile its texture is considered less greasy than alternatives and suitable for slugging, a moderate number of users note a shiny or heavy finish, making it less ideal for daytime facial application. Some users also report it can be difficult to spread or may cause breakouts.
Highlights
Versatile healing Mostly Mentioned
- “healed chronically chapped lips”
- “magic for dry cuticles”
- “saved my cracked hands”
- “perfect for slugging”
Barrier repair Often Mentioned
- “woke up with glowing skin”
- “restored my skin barrier”
- “instant relief for tightness”
- “softens rough patches”
Elegant texture Often Mentioned
- “not as sticky as Vaseline”
- “soaks in better”
- “feels lighter on skin”
- “more elegant consistency”
Non-irritating Sometimes Noted
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “no fragrance irritation”
- “soothing on raw skin”
Greasy finish Sometimes Noted
- “looks like lube”
- “too shiny for day use”
- “definitely leaves a film”
- “greasier than expected”
Breakout potential Rarely Noted
- “clogged my pores”
- “caused small whiteheads”
- “too heavy for acne skin”
- “triggered a breakout”
Expensive price Rarely Noted
- “pricey for the size”
- “expensive for a small tube”
- “Vaseline is cheaper”
- “good but costly”
Thick consistency Rarely Noted
- “hard to get out of tube”
- “very thick paste”
- “dragged on my skin”
- “too heavy for face”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, lookfantastic.com, superdrug.com, cocooncenter.co.uk, marieclaire.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
Why is CeraVe Advanced Repair Ointment a weak match for acne-prone skin?
CeraVe Advanced Repair Ointment is a weak match because it focuses heavily on heavy moisturizers like petrolatum and ceramides that do not help with oil control or breakouts. An acne-prone skin needs a product that provides hydration and soothing ingredients to help clear blemishes without causing irritation.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2008Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022
Which ingredients make this ointment a poor fit for acne-prone skin?
Heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil make this ointment a poor fit for acne-prone skin because they can trap oil and clog pores. Acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-clogging hydrators and ingredients that actively help clear blemishes and control oil.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2008Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022
What do Ceramides do for acne-prone skin?
Ceramides help acne-prone skin by restoring a weak water barrier, which is often damaged and low in these protective lipids in people with acne. Using them helps reduce dryness, redness, and irritation caused by acne treatments while keeping the skin calm and smooth.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Archives of Dermatological Research, 1995
What does Ceramide AP do for acne-prone skin?
Ceramide AP helps restore the skin barrier, which is often weakened by acne treatments, and reduces dryness, redness, and flaking. Using it alongside your acne routine may also lower inflammatory breakouts and make your skin feel more calm and smooth.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
Where does it go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This product is a weak match for your acne-prone skin, as it offers heavy moisturizing with petrolatum and ceramides but lacks ingredients to control oil and breakouts. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and oil-balancing ingredients to care for acne-prone skin effectively.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol to help keep your skin comfortable, applying it after your retinol treatment absorbs. Using a barrier-supporting cream like this is unlikely to interfere with your routine and may reduce dryness and irritation from acne treatments.
How often should I use this ointment?
You can use this ointment daily to keep your skin soft and hydrated, as heavier moisturizing products are typically applied once or twice a day. For acne-prone skin, this type of product needs ingredients that help control oil and target breakouts.
Health Science Reports, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This product is a weak match for acne-prone skin because its heavy petrolatum and mineral oil base can feel very greasy and may lead to breakouts. To properly care for acne-prone skin, a moisturizer of this type needs lightweight hydration and ingredients that actively help control oil and target blemishes.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use it on the body and around the eyes because the skin on the body and the thin skin around the eyes benefit well from its rich moisturizing ingredients. This type of product needs heavy hydrators like petrolatum, mineral oil, and ceramides to lock in moisture and keep these areas soft.
Is this ointment fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Emulsions containing ceramides 1 and 3 improved skin hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in sodium lauryl sulfate-irritated skin of fifteen healthy Asian women compared to a control emulsion.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2008A lipid mixture enriched by ceramide NP with fatty acids of diverse chain lengths significantly improved skin barrier recovery rate, stratum corneum integrity, and hydration compared to a vehicle cream in healthy adult male volunteers with corticosteroid-impaired skin.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022Topical 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, 2019Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007
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 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
Petrolatum, Paraffinum Liquidum, Mineral Oil, Microcristallina Cera, Microcrystalline Wax, Paraffin, Caprylic, Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Water, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Synthetic Wax, Panthenol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid
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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