CeraVe Healing Ointment for oily acne-prone skin
Petrolatum
Sodium Hyaluronate
Dimethicone
PanthenolWarning
- LowOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- WarningSafety
A poor match for oily acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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
- Extremely low suitability for your oily skin and acne concerns because petrolatum and mineral oil can clog pores and worsen breakouts. Tocopherol and panthenol offer some soothing benefits, but these are overshadowed by the occlusive nature of the formula.
- The product's primary function is to provide excellent moisturization and barrier support, which is not aligned with your goal of managing oiliness and breakouts.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 5.2k+ reviewsIt is praised for being less greasy than traditional petroleum jelly and containing beneficial ceramides, though some users find the texture too heavy for daytime use or difficult to dispense.
Highlights
Superior healing Mostly Mentioned
- “healed cracked hands”
- “saved winter skin”
- “soothed raw nose”
Better texture Often Mentioned
- “less greasy”
- “absorbs better”
- “silky feel”
- “not as sticky”
Versatile application Often Mentioned
- “great lip balm”
- “perfect for slugging”
- “used on diaper rash”
- “heals tattoos”
Gentle and safe Sometimes Noted
- “fragrance-free”
- “no stinging”
- “lanolin-free”
- “safe for eyelids”
Greasy residue Sometimes Noted
- “too sticky”
- “sits on skin”
- “grease marks on pillow”
- “shiny face”
Packaging design Rarely Noted
- “hard to squeeze”
- “tube split open”
- “cap broke”
- “product waste”
Price point Rarely Noted
- “expensive Vaseline”
- “pricey for size”
- “small tube”
- “not worth extra cost”
Skin congestion Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “clogged pores”
- “whiteheads”
- “too heavy for face”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, ulta.com, target.com, walmart.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise against CeraVe Healing Ointment for oily acne-prone skin?
Lovi advises against using this product on oily acne-prone skin because heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can clog pores and worsen breakouts. While panthenol helps soothe the skin, the heavy formula traps moisture and oil in a way that does not align with managing breakouts. This skin needs a lightweight moisturizer without heavy oils that supports the skin barrier while keeping pores clear.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Ostomy/wound Management, 2005
Which ingredients make this ointment a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Petrolatum and mineral oil make this ointment a poor fit because they can clog pores and worsen breakouts on oily skin. Oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight, oil-free moisturizers with hydrating agents and ingredients that support the skin barrier without adding excess oil.
What does Petrolatum do for oily acne-prone skin?
Petrolatum is generally safe for oily acne-prone skin because it has a very low chance of causing allergic reactions or clogging pores. It acts as an effective moisturizer to keep skin soft and protect its barrier without causing irritation.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Where does this ointment go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This ointment is not a good match for oily acne-prone skin because heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can clog pores and worsen breakouts. Oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-clogging moisturizers with ingredients like niacinamide or hyaluronic acid that hydrate without feeling heavy.
Can I use this ointment with retinol, and in what order?
You should not use this heavy ointment on your oily, acne-prone skin because heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can clog pores and worsen breakouts. Instead, this skin type needs lightweight, oil-free moisturizers with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to hydrate and clear breakouts without blocking pores.
How often should I use this ointment?
You should not use this ointment on your oily acne-prone skin, because petrolatum and mineral oil can clog pores and worsen breakouts. Oily and breakout-prone skin needs a lightweight moisturizer with ceramides or hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated without blocking pores.
Can this ointment clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
Yes, this ointment is likely to clog pores and worsen breakouts on oily acne-prone skin because heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil trap oil and dirt. Oily skin needs lightweight, non-clogging hydrators and ingredients that help clear pores without heavy, sealing layers.
Ostomy/wound Management, 2005The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Can I use this ointment around the eyes or on my body?
This ointment is suitable for the body and the thin skin around the eyes because its heavy, protective ingredients lock in moisture very well. This type of product needs to provide deep hydration and barrier support while remaining safe for delicate areas.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Is this ointment fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Petrolatum-based skin protectants demonstrated protection against irritants and maceration while providing skin hydration, whereas dimethicone and zinc oxide products showed varying or limited performance across parameters among 18 healthy volunteers compared to positive and negative controls.
Ostomy/wound Management, 2005A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025The 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, 2025Topical 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, 2007Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000
Ingredients
Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Paraffin, Ozokerite, Dimethicone, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Proline, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
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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