Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream for acne-prone skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E
Ascorbyl Palmitate Ascorbic Acid
Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil FruitAverage
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other moisturizers 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 moderate moisturizing for your combination skin due to glycerin and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, providing general hydration that is supportive but not directly targeted at your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- While Vitamin E and olive oil offer antioxidant and nourishing benefits, they do not significantly address your primary concerns of acne and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cream is highly effective for dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin, providing deep hydration and improving skin texture without irritation or clogging pores. Users frequently praise its non-greasy, fragrance-free formula that absorbs quickly. A common concern is the small quantity relative to the price, with a few users experiencing breakouts or finding it too heavy or insufficient for extremely dry skin.
Highlights
Intense hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft”
- “deeply hydrates”
- “restores moisture”
- “plump skin”
Fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “no scent”
- “odorless”
- “great for sensitivity”
- “no added fragrance”
Gentle on sensitivity Often Mentioned
- “good for sensitive skin”
- “no redness”
- “soothing”
- “doesn't burn”
Non-greasy texture Often Mentioned
- “absorbs quickly”
- “lightweight feel”
- “no sticky residue”
- “melts into skin”
Small quantity Often Mentioned
- “small jar”
- “wish it was bigger”
- “expensive for size”
- “runs out fast”
Improves skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “smooths fine lines”
- “skin feels bouncier”
- “dewy look”
- “eliminates flakes”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused cystic acne”
- “closed comedones”
- “tiny spots”
- “reaction spots”
Not enough moisture Rarely Noted
- “still dry”
- “need more layers”
- “not for very dry skin”
- “absorbed too fast”
Too heavy Rarely Noted
- “too thick”
- “feels heavy”
- “sits on top”
- “greasy for oily skin”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, target.com, kroger.com, hollandandbarrett.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream work for acne-prone skin?
Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream works moderately well for acne-prone skin, offering general hydration that supports your skin without directly targeting breakouts. While it provides safe, soothing moisture with ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, a moisturizer for this skin needs targeted ingredients that actively clear blemishes and prevent breakouts while maintaining balance.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid help make this cream a fit by giving your skin moderate moisture, though a product for acne-prone skin needs ingredients specifically targeted at breakouts and blemishes.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps acne-prone skin by soothing irritation, calming redness, and keeping the skin balanced without clogging pores. When combined with targeted ingredients like zinc oxide, it may also help reduce breakouts.
What does Glycerin do for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep acne-prone skin hydrated and calm without clogging pores or feeling heavy. It supports the skin barrier so it stays soft and smooth while handling everyday treatments.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cream goes in your morning routine after a hydrating toner and before sunscreen, and in your evening routine as the final step after your treatment. While it provides supportive moisture, this skin type needs targeted ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to effectively manage acne and breakouts.
Can I use this cream with niacinamide, and in what order?
You can use this cream with niacinamide by applying your niacinamide serum first and following with the cream once it absorbs. This product provides general hydration, but acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer with targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and light, non-greasy hydrators.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is safe to use daily, working well as part of a regular moisturizing routine. Applying it regularly helps keep skin soft and hydrated while supporting your skin barrier.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for acne-prone skin, as review complaints about breakouts are low and it contains no harsh ingredients. However, it offers only moderate moisture without directly targeting blemishes, so acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer with specialized blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing components.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is safe to use around the eyes or on the body, as it contains gentle, soothing ingredients like vitamin E and hyaluronic acid with a very good safety profile. For thin areas like the eyelids, this type of product needs to provide deep hydration and improve skin texture without causing irritation.
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
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, 2017Profhilo gel combined with Dysport Botox significantly improved skin hydration, skin thickness, and GAIS scores compared to Dysport Botox injection alone in 19 participants seeking neck rejuvenation.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Hyaluronic 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, 2015Optimized transfersomes loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate and hyaluronic acid increased cell viability while reducing lipid peroxidation, intracellular ROS, and MMP expression in HaCaT cells, and exhibited higher skin permeation and deposition compared to plain EGCG.
Drug Delivery, 2017Topical 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, 2019The 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, 2012Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
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 panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A 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
Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil Fruit, Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E, Ascorbyl Palmitate Ascorbic Acid, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Isohexadecane, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Methicone, Phenoxyethanol, Peg-40 Stearate, Steareth-2, Steareth-21, Retinyl Palmitate, Linoleic Acid, Lycopene
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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