Drunk Elephant Lala Retro™ Whipped Cream for oily acne-prone skin
6 African Oils
Ceramides
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Glycerin
Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other moisturizers 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
- Offers excellent moisturizing for your oily skin due to glycerin and sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, which hydrate and plump the skin, but lacks targeted ingredients for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- While suitable for oily skin with humectant action, it does not provide sufficient seboregulating ingredients for optimal results.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing ceramides and plant extracts.
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
★4.4Overall rating based on 5.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this rich, whipped moisturizer is widely praised as a "rescue" cream for dry, dehydrated, and sensitive skin, particularly effective at repairing the skin barrier and combating winter dryness. While many users report plump, soothed skin without irritation, those with oily or acne-prone skin often find it too heavy or occlusive, occasionally leading to congestion.
Highlights
Intense hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “Drinks it up like water”
- “saved my winter skin”
- “woke up glowing and hydrated”
Hygienic packaging Often Mentioned
- “Love the push pump”
- “keeps ingredients fresh”
- “no dipping fingers in jar”
Soothing texture Often Mentioned
- “Butter-like texture”
- “thick but absorbs well”
Expensive product Often Mentioned
- “Not worth $60”
- “too pricey for the amount”
- “finished it in a month”
Barrier support Sometimes Noted
- “Fixed my damaged barrier”
- “calmed my retinol irritation”
- “great for sensitive skin”
Heavy feel Sometimes Noted
- “Felt like a mask”
- “too heavy for day use”
- “left a greasy film”
Unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smells like cooking oil”
- “has a stale scent”
- “weird playdough smell”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Gave me tiny bumps”
- “broke me out immediately”
- “too rich for acne-prone skin”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, influenster.com, amazon.com, spacenk.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Lala Retro Whipped Cream work for oily acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer keeps oily skin soft with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, but it lacks targeted ingredients for breakouts and excess oil. Oily acne-prone skin needs a product that provides oil-controlling ingredients alongside hydration to clear blemishes and keep pores clear.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is a good fit for oily skin because glycerin and sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer hydrate the skin, while ceramides and plant extracts soothe it without causing irritation. However, an oily and acne-prone skin type needs oil-balancing ingredients, blemish-fighting agents, and lightweight, non-clogging hydration to clear breakouts while keeping the complexion matte.
What do African Oils do for oily acne-prone skin?
African Oils help nourish oily acne-prone skin while balancing natural oil production so your face feels smooth instead of greasy. They sink in easily and are unlikely to clog your pores, keeping breakouts calm and clear.
What do Ceramides do for oily acne-prone skin?
Ceramides help restore the protective barrier of oily, acne-prone skin, which often lacks these vital lipids and suffers from moisture loss and irritation. Using products with ceramides supports skin hydration, calms redness, and improves overall texture while managing breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream goes in the morning right after your hydrating toner and before your sunscreen, and at night as the last step after your treatment. It helps keep your skin soft and hydrated, though oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted blemish-fighting and oil-controlling ingredients.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cream with retinol by applying the retinol first and following it with the moisturizer. This routine helps keep your skin soft and comfortable while lowering the likelihood of irritation from the active treatment.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this cream twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular use helps keep oily skin hydrated and calm, though this skin type also needs targeted ingredients that balance oil production and clear breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause irritation or clogging for your oily skin because it lacks harsh ingredients, but it may occasionally lead to breakouts since it does not have targeted ingredients to clear blemishes. Oily acne-prone skin needs products with oil-balancing and blemish-clearing ingredients for optimal results.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream around your eyes and on your body, as its gentle formula and hydrating ingredients are safe for delicate and thicker skin alike. It is unlikely to cause irritation and helps keep skin soft.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
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, 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, 2012Plantain leaf proteins exhibit a wound-healing effect on vertebrate skin both in vitro and in vivo.
Prikladnaia Biokhimiia I Mikrobiologiia, 2011Plantago lanceolata water extract improves skin wound healing in rats by inducing the transition of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, increasing wound contraction rates, and enhancing tensile strength through greater extracellular matrix protein organization compared to untreated wounds.
The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2015Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata extracts incorporated into 3D-printed polysaccharide dressings enhanced fibroblast wound closure to 64% and 52%, respectively, compared to 29% for the control.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2026
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better
A 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, 2024Co-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
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Isostearate, Pseudozyma Epicola Camellia Sinensis Glucose Glycine Soja Seed Oil Extract Ferment Filtrate Soybean Seed Oil Extract Ferment Filtrate Meal Malt Yeast Seed Oil Extract Ferment Filtrate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Watermelon Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Ximenia Americana Seedate, Cholesterol, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ceramide Np, Phytosphingosine, Ceteareth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, 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
How does it fit your skin?
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