e.l.f. Skin Holy Hydration! Face Cream for mature skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Niacinamide
Peptides
Squalane
Glycerin
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for mature skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with mature skin: fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. 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
- Suitable for normal skin, this cream offers moderate moisturizing due to glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, which hydrate and plump the skin, and squalane for emollient action.
- While beneficial for general skincare, it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target your goal of addressing wrinkles and fine lines.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your normal skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help smooth fine lines.
- Apply this product after your toner and serum, but before your SPF in the morning. Follow your cleanser and toner steps to keep your skin balanced.
- Gently press a small amount into your face and neck. Avoid rubbing the skin too harshly to prevent extra tension.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. Clean skin helps the product absorb much more evenly.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a quick patch test before your very first use to stay safe.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsThis cream is highly praised for providing deep hydration without a heavy or greasy feel, making it ideal for combination and oily skin types. It is frequently noted for creating a smooth canvas for makeup. Some users with very dry skin found it insufficient, and a few experienced issues with the scent in the original formulation or eye irritation with the SPF version.
Highlights
Excellent makeup base Mostly Mentioned
- “Honestly the best face cream I have ever used under makeup!”
- “Smooths skin under makeup.”
- “Makeup just glides on.”
Deeply hydrating Often Mentioned
- “My skin looks and feels like velvet.”
- “Keeps my skin soft, hydrated, and protected throughout the day.”
- “Replenishes lost moisture for supple skin.”
Lightweight & non-greasy Often Mentioned
- “Sinks in quickly to leave smooth, soft skin.”
- “Texture feels lightweight yet deeply moisturizing.”
- “Non-greasy formula sinks into skin.”
Gentle & non-irritating Sometimes Noted
- “Great everyday moisturizer for sensitive skin.”
- “Hypoallergenic and free of fragrance.”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “Burn my eyes when I rub my skin near my eye.”
- “Causes eyes to burn like some SPFs do.”
- “Stinging sensation around the eye area.”
Jar packaging Rarely Noted
- “Wish the packaging was in a tube instead of a jar.”
- “I wish this product came with a lil spatula.”
- “Prefer tubes/pump bottles.”
Not rich enough Rarely Noted
- “Didn't feel like it gave me as much hydrating omph.”
- “Might be better for summer than winter.”
- “Not moisturizing enough for very dry skin.”
Scent issues Rarely Noted
- “Smells terrible like the oil in it is rancid.”
- “Scent is very subtle... but my skin can be sensitive.”
- “Wish I would have returned it sooner [due to smell].”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, target.com, walmart.com, byrdie.com, skinsafe-products.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Face Cream work for mature skin?
This cream works moderately well for mature skin by providing basic hydration with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, but it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target wrinkles and fine lines. A product of this type needs potent anti-aging ingredients like peptides, along with a rich blend of hydrators and emollients, to properly care for mature skin.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for mature skin?
Sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, and squalane make this cream a good fit by hydrating and plumping mature skin. To best suit this skin type, a product of this kind needs potent anti-aging ingredients like peptides and antioxidants to target wrinkles and fine lines.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for mature skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps mature skin by deeply boosting moisture, improving elasticity, and smoothing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Regular use keeps the skin looking plump and soft while supporting overall firmness and hydration.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Skin Research and Technology, 2024
What does Niacinamide do for mature skin?
Niacinamide helps mature skin by smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, reducing dark spots, and improving overall skin elasticity. It is also very well tolerated and supports a strong skin barrier to keep skin looking healthy.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for mature skin?
This cream goes as the last step of your morning routine before sunscreen, and after your treatment in the evening. While it hydrates and softens your mature skin using glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, and squalane, this type of product also needs peptides and antioxidants to properly target wrinkles and fine lines.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cream with retinol, applying the retinol first and following with the cream once it absorbs. This cream has an excellent safety profile with no harsh ingredients, though a mature skin routine targeting wrinkles also needs specialized ingredients like firming peptides and antioxidants to fully support aging skin.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this cream daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It provides moderate hydration for your skin, though mature skin also needs specialized ingredients like retinol, targeted peptides, or antioxidants to directly address wrinkles and fine lines.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for mature skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for mature skin, thanks to a very safe formula that avoids harsh or irritating ingredients. To properly care for mature skin, a product of this type needs firming peptides and antioxidants to smooth fine lines and boost elasticity.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this cream on your body, but the thin skin around your eyes needs a specialized product. Creams for the eye area need targeted ingredients like peptides and antioxidants to address fine lines and maintain smooth, firm skin 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, 2017Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Topical treatment of nicotinamide, alone or in combination with other active ingredients, reduces the progression of skin aging and hyperpigmentation in clinical trials while being well tolerated.
Antioxidants, 2021Topical 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, 2019Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 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, 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, 2012
Why other moisturizers fit mature skin better
Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021Nanoemulsions containing Macadamia integrifolia seed oil successfully enhanced skin hydration and reduced wrinkles in human volunteers, outperforming conventional emulsions in skin hydration enhancement.
Nanomaterials, 2024Topical cream containing saffron extract and avocado oil improved wrinkle grading, reduced nasolabial fold area and volume, and increased skin elasticity in twenty healthy volunteers over 12 weeks without allergic reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Isohexadecane, Stearyl Heptanoate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Olivate, Trehalose, Squalane, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Aluminum Octenylsuccinate Starch, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Panthenol Vb5, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Polyethylene, Disodium Edta, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer
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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