NEOGEN Dermalogy Day-Light Protection Airy Sunscreen for combination skin
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best sunscreens for combination skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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
- Highly suitable for your combination skin, Tocopheryl Acetate and Coptis Japonica Extract provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, respectively, while silica and citrus extracts help manage oily shine and mattify your skin.
- The inclusion of avobenzone and octocrylene offers excellent UV protection, complementing the product's overall functionality for your daily needs.
- This formula is safe for your skin, containing no harsh ingredients that would cause irritation.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen AM daily to protect your skin and control shine. Reapply as needed throughout the day.
- Use it as the final step of your morning routine after applying your moisturizer. It combines hydration and sun protection in one.
- Gently smooth a nickel-sized amount evenly over your face, avoiding harsh rubbing. Let it absorb fully before putting on makeup.
- Apply it directly to clean, dry skin for the best oil-controlling finish. Ensure your face is completely dry so the product sets properly.
- Avoid the immediate eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsUsers with oily and combination skin frequently praise this sunscreen for its very high frequency of a lightweight, airy texture that absorbs quickly without leaving a white cast or greasy residue. It is also noted for being great under makeup. However, a high frequency of users report a strong citrus fragrance that can be overpowering, and a moderate frequency of users experience eye irritation.
Highlights
Lightweight & Airy Texture Mostly Mentioned
- “feels like a moisturizer”
- “absorbs instantly”
- “lightweight mousse-like consistency”
No White Cast Often Mentioned
- “completely transparent”
- “great for dark skin”
- “invisible on my face”
Non-Greasy Finish Often Mentioned
- “natural matte finish”
- “doesn't make me shiny”
- “powdery soft feel”
Strong fragrance Often Mentioned
- “smells like lemon pledge”
- “scent is too overpowering”
- “strong citrus odor”
Great Under Makeup Sometimes Noted
- “no pilling under foundation”
- “acts like a primer”
- “makeup glides right on”
Eye irritation Sometimes Noted
- “stings my eyes badly”
- “burns when I sweat”
- “makes my eyes water”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “expensive for the size”
- “tube is too small”
- “pricey for daily use”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “essential oils stung my face”
Sources: lovi.care, sokoglam.com, reddit.com, yesstyle.com, stylevana.com, iherb.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes NEOGEN Day-Light Protection Airy Sunscreen a great fit for combination skin?
This sunscreen is a great fit for your combination skin because silica and citrus extracts help manage oily shine, while Tocopheryl Acetate and Coptis Japonica Extract provide soothing benefits. It also offers reliable UV protection with a low risk of irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
Which ingredients make this sunscreen a good fit for combination skin?
Silica and citrus extracts help manage oily shine, while Tocopheryl Acetate and Coptis Japonica Extract provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that make it a great match for your skin.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Arzneimittel-Forschung, 1998
What does Avobenzone do for combination skin?
Avobenzone helps protect combination skin from sun damage, but it is best used in a stable formulation because it can break down under sunlight. Encapsulating this ingredient or combining it with photostability boosters may reduce skin irritation and improve safety.
European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. B, Biology, 2015
What does Octocrylene do for combination skin?
Octocrylene is a UV filter that protects combination skin from sun damage without clogging pores or disrupting the skin's natural balance. It is unlikely to cause irritation or significantly affect the skin's healthy bacteria, though products of this type also benefit from added antioxidants to help reduce environmental stress.
Where does this sunscreen go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This sunscreen goes as the last step of your morning skincare routine, right after your moisturizer. It provides strong UV protection while using silica and citrus extracts to help manage oily shine on your combination skin.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023
Can I use this sunscreen with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this sunscreen in the morning as the final step of your skincare routine after applying your moisturizer. It is unlikely to irritate your skin when paired with retinol products used at other times, thanks to its gentle formula.
How often should I use this sunscreen?
You can use this sunscreen every morning as the final step of your daytime routine to protect your skin from UV rays. It is gentle and safe for daily use, helping to keep your skin calm and hydrated without clogging pores.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
Can this sunscreen clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This sunscreen is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on combination skin. Tocopheryl Acetate and other gentle ingredients in this formula have a safe profile without harsh elements that typically trigger irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
Is this sunscreen fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (citral, citronellol, limonene, geraniol, and linalool).
What the research says
Dermatological 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, 2021Vitamin E in O/W and W/O emulsions significantly increased stratum corneum hydration and enhanced water-binding capacity, with an optimum concentration of 5%.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 1998Co-encapsulation of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopheryl acetate in nanostructured lipid carrier gel formulations significantly enhanced moisture retention up to 68% and improved skin elasticity in human volunteers compared to a solution gel.
Scientific Reports, 2025Encapsulating avobenzone in low-porosity TiO2-embedded mesoporous silica (TiO2/SBA-S) reduced cutaneous avobenzone absorption from 0.76 to 0.50 nmol/mg while providing effective pollutant adsorbability, UVA protection, and a two- to three-fold reduction in photoaged skin cytokines/chemokines compared to the non-treatment control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Early application of sunscreen after ablative fractional skin resurfacing significantly increased the sensitization rate of the UV-filter, octocrylene, and the sunscreen compared to intact skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2015Dermal application of a sunscreen containing 10% homosalate in four volunteers resulted in delayed elimination with terminal half-times around 24 h and a bioavailability of cis-homosalate a factor of 2 lower than trans-homosalate, while metabolite ratios supported using oral-route urinary excretion fractions for dermal exposure assessments.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Homosalate exhibited the highest permeation among tested filters with a relative permeability rate of 4.2% and a depth of 60 um, and specific thickeners and emulsifiers successfully reduced its permeation without inhibiting the skin permeation of niacinamide.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2026An online-SPE-LC-MS/MS method successfully quantified specific urinary homosalate metabolites for up to 96 hours after dermal sunscreen application in a volunteer and detected metabolites exclusively in three German pilot participants who had used sunscreen within five days.
Analytica Chimica Acta, 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 steroid withdrawal is driven by excess mitochondrial NAD+ metabolism that can be successfully targeted using complex I-inhibiting interventions such as metformin and berberine.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2025Topical steroid withdrawal presents as a distinct dermatopathology characterized by burning, flushing, thermodysregulation, and elevated mitochondrial NAD+ oxidation, which can be improved by targeting complex I with metformin or berberine.
MedRxiv, 2024Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose hydrogel formulations of berberine chloride-loaded escinosomes increased skin residence time and transdermal permeability while maintaining high safety and biocompatibility without skin irritation.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Octocrylene, Homosalate, Isododecane, Dipropylene Glycol, Silica, Avobenzone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Octyldodeceth-16, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Coptis Japonica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Litsea Cubeba Oil Fruit, Bergamot Oil Fruit, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil Flower, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil Lavender Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Clove Oil Leaf, Camphor Oil Bark, Maltodextrin, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract Avocado Fruit Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Lemon Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Rosa Damascena Extract, Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract Raspberry Fruit Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Blueberry Fruit Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Beta-Glucan, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool
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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