Neutrogena clear face for oily skin
Avobenzone
Homosalate
OctisalateAverage
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other sunscreens fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 oily skin due to silica's mattifying properties and absorption of excess sebum, though the product offers general skincare benefits that are mostly supportive rather than directly targeting oily shine.
- The moderate UV protection from avobenzone and homosalate provides a functional benefit, but specialized oil-control ingredients are absent.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this sunscreen during your AM routine every single day. Reapply every two hours if you are staying outdoors.
- Apply the sunscreen as the final step of your morning skincare routine after your moisturizer. Allow your moisturizer to absorb fully before putting it on.
- Squeeze a generous amount and pat it gently all over your face and neck. Avoid rubbing the product harshly into your skin.
- Apply the sunscreen directly onto dry skin to ensure it forms an even and protective layer against the sun.
- Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop using it if any irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 5.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this sunscreen is highly recommended for oily and acne-prone skin due to its lightweight, non-comedogenic formula that prevents sunburn without causing breakouts. It generally provides a matte finish. However, a notable number of users with darker skin tones report a visible white cast, and some experience pilling when layering products.
Highlights
Lightweight and non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “feels very light”
- “absorbs quickly”
- “doesn't leave greasy residue”
Matte finish Often Mentioned
- “keeps me matte”
- “no greasy shine”
- “dries down matte”
No breakouts Often Mentioned
- “didn't break me out”
- “acne prone skin approved”
- “breakout free”
Good under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “works well under makeup”
- “layers really well”
- “great primer”
Eye irritation Sometimes Noted
- “burns my eyes”
- “stings if it runs”
- “eyes water bad”
Visible white cast Sometimes Noted
- “leaves a white layer”
- “giving ghost”
- “hard to blend in”
Pilling or flaking Rarely Noted
- “pilling up on face”
- “flakes off”
- “balls up”
Skin dryness Rarely Noted
- “dry patches accentuated”
- “felt tight”
- “not moisturizing enough”
Sources: lovi.care, target.com, neutrogena.com, ultabeauty.com, walmart.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Neutrogena Clear Face work for oily skin?
Neutrogena Clear Face works okay for oily skin because silica helps soak up excess shine and the formula is unlikely to cause irritation. However, it lacks specialized oil-control ingredients, so an oily skin type needs a product specifically designed to actively manage oil production with lightweight, mattifying ingredients.
Which ingredients make this sunscreen a good fit for oily skin?
Silica makes this sunscreen a good fit for oily skin by absorbing excess shine and keeping your face matte. A sun product for oily skin also needs specialized oil-control ingredients and lightweight hydration that will not add extra grease.
What does Avobenzone do for oily skin?
Avobenzone protects outdoor skin from the sun, but for oily skin, it needs to be paired with lightweight hydrators and oil-controlling ingredients to keep skin clear and shine-free.
What does Homosalate do for oily skin?
Homosalate helps protect oily skin from sun damage by filtering out harmful UV rays without feeling too heavy. Chemical sunscreens containing ingredients like homosalate are unlikely to cause skin irritation or reactions.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
Apply this sunscreen in the morning as the final step of your skincare routine, right after your moisturizer. Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate are unlikely to irritate oily skin.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this sunscreen in the morning as the final step before makeup, well after applying your retinol the night before. This product is unlikely to irritate your skin, but oily skin working with retinol needs specialized oil-control ingredients and mattifying ingredients to best manage shine.
How often should I use this sunscreen?
You can use this sunscreen every morning as the final step of your daytime routine. It is very unlikely to cause irritation for your oily skin.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This sunscreen is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it has a safe formula without harsh ingredients that irritate the skin. However, because it lacks specialized oil-control ingredients, an oily skin type needs products with strong mattifying properties and sebum-absorbing ingredients to stay shine-free.
Is this sunscreen fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).
What the research says
Encapsulation 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, 2008Dermal 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, 2024Chemical 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, 2025Homosalate 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, 2026Simulated real-life dermal sunscreen exposure in twenty human volunteers leads to the systemic bioavailability and urinary excretion of the UV filter 2-ethylhexyl salicylate and its metabolite, reaching concentration peaks at 7 to 8 hours with 70-80% of overall excretion within 24 hours.
Archives of Toxicology, 2019The 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, 2024Controlled single dermal exposure to an EHS-containing sunscreen in three volunteers resulted in delayed systemic resorption with elimination half-lives between 6.6 and 9.7 hours, where the parent compound EHS occurred as the dominant urinary parameter.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024
Ingredients
Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Water, Silica, Styrene Acrylates Copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyester-8, Sodium Polyacrylate, Steareth-21, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine
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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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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How does it fit your skin?
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