Paula's Choice Hydrating Treatment Mask for oily skin
Borago Officinalis Oil
Sodium Hyaluronate
Retinyl Palmitate
Tocopherol
Oenothera Biennis OilAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other nourishing masks 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
- Offers moderate suitability for oily skin due to the humectant action of glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, which provide hydration and plumpness without directly addressing concerns about oily shine.
- Borago officinalis seed oil and oenothera biennis oil offer some emollient benefits, but the formula lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control for your oily skin.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this creamy mask PM once a week to start, then increase frequency if your skin feels good.
- Apply this creamy mask after cleansing and toner, but before your moisturizer.
- Smooth an even layer of the creamy mask gently over your face, avoiding any harsh rubbing.
- Put the creamy mask on clean and completely dry skin for the best results against oily shine.
- Make sure to avoid the sensitive eye area and do a quick patch test before using it the first time.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsThis mask is highly praised for its intense hydration and soothing properties, making it a favorite for dry, sensitive, and dehydrated skin types. Users often report waking up to softer, more supple skin, and it's frequently used as an overnight treatment to repair a compromised skin barrier. While many consider it a 'holy grail' for deep nourishment, some users with specific sensitivities or those preferring lighter textures have noted it can feel heavy or pill under makeup.
Highlights
Deeply hydrates skin Often Mentioned
- “My skin is smooth and hydrated in the mornings.”
- “It really locks in moisture for my extremely dry skin.”
- “Wake up with a subtle glow and no dryness.”
Softens skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “My face feels soft and supple in the morning.”
- “My skin feels so soft and smooth!”
- “Skin texture has become incredibly smooth.”
Soothes sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “It hydrates and works on sensitive skin.”
- “Helps calm my skin.”
- “Kept my skin from feeling excessively dry, irritated, and flaky.”
Versatile overnight use Sometimes Noted
- “Perfect for those lazy skincare nights!”
- “Absolutely perfect as a sleeping mask.”
- “I use this product every night.”
Pills under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “It pills under makeup, so strictly use it as a night treatment.”
- “If you apply too much, it seems to pill a bit.”
- “It pills like dead skin cells when used with other products.”
Difficult to remove Rarely Noted
- “It wouldn't wash away easily; I had to use a cleanser.”
- “Rinsing this mask off was the best part.”
Feels heavy Rarely Noted
- “For combination dehydrated skin, it feels a bit heavy.”
- “It is heavy and thick.”
- “This might be one of the thicker products in my collection.”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “As soon as I applied it, my skin started tingling and burning.”
- “Even she complained about the tingling sensation.”
- “Some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction.”
Sources: lovi.care, paulaschoice.com, skinsort.com, hwahae.com, influenster.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does the Paula's Choice Hydrating Treatment Mask work for oily skin?
This mask works reasonably well for oily skin, providing hydration and moisture without causing irritation, though it lacks strong ingredients for managing oily shine. Oily skin works best with nourishing masks that include soothing and calming extracts to balance the complexion and control excess oil without clogging pores.
Which ingredients make this mask a good fit for oily skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate offer moderate suitability for oily skin by providing hydration without adding shine. However, this type of skin needs a product formulated with ingredients that control excess oil and promote a balanced complexion without clogging pores.
What does Borage Seed Oil do for oily skin?
Borage seed oil helps calm oily skin while keeping it balanced and supported without feeling heavy. Because oily skin still needs moisture to stay healthy, this light oil helps maintain the skin barrier and is unlikely to clog pores.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps oily skin by reducing extra oil and sebum production without causing irritation. Clinical studies show it successfully balances oil levels while keeping the skin comfortable.
Where does this mask go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This nourishing mask works for oily skin, though other products fit it better because it lacks sufficient oil-control ingredients. Oily skin needs balancing ingredients and lightweight hydrators like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to manage shine while keeping skin smooth.
Can I use this mask with niacinamide, and in what order?
You can use this mask with niacinamide, applying the mask after your niacinamide product has absorbed completely. The formula hydrates your oily skin safely, but oily skin of this type needs oil-absorbing and balancing ingredients to truly shine less.
How often should I use this mask?
You can use this nourishing mask weekly as part of your routine for oily skin, though other products fit this skin type better. Oily skin needs targeted oil-control ingredients to properly manage shine.
Can this mask clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This mask is safe for your oily skin and is unlikely to cause irritation. However, because it lacks sufficient ingredients for oil control, an oily skin type needs lightweight formulas with oil-balancing and shine-reducing ingredients.
Is this mask 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, 2017Cutaneous application of linoleic and gamma-linolenic acid triglycerides reduced the high rate of transepidermal water loss in essential fatty acid-deficient rats, whereas other fatty acid triglycerides had no effect.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1976Topical 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, 2019Over-the-counter retinol products provided only weak evidence for a mild ameliorating effect on fine facial skin wrinkle lines in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials, and major methodological flaws call the validity of positive results into question.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010A novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to 0.02% tretinoin and reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing in female adults while causing less skin irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Topical 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, 2024Electrospun poly (vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) patches loaded with evening primrose oil applied to the forearm of volunteers for 6 hours increased skin moisture, with pore size, shape, and fiber diameter influencing oil transport.
Biomaterials Advances, 2022A topical preparation containing urea, sunflower oil, evening primrose oil, wheat germ oil, and sodium pyruvate led to clinical improvement after a month in diverse hyperkeratotic skin conditions except pityriasis lichenoides.
Medicina Cutanea Ibero-latino-americana, 1986Topical application of linseed, evening primrose, and olive oil emulsions accelerated wound closure in rats with excision wounds compared to untreated controls, though via different mechanisms.
Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2019
Why other nourishing masks fit oily 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, 2024Application of Galactomyces ferment filtrate skin care formula significantly reduced the net values and daily fluctuation of facial pore area, roughness, and redness in young Japanese women.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021
Ingredients
Retinyl Palmitate Vitamin A Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hectorite, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate Dicaprate, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Stearate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Monostearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Ethyl Macadamiate, Glyceryl Behenate Eicosadioate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Oil Apricot Oil, Glycine Soja Soybean Sterols, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascorbyl Palmitate Vitamin C Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Sclerotium Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Olea Europaea Oil Olive Oil, Linoleic Acid
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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