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Paula's Choice Replenishing Moisturizer for oily acne-prone skin

Low

  • AverageOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A weak match for oily acne-prone skin; the moisturizers alongside 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 moderate suitability for your oily skin, as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide essential hydration without exacerbating oiliness, though it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target your acne and breakouts.
  • The inclusion of chamomile flower extract and aloe barbadensis leaf juice offers soothing benefits, which are generally supportive for oily and acne-prone skin.
  • The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.

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

★4.2Overall rating based on 300+ reviews

Some users with combination or acne-prone skin found it too rich or experienced breakouts, and a moderate number of users noted an unpleasant scent.

Highlights

  • Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
    • “saved my dry skin”
    • “locks in moisture”
    • “rich but not greasy”
    • “eliminated flaky patches”
  • Soothing and calming Often Mentioned
    • “calms redness instantly”
    • “gentle on sensitive skin”
  • Excellent texture Sometimes Noted
    • “whipped texture”
    • “absorbs well”
    • “luxurious feel”
    • “non-greasy finish”
  • Makeup compatible Sometimes Noted
    • “great under makeup”
    • “smooth base”
    • “no pilling”
    • “works well with tretinoin”
  • Unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
    • “smells like alcohol”
    • “weird chemical smell”
    • “funky odor”
    • “scent is off-putting”
  • Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “clogged my pores”
    • “caused cystic acne”
    • “broke me out”
    • “not for acne-prone skin”
  • High price Rarely Noted
    • “expensive for size”
    • “pricey”
    • “tube is small”
    • “cost prohibitive”
  • Too greasy Rarely Noted
    • “too heavy for day”
    • “left a shiny film”
    • “greasy residue”
    • “looked oily”

Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, makeupalley.com, paulaschoice-eu.com, influenster.com, reddit.com, and more

Questions and answers

Why is Paula's Choice Replenishing Moisturizer a weak match for oily acne-prone skin?

This moisturizer is a weak match because it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target your acne and breakouts, even though it provides essential hydration and soothing benefits. A moisturizing treatment for oily acne-prone skin needs ingredients that effectively address acne and blemishes while maintaining a lightweight texture without adding excess oil.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?

This cream is a weak match for oily acne-prone skin because it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target your acne and breakouts. A product of this type needs powerful hydrating and repairing ingredients to address acne and blemishes without adding excess oil, along with ingredients that support skin barrier function and maintain a lightweight texture.

What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?

Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022

What do Peptides do for oily acne-prone skin?

Peptides help calm oily, acne-prone skin by targeting acne-causing bacteria and reducing redness and swelling. Advanced delivery methods like nanomicelles may also improve how deeply these helpful ingredients sink into the skin.

Advanced Science, 2025Bioorganic Chemistry, 2025

Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This moisturizing treatment goes after your cleanser and toner in the morning, and after your treatment step in the evening. Because this is a weak match for oily acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and soothing plant extracts alongside blemish-fighting ingredients to help keep pores clear while maintaining comfort.

Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cream with retinol by applying your retinol first and following it with this moisturizer. This helps keep your skin soft and comfortable while reducing the dryness that retinol often causes. Oily acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer of this type with ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate for hydration, plus specialized ingredients to directly target breakouts.

Cutis, 2006Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

How often should I use this cream?

You can use this moisturizing treatment twice daily as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular daily application helps keep skin hydrated and is unlikely to cause irritation.

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 clog pores or cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin, as it has a safe profile with soothing ingredients and a low risk of pimples according to reviewers. However, because this is a weak match for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs specialized ingredients to directly target acne and breakouts.

Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?

You can use this moisturizing treatment around your eyes and on your body because its gentle formula hydrates delicate areas safely without irritation. For the very thin skin around the eyes and varied body skin, a product of this type needs lightweight hydrators like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate alongside soothing ingredients to keep skin soft and calm.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl 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, 2017
  • A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.

    Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
  • Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.

    American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
  • A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.

    The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
  • Topical 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, 2011
  • Topical 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, 2022
  • Treatment 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, 2019
  • Electrospun 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, 2022
  • A 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, 1986
  • Topical 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
  • The 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, 2020
  • Ten 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, 2001
  • Niacinamide/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
  • Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
  • Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.

    Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000
  • Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.

    Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020

Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better

Ingredients

Water, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Pca, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract Chamomile Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Allantoin, Rosa Moschata Seed Oil, Polysorbate 20, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Sodium Citrate, Trisodium Edta, Batyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic 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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Prices checked 6 Nov 2026

How does it fit your skin?

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