Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Magic Cream for oily acne-prone skin

Sodium Hyaluronate
Vitamins C
Bionymph Peptide Complex
Shea Butter
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other moisturizers 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 moisturizing for your oily skin due to glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, which provide essential hydration without exacerbating oiliness.
- While beneficial for general skin health and supporting acne-prone skin, the formula lacks specialized ingredients to directly target breakouts and blemishes.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no reported risks of irritation from harsh or prohibited ingredients.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 5.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this rich moisturizer is highly praised for its ability to hydrate dry, mature, or dehydrated skin, creating a plump, radiant complexion and serving as an excellent base for makeup. Users with oily or acne-prone skin frequently find it too heavy or greasy, and the strong floral fragrance is a common concern for sensitive individuals.
Highlights
Excellent makeup base Mostly Mentioned
- “perfect canvas for base”
- “makeup sits so well”
- “no pilling or dragging”
- “foundation glides over it”
Intense hydration Often Mentioned
- “floods skin with moisture”
- “instantly hydrated”
- “dry cheeks felt plumped”
- “skin feels nourishing”
Radiant finish Often Mentioned
- “lit-from-within glow”
- “beautiful dewy finish”
- “catwalk radiance”
- “skin looks brighter”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “extremely overpriced”
- “hard to justify the cost”
- “investment product”
- “wish it was affordable”
Luxurious texture Sometimes Noted
- “rich and nourishing”
- “velvety texture”
- “feels luxurious”
- “melts into skin”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “grandma perfume smell”
- “scent is intense”
- “strong floral fragrance”
- “irritates my nose”
Too heavy/greasy Sometimes Noted
- “too greasy for oily skin”
- “felt like a mask”
- “oil-slick by mid-day”
- “heavy on the face”
Potential breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “burned my face”
- “spots broke through”
- “not for acne-prone skin”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, sephora.com, ulta.com, cultbeauty.com, nordstrom.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Charlotte's Magic Cream work for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin, providing essential hydration without making your face overly oily, though it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target breakouts. To truly fit this skin type, a moisturizing treatment needs lightweight ingredients that balance moisture without heavy oils, soothe blemishes, and support the skin barrier.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cream a moderate fit for your oily skin because they provide essential hydration without making you extra oily. While it has soothing aloe vera, an oil-prone skin type needs a moisturizer that includes specialized ingredients to directly target breakouts and blemishes.
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 does Vitamin C do for oily acne-prone skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin, smooth out texture, and improve uneven spots for oily acne-prone skin. It may also help fade marks left behind by blemishes.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream goes in your morning routine after a hydrating toner and before your sunscreen, and in your evening routine as the final step after your treatment. Oily acne-prone skin needs a moisturizer of this type to provide essential hydration without making your skin feel heavy or greasy, though this skin also benefits from specialized ingredients like niacinamide to help directly target breakouts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the retinol first and following with the moisturizer. This routine helps reduce dryness and irritation while supporting your skin barrier during treatment. Oily acne-prone skin of this type needs a lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer containing ingredients like ceramides or niacinamide to help soothe irritation and clear breakouts.
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 your skin hydrated while maintaining a safe profile for oily skin.
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 your oily acne-prone skin, as it has a low risk of causing breakouts according to reviewers. However, an average fit for this skin needs oil-controlling or breakout-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide, or tea tree oil to actively target blemishes.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is safe to use around the eyes or on the body, though the eyelids are much thinner than the skin elsewhere. Regular application of a cream with hyaluronic acid and glycerin helps keep these areas hydrated with a very good skin tolerance.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (linalool, citronellol, and geraniol). 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, 2017A 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, 2018Topical 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 application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better
Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023A 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, 2024A facial serum containing snail secretion filtrate, Calendula officinalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract significantly reduced inflammatory acne lesions compared to placebo in 66 participants with mild-to-moderate maskne over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Homosalate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Cetyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Steareth-21, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract Oat Kernel Extract, Carbomer, Dimethiconol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Disodium Edta, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Oil Fruit, Rosa Damascena Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Michelia Alba Oil Leaf, Sodium Lactate, Coco-Glucoside, Peg-8, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Nicotiana Sylvestris Cell Leaf Culture, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol
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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