EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF 47 for oily acne-prone skin
Zinc Oxide
Titanium Dioxide
Dimethicone
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Cyclopentasiloxane
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other sunscreens 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 and acne concerns due to the presence of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which provide excellent broad-spectrum UV protection and mild astringent properties. Ascorbyl palmitate offers antioxidant benefits, but the formula lacks specialized ingredients for effective seboregulation or direct anti-acne action.
- The formula is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation and the inclusion of soothing ingredients like Ascorbyl Palmitate.
- The primary function of this product is sun protection, which it performs excellently, but it does not offer targeted treatments for your primary concerns of acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
How to apply
- Apply this sunscreen AM as the final step of your morning skincare routine. Reapply every two hours when exposed to the sun for continuous protection.
- Apply after your moisturizer as the last step before makeup. Do not apply anything on top of your sunscreen.
- Gently spread a coin-sized amount evenly across your face and neck. Avoid harsh rubbing to prevent disturbing the protective layer.
- Apply on completely dry skin after your moisturizer has fully absorbed. This ensures the sunscreen forms an even, protective barrier.
- Avoid direct contact with your eyes during application. Do a patch test before first use to ensure no irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsA significant drawback is its thick texture, which often results in a noticeable white cast and a shiny appearance, making it less ideal for daily cosmetic use but effective for outdoor activities.
Highlights
Leaves white cast Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves a chalky coating”
- “Looking pasty and dull”
- “Holey moley... white cast”
Gentle on skin Often Mentioned
- “Best sunscreen for sensitive skin”
- “Doesn't irritate or burn”
Heavy greasy texture Often Mentioned
- “Distinctively waxy-feeling”
- “Leaves a shiny finish”
- “Heavy and sticky”
Effective physical protection Sometimes Noted
- “Good physical sunscreen”
- “Protects well against sun damage”
- “High zinc content protection”
No eye sting Sometimes Noted
- “Doesn't burn my eyes”
- “Safe for eyelids”
- “Great for kids, no tears”
Water resistant Sometimes Noted
- “Great sunscreen for the pool”
- “Waterproof and sweatproof”
- “Stays on during outdoor activities”
Difficult to blend Sometimes Noted
- “Takes work to play well with hair”
- “Hard to rub in completely”
- “Clings to stubble/brows”
Hard to remove Rarely Noted
- “Need to scrub to get it off”
- “Stays on skin stubbornly”
- “Hard to wash off hands”
Sources: lovi.care, eltamd.com, lovelyskin.com, walmart.com, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does EltaMD UV Pure work for oily acne-prone skin?
EltaMD UV Pure works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin because its zinc oxide and titanium dioxide offer safe sun protection without causing irritation. However, it lacks oil-controlling ingredients to manage excess shine and does not target breakouts. An ideal sunscreen for oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight, oil-free ingredients and oil-controlling agents to keep skin matte and clear.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide help by providing broad-spectrum sun protection with mild astringent properties, while ascorbyl palmitate offers soothing antioxidant benefits. However, this skin type needs products that include oil-controlling and mattifying ingredients to best manage excess shine and breakouts.
What does Zinc Oxide do for oily acne-prone skin?
Zinc oxide helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by reducing redness and targeting blemish-causing bacteria. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may help decrease excess oil while supporting clearer skin.
What does Titanium Dioxide do for oily acne-prone skin?
Titanium dioxide acts as a physical mineral sunscreen to shield oily, acne-prone skin from UV rays without clogging pores or triggering breakouts. It sits safely on the outer surface of the skin and is unlikely to penetrate or cause irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2000Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2001
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This sunscreen goes as the last step of your morning routine, right after your moisturizer. While it protects your skin well without causing irritation, an oily acne-prone skin type needs oil-controlling and breakout-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to keep pores clear.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this sunscreen in the morning over your regular routine, and apply your retinol at night instead. This product offers safe sun protection with soothing ingredients like Ascorbyl Palmitate, but oily acne-prone skin also needs specialized ingredients for oil control and direct blemish treatment.
How often should I use it?
You can use this sunscreen every morning as the final step of your daytime routine. It provides great sun protection and is safe for your skin, though an oily acne-prone skin routine works best with a product that also includes ingredients for oil control and direct blemish care.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This sunscreen is safe for oily skin and is unlikely to cause irritation or purging, though its heavy texture may feel too thick for you. Oily acne-prone skin needs a lightweight, non-greasy formula with oil-controlling ingredients and targeted acne treatments.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Biomimetic hyaluronic acid-stabilized zinc oxide nanoparticles selectively inhibited C. acnes, outperformed erythromycin in preclinical acne models, and safely reduced acne lesions and redness in a clinical trial.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2025Topical 0.5% hyaluronic-ZnO nanogel applied twice daily reduced inflammatory-lesion counts by 58% at week four in human subjects compared to baseline without causing erythema.
Biomedicines, 2025Nels cream achieved a similar reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts compared to 5% benzoyl peroxide in acne vulgaris patients, but caused significantly fewer side-effects such as peeling and dryness.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2000Topically applied coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanoparticles under flexing and massage are retained in the stratum corneum with no significant penetration into the viable epidermis and no cellular toxicity in human skin.
Nanomedicine, 2016Microfine titanium dioxide does not penetrate human skin when formulated in an oil-in-water emulsion with the pigment dispersed in the aqueous phase, compared to oily dispersions and liposomal encapsulation which allow deeper skin penetration.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2000Replacing microsized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide with nanoparticles in sunscreens eliminates opaqueness and alters UV protection balance while inducing (photo)cyto- and genotoxicity and penetrating viable skin layers during long-term exposures.
Nanotechnology, Science and Applications, 2011Microfine zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do not penetrate the stratum corneum of porcine skin in vitro, indicating that their use in sunscreens does not pose a health risk from internal exposure.
Toxicology in Vitro, 2006Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007Topical 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, 2022
Ingredients
Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Lauryl Peg-9 Polymethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone Peg-10 15 Crosspolymer, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Silica
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.