Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula for oily acne-prone skin
Theobroma Cacao Butter
Vitamin E
Dimethicone
Octinoxate
Oxybenzone
Caution
- LowOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A poor match for oily acne-prone skin; the sunscreens 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
- Low suitability for oily skin as occlusive ingredients like Petrolatum and Mineral Oil can clog pores and worsen acne, blemishes, and breakouts, despite the hydrating benefits of Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter and Glycerin.
- The formula's moderate moisturizing properties are overshadowed by the significant risk of exacerbating oiliness and congestion, making it a poor choice for your primary concerns.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizing sunscreen every morning. Reapply throughout the day if you are outside.
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen as the final step of your morning routine after your moisturizer.
- Gently smooth a nickel-sized amount over your face and neck, avoiding harsh rubbing to keep oily areas calm.
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen on clean, dry skin to ensure even coverage and protection.
- Avoid getting the product into your eyes and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 15.0k+ reviewsUsers consistently report positive outcomes such as improved skin texture, faded stretch marks, and a soft, radiant complexion, though a few find the rich formula slightly heavy.
Highlights
Deeply moisturizes skin Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin visibly smooth and moisturized”
- “provides deep, long-lasting hydration”
- “keeps skin moisturized during winters”
- “transforms even the roughest, driest areas”
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “reduces and fades stretch marks over time”
- “fading of stretch marks and spots”
- “arms and legs are smooth and young looking”
- “helps calm rough, flaky skin”
Pleasant cocoa scent Often Mentioned
- “leaves skin visibly smooth and moisturized”
- “provides deep, long-lasting hydration”
- “keeps skin moisturized during winters”
- “transforms even the roughest, driest areas”
Absorbs quickly Sometimes Noted
- “absorbs well into skin without residue”
- “does not feel oily the rest of the day”
- “melts nicely into skin”
- “absorbs quickly, creating a protective barrier”
Faulty pump dispenser Rarely Noted
- “pump breaks or detaches”
- “affecting lotion dispensing”
- “prone to clogging”
- “issues with the product's packaging”
Greasy or sticky Rarely Noted
- “feels a bit greasy, which is annoying”
- “was also sticky and didn't soak in”
- “heavier than a regular lotion”
- “demasiado grasosa”
Overpowering scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is much too strong”
- “walk around smelling like a Hershey chocolate bar”
- “didn't care for the smell”
- “cocoa butter scent is noticeable... not subtle”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, target.com, amazon.com, palmers.com, gopicky.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula for oily acne-prone skin?
Lovi advises caution because heavy ingredients like petrolatum, mineral oil, and cocoa butter can clog pores and worsen breakouts on oily skin. Skin of this type needs lightweight hydrators and sun protection that keep the face feeling fresh without blocking pores.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Petrolatum, mineral oil, and cocoa butter make this cream a poor fit because heavy, pore-clogging ingredients like these tend to worsen breakouts on oily skin. This skin type needs lightweight hydrating ingredients and sun protection that keep skin balanced and free of heavy oils without clogging pores.
What does Cocoa Butter do for oily acne-prone skin?
Cocoa butter is heavy and may clog pores on oily, acne-prone skin, leading to breakouts. Studies show it is unlikely to help with skin concerns like stretch marks, so this skin type needs lightweight, non-pore-clogging hydrators and ingredients that help clear blemishes.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2016BJOG, 2008
What does Vitamin E do for oily acne-prone skin?
Vitamin E helps reduce oiliness, redness, and dark spots on oily acne-prone skin while improving moisture. It also helps calm irritation and smooth the skin when used consistently.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2014
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is a poor match for oily acne-prone skin because heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil easily clog pores and may worsen breakouts. This skin type needs lightweight, non-clogging moisturizers with ingredients like niacinamide that hydrate without adding excess oil or congestion.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020The British Journal of Dermatology, 1978
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
This cream is a poor match for your skin, as heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil may clog pores and worsen breakouts. Oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-clogging lotions with ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid to stay clear and hydrated.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is a poor match for oily acne-prone skin, as heavy ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil can easily clog pores and trigger breakouts. Oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-clogging moisturizers and sunscreens that hydrate without adding extra oil.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
Yes, this cream can easily clog pores and cause breakouts on oily acne-prone skin because heavy ingredients like petrolatum, mineral oil, and cocoa butter trap oil and congest skin. A product for this skin needs lightweight, oil-free hydrators and pore-clearing ingredients instead of heavy butters and oils.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum and benzyl alcohol). Cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and myristyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical 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, 2024Wearing 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, 2007Replacing 20% of the chemical UV filter octyl methoxycinnamate with urucum oil in solid lipid nanoparticles maintained the skin protection factor without inducing toxic responses or significant skin penetration in human volunteers.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2018Liposomal encapsulation of octyl methoxycinnamate increases its safety, skin affinity, and in vivo solar photoprotection factor while slowing its release and enhancing retention in the stratum corneum compared to a conventional formulation.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2013Encapsulation 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, 2011Daily whole-body topical application of sunscreens benzophenone-3, octyl-methoxycinnamate, and 3-(4-methylbenzylidene) camphor results in systemic absorption in healthy human volunteers but does not alter endogenous reproductive hormone levels.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2004Topical application of sunscreen agents in human volunteers resulted in significant skin penetration of all agents and systemic absorption of oxybenzone and its metabolites.
Journal of Chromatography. B, Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences, 2004Benzophenone-3 loaded starch microsponges provided improved photoprotection, higher sun protection factor, and reduced cutaneous penetration compared to raw benzophenone-3 cream.
Materials Science & Engineering. C, Materials for Biological Applications, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum Mineral Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Palm Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Tocopherol Vitamin E, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Peg-8 Stearate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Butylene Glycol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cellulose, Sodium Acetate, Parfum, Dimethyl Stearamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Yellow 5 Ci 19140, Ci 15510, Benzyl Alcohol
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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