CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream for oily skin
Urea
Salicylic Acid
3 Essential Ceramides
Niacinamide
Sodium Hyaluronate
Average
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other moisturizers 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 exfoliation for your oily skin, with salicylic acid and lactic acid providing general skincare benefits while urea offers excellent moisturizing and smoothing texture.
- The formulation is highly suitable for oily skin due to the keratolytic action of salicylic acid and lactic acid, complemented by urea's humectant properties.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
- Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
- Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cream is highly effective for rough and bumpy skin conditions like Keratosis Pilaris, significantly improving texture and softness for most users. While many appreciate its fast absorption and long-lasting hydration, a moderate number of users find the scent unpleasant, and a low number report issues with texture, pilling, or mild irritation.
Highlights
Effective for KP Mostly Mentioned
- “Fixed my bumpy arms”
- “bumps started reducing in size and number”
- “97% bump-free”
- “best for KP”
Smooths and softens Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves skin feeling silky soft”
- “smooths out rough patches”
- “skin feels incredibly smooth”
- “softens even the roughest textures”
Fast absorption Often Mentioned
- “Sinks into skin effortlessly”
- “no greasy residue”
- “absorbs straight away”
- “clothing over it with no problem”
Long-lasting hydration Often Mentioned
- “Hydration hits instantly”
- “skin feels soft all day”
- “locks in moisture”
- “intense hydration”
Unpleasant smell Sometimes Noted
- “Smells like chemicals”
- “tobacco-ey scent”
- “smells like medicine/panadol”
- “scent lingers briefly”
Insufficient moisture Rarely Noted
- “Not moisturizing enough”
- “mattifying look”
- “skin felt dry when I woke up”
- “too heavy but not hydrating”
Stinging or irritation Rarely Noted
- “Stung my face really badly”
- “experienced some reddening”
- “slight tingling on dry parts”
- “caused breakouts on back”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “Started to pill quite badly”
- “drags on the skin”
- “hard to apply”
- “too thick/heavy”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, lookfantastic.com, cocooncenter.co.uk, beautycrew.com.au, superdrug.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream work for oily skin?
CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream works moderately well for oily skin, offering light exfoliation and smooth hydration without irritation. However, a product for this skin type needs a lightweight texture with peptides and hydrating agents, a lack of heavy oils, and ingredients that support the skin barrier without causing breakouts or excess oiliness.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Salicylic acid and lactic acid help clear oily shine through gentle exfoliation, while urea leaves your skin soft and smooth. A product for oily skin needs a lightweight texture with hydrating agents and peptides, no heavy oils, and ingredients that support the skin barrier.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
What does Urea do for oily skin?
Urea is generally not a primary choice for oily skin since it is mostly used to deeply hydrate dry skin and repair a damaged skin barrier. Oily skin instead benefits most from lightweight, oil-free hydrators with ingredients like glycerin that help balance moisture without feeling heavy.
Dermatology Online Journal, 2013The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?
Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before your moisturizer. Oily skin works best with products that offer light exfoliation to keep pores clear and urea or similar ingredients to keep skin soft without feeling heavy.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol, applying the retinol first and following with this treatment once it absorbs. This helps smooth your skin while keeping it comfortable, as the ceramides and urea support your skin barrier.
How often should I use it?
Start using this treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. It helps smooth texture and gently clears the skin without irritation.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it has a very safe formula without harsh ingredients and uses salicylic acid to help clear the skin. To work even better for oily skin, a product of this type needs lighter hydrating ingredients and oil-absorbing minerals.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
This cream works well on the body, but it is better to avoid the thin skin around the eyes. An oily skin type needs a lighter formula for the eye area, along with gentle ingredients that smooth texture without feeling heavy.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Urea is a safe and effective dermatologic therapy with wide-ranging clinical utility for various skin conditions and minimal, non-systemic side effects based on a review of the clinical literature.
Dermatology Online Journal, 2013Topical 40% urea cream achieved improvement in less time and showed superiority over 12% ammonium lactate lotion in skin roughness, fissure reduction, thickness, and dryness at day 14 in patients treated for moderate to severe xerosis.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Topical treatment with K101 achieved a significantly higher mycological cure rate compared to placebo in patients with ≤50% nail involvement (27.2% vs 10.4%), while showing early visible improvements in nail appearance and no safety issues.
Mycoses, 2012Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Topical 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, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Shea Butter, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, Peg-100 Stearate, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Dimethicone, Triacetin, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
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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