COSRX Propolis Light Cream for oily acne-prone skin
Propolis Extract
Honey Extract
Royal Jelly Extract
Butylene Glycol
Glycerin
Average
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
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 hydration and barrier enhancement for your oily skin, as propolis extract and honey extract provide humectant and antimicrobial actions that are beneficial for acne and breakouts.
- While the formula is generally safe and soothing for oily skin, it lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to directly target acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product has a good safety profile 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
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this lightweight cream is highly praised for providing a radiant glow and calming redness without feeling heavy, making it ideal for combination, acne-prone, and sensitive skin. It effectively heals breakouts and strengthens the skin barrier. However, individuals with very dry skin might find it insufficient for intense hydration, especially during winter.
Highlights
Lightweight & fast Mostly Mentioned
- “Absorbs effortlessly”
- “feels like nothing on skin”
- “perfect for humid weather”
- “non-greasy finish”
Glow & hydration Often Mentioned
- “Gives me a healthy glow”
- “makes skin look plump”
- “glass skin effect”
- “leaves a nice dewy finish”
Soothing & healing Often Mentioned
- “healed popped pimples overnight”
- “reduced redness immediately”
- “great for sensitive skin”
Excellent makeup base Sometimes Noted
- “Makeup glides right over it”
- “acts like a gripping primer”
- “foundation looks smoother”
- “no pilling under makeup”
Not enough moisture Sometimes Noted
- “Need to layer it”
- “not occlusive enough for winter”
- “skin felt tight after an hour”
- “better for summer only”
Small quantity Sometimes Noted
- “Finished it in a month”
- “wish it came in a bigger tube”
- “expensive for the amount”
- “jar looks big but is empty inside”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Gave me whiteheads”
- “triggered my fungal acne”
- “caused small bumps on forehead”
- “broke me out immediately”
Slightly sticky Rarely Noted
- “Leaves a sticky film”
- “hair sticks to my face”
- “feels tacky for 10 minutes”
- “too shiny/sticky for day use”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, sokoglam.com, reddit.com, yesstyle.com, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does COSRX Propolis Light Cream work for oily acne-prone skin?
COSRX Propolis Light Cream is an average fit for oily acne-prone skin, offering moderate moisture and soothing benefits from propolis and honey extracts without clogging pores. While it is safe and gentle, it lacks targeted blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide. A product for this skin needs powerful ingredients that clear acne and blemishes, balance oil, and enhance texture while remaining lightweight and free of heavy oils.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Propolis extract, honey extract, and royal jelly extract make this cream a good fit by providing moderate moisture and antimicrobial actions that help with breakouts. Oily acne-prone skin also needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to directly target blemishes.
What does Propolis Extract do for oily acne-prone skin?
Propolis extract helps calm breakouts and redness on oily, acne-prone skin while fighting the bacteria that cause pimples. It works to reduce redness scars and clear up lesions, making it a helpful addition to your routine for clearer skin.
What does Honey Extract do for oily acne-prone skin?
Honey extract helps calm oily acne-prone skin while keeping it soft and smooth. It acts as a natural treatment that supports healing and provides antimicrobial benefits to help manage breakouts.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream goes toward the end of your morning and evening routines to lock in hydration. While it provides soothing moisture, oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to effectively clear breakouts.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol by applying the retinol first and following it with the moisturizer to help keep your skin calm and hydrated. This type of moisturizer provides a gentle, soothing barrier that is unlikely to cause irritation when paired with stronger treatments. An oily acne-prone skin routine works best when the moisturizer also includes ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to directly target breakouts.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Daily application helps keep oily skin hydrated and calm, but this type of product for acne-prone skin also needs ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to directly target breakouts.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts since it lacks harsh ingredients and contains soothing components, though it does not target existing blemishes as well as specialized acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide. Oily acne-prone skin needs products with targeted active ingredients to effectively clear breakouts and control blemishes.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is generally safe and soothing to use around the eyes or on the body, though the skin around the eyes is much thinner than other areas. It is unlikely to cause irritation due to its gentle ingredients, but it lacks specialized components for treating specific body or eye concerns.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
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, 2018Topical propolis application significantly reduced postoperative pain, hemorrhage, and accelerated wound healing in patients undergoing tonsillectomy compared to a control group.
Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, 2018Topical treatment with ethanol propolis extract resulted in complete mycological and clinical cure in 56.25% of patients with onychomycosis, demonstrating non-toxicity and effective antifungal activity against Trichophyton spp. both in vitro and in patients.
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2018Honey-based dressings reduced mean healing duration, length of hospital stay, and VAS pain scores compared with povidone iodine-based dressings in 1236 participants.
Journal of Wound Care, 2021Topical honey application improved the mean duration of attacks and pain, occurrence of crusting, and healing time compared to acyclovir cream in 16 adult patients with recurrent labial and genital herpes lesions.
Medical Science Monitor, 2004Applying an essence containing royal jelly extract significantly increased the stratum corneum water content of the cheeks compared to placebo in healthy Japanese adults over 4 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A prototype body cream containing bee venom, propolis, honey, beeswax, and royal jelly demonstrated stability for 90 days, high antioxidant capacity of 85.45%, lack of cytotoxicity with over 70% cell viability, and no irritation or allergic reaction in dermatological analysis, while improving skin parameters in a panel test.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Royal jelly protects against epidermal stress caused by UVB and menadione through the upregulation of NQO1 expression by its active compound 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021A 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, 2017The 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, 2020Ten 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
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
Propolis Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Honey Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Beeswax, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Allantoin, Arginine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
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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