Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Face Serum SPF 60 for oily skin
Avobenzone
Homosalate
Octisalate
Octocrylene
GlycerinHigh
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily skin; a few sunscreens fit it even 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 high suitability for your oily skin due to Alcohol Denat and Menthyl Lactate providing a mattifying effect and cooling sensation, respectively, which directly addresses your concern of oily shine.
- Silica and Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate further absorb excess oil, offering moderate benefits for oily shine on oily skin.
- The product is safe for your oily skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this sunscreen during your AM routine every single day. Reapply every two hours if you are staying outdoors.
- Apply the sunscreen as the final step of your morning skincare routine after your moisturizer. Allow your moisturizer to absorb fully before putting it on.
- Squeeze a generous amount and pat it gently all over your face and neck. Avoid rubbing the product harshly into your skin.
- Apply the sunscreen directly onto dry skin to ensure it forms an even and protective layer against the sun.
- Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop using it if any irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsThis serum is highly praised for its invisible, non-greasy finish that works well for all skin tones and sits smoothly under makeup. However, while it provides effective hydration and sun protection, some users experience eye irritation or find the texture slightly oily, particularly in humid conditions or on naturally oily skin. This summary is based on a very large amount of data and should definitely be taken into account.
Highlights
No white cast Mostly Mentioned
- “It really is invisible.”
- “Goes on clear and is invisible on all skin tones.”
- “Doesn't leave a white cast or streaks.”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “The texture is thin and a bit liquidy, like a serum.”
- “Absorbs quickly and feels smooth on skin.”
- “Excellent light weight product.”
Smooth under makeup Often Mentioned
- “Plays well under my foundation.”
- “Sits beautifully under makeup.”
- “Doesn't interfere with makeup.”
Hydrating formula Sometimes Noted
- “Provides hydration for up to 8 hours.”
- “It contains good moisturizing ingredients.”
- “Moisturizing but not greasy.”
Eye stinging Sometimes Noted
- “I have experienced a bit of stinging around the eyes.”
- “Terribly irritated my eyes.”
- “Can sting eyes.”
Greasy feel Sometimes Noted
- “It can feel a bit oily when you start to sweat.”
- “It has a greasy feel.”
- “Felt kind of heavy and it felt kind of greasy.”
Pore clogging Rarely Noted
- “I feel like it was pretty pore clogging in my opinion.”
- “Not recommended for sensitive skin.”
- “High irritancy risk.”
Sources: lovi.care, neutrogena.com, walmart.com, reddit.com, whatsinmyjar.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Face Serum SPF 60 a great fit for oily skin?
This sunscreen is a great fit for your oily skin because alcohol and menthyl lactate give you a mattifying effect and a cooling sensation to help handle oily shine. Silica and starch further absorb excess oil, and the formula is safe with a low risk of irritation.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
Alcohol Denat and Menthyl Lactate make this serum a great fit for your oily skin by giving you a mattifying effect and a cooling sensation. Silica and Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate help further by soaking up excess oil to control shine.
What does Avobenzone do for oily skin?
Avobenzone protects outdoor skin from the sun, but for oily skin, it needs to be paired with lightweight hydrators and oil-controlling ingredients to keep skin clear and shine-free.
What does Homosalate do for oily skin?
Homosalate helps protect oily skin from sun damage by filtering out harmful UV rays without feeling too heavy. Chemical sunscreens containing ingredients like homosalate are unlikely to cause skin irritation or reactions.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This product goes in the morning routine as the final step after your moisturizer. Chemical sunscreens generally have a very low risk of irritation on human skin.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum in the morning after your moisturizer as the final step before makeup, keeping your retinol strictly for your evening routine. This sunscreen is unlikely to cause irritation when layered into a daily routine, and using it every morning helps protect your skin while you treat it at night.
How often should I use this serum?
This product is a sunscreen, so you should use it every morning as the final step of your skincare routine. It is a great fit for oily skin because ingredients like alcohol denat and menthyl lactate provide a cooling sensation and mattifying effect to help control shine.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores for oily skin, as it has a low risk of pore clogging and safe ingredients that do not irritate. It helps keep skin protected without causing breakouts, though reviewers note a moderate chance of a greasy feel.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Encapsulation 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, 2011Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008Dermal application of a sunscreen containing 10% homosalate in four volunteers resulted in delayed elimination with terminal half-times around 24 h and a bioavailability of cis-homosalate a factor of 2 lower than trans-homosalate, while metabolite ratios supported using oral-route urinary excretion fractions for dermal exposure assessments.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Homosalate exhibited the highest permeation among tested filters with a relative permeability rate of 4.2% and a depth of 60 um, and specific thickeners and emulsifiers successfully reduced its permeation without inhibiting the skin permeation of niacinamide.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2026Simulated real-life dermal sunscreen exposure in twenty human volunteers leads to the systemic bioavailability and urinary excretion of the UV filter 2-ethylhexyl salicylate and its metabolite, reaching concentration peaks at 7 to 8 hours with 70-80% of overall excretion within 24 hours.
Archives of Toxicology, 2019The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Controlled single dermal exposure to an EHS-containing sunscreen in three volunteers resulted in delayed systemic resorption with elimination half-lives between 6.6 and 9.7 hours, where the parent compound EHS occurred as the dominant urinary parameter.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025Early application of sunscreen after ablative fractional skin resurfacing significantly increased the sensitization rate of the UV-filter, octocrylene, and the sunscreen compared to intact skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2015Dermal sunscreen exposure in 20 healthy volunteers led to plasma concentrations of avobenzone, octocrylene, and its metabolite CDAA reaching up to 11 μg/L, 25 μg/L, and 1352 μg/L, respectively.
Environment International, 2019A 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
Ingredients
Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat, Silica, Dimethicone, Aluminum Octenylsuccinate Starch, Polyurethane-62, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Crosspolymer, Acrylates Dimethicone Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Chlorphenesin, Styrene Acrylates Copolymer, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium Edta, Trideceth-6, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower Leaf Stem Juice, Sodium Hydroxide, Yellow 5, Ci 16035
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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