Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer SPF 30 for oily acne-prone skin
Ascorbic Acid Ester
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Titanium Dioxide
Astaxanthin
GlycerinHigh
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few sunscreens fit it even better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024
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
- Highly suitable for your oily skin, this product contains Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Astaxanthin which offer antioxidant activity and help regulate sebum production, addressing your concerns with oiliness and breakouts.
- Glycerin provides excellent moisturizing benefits and Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene offers sun protection, further enhancing its functionality for your skin.
- 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
- 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
★4.4Overall rating based on 800+ reviewsUsers frequently praise this moisturizer for its unique, whipped texture that feels lightweight and absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue or white cast. While many report a visible "glow" and improved skin tone over time, a significant number of users experience "pilling" when layering it under makeup or other products.
Highlights
Brightens and glows Often Mentioned
- “adds a tiny bit of radiance”
- “imparts a subtle glow to the skin”
- “skin looks beautiful but NOT SHINY”
- “unveils brighter-looking, more radiant skin”
Lightweight whipped texture Often Mentioned
- “whipped and airy consistency”
- “absorbs well with no greasy feeling”
- “light in consistency, does not feel heavy”
- “fluffy... wonderful texture”
Pills under makeup Often Mentioned
- “doesn't sit well under foundation”
- “pills under makeup”
- “rolls off the skin”
- “clumps when rubbed”
Invisible SPF protection Sometimes Noted
- “mineral based SPF... no white cast”
- “absorbs... no white streaks”
- “good protection... without thickness”
- “perfect base... protects against environmental aggressors”
Smooths skin surface Sometimes Noted
- “skin felt smoother and softer”
- “minimizes fine lines and wrinkles”
- “pores look smaller”
- “leaves skin feeling tight and soft”
Strong scent Sometimes Noted
- “strong citrus smell”
- “unpleasant odor”
- “scent is too overpowering”
- “smells like vitamins”
Insufficient hydration Rarely Noted
- “not moisturizing enough for dry skin”
- “leaves skin feeling tight”
- “need a separate moisturizer”
- “drying after a few hours”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “lid is difficult to close”
- “heavy glass jar”
- “jar design is unhygienic”
- “product dries out in jar”
Sources: lovi.care, perriconemd.com, dermstore.com, ulta.com, lookfantastic.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Perricone MD Photo-Brightening Moisturizer SPF 30 a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer SPF 30 is a great fit because it contains Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Astaxanthin to help control oil and breakouts on oily skin. Glycerin provides needed moisture without heaviness, and sun protection is included while harsh ingredients are absent to keep irritation unlikely.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Astaxanthin make this cream a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because they provide antioxidant activity and help regulate oil production. Glycerin further enhances the formula by providing hydration without irritation, while Titanium Dioxide offers essential sun protection.
What does Ascorbic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Ascorbic acid helps brighten dark spots and calms oily, breakout-prone skin when used regularly. It is generally well-tolerated and may help improve skin texture and reduce blemishes.
What does Alpha Lipoic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Alpha lipoic acid helps improve skin texture and tone without causing irritation or peeling, making it suitable for oily skin. However, since this product type is not an ideal match for acne-prone skin, it needs ingredients that target clogged pores and excess oil to truly fit this skin type.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2014
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This moisturizing spf goes in the morning routine after a cleanser, hydrating toner, and moisturizer. It provides sun protection and helps manage oiliness while keeping the skin safely without irritation.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing SPF in the morning after your retinol treatment, as it provides great hydration and sun protection without irritating oily skin. Using a barrier-enhancing moisturizer alongside your retinol routine is unlikely to cause issues and helps keep your skin comfortable.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing spf every morning as part of your daytime routine. Daily application helps keep your oily skin moisturized and protected from the sun without causing irritation.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This product is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because it contains Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Astaxanthin to help regulate oil and manage breakouts. It is very safe to use and is unlikely to cause irritation since it leaves out harsh ingredients.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).
What the research says
A 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, 2017Astaxanthin-loaded polyhydroxybutyrate microbeads achieved 98.1% encapsulation efficiency with sustained release, reduced degradation by 2-fold compared to unencapsulated astaxanthin, and showed no cytotoxicity or skin irritation in human cells and tests.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024Topical 30% P407 gel loaded with ALA cubosomes reduced facial lines, nearly resolved fine lines in the periorbital and upper lip areas, and improved skin color and texture without irritation or peeling in volunteers.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2014Topical 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, 2022Application of 5% cubosomal alpha lipoic acid gel twice daily for 6 months significantly improved global aesthetic scores and increased epidermal thickness compared to placebo in 20 aging female faces.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017Treatment with a cream containing 5% alpha-lipoic acid for 12 weeks reduces skin roughness by an average of 50.8% compared to 40.7% with placebo in women with photoaged facial skin.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2003Cosmetic formulations containing a liposomal dispersion of magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, alpha-lipoic acid, and kinetin provided photoprotection against UV damage in hairless mouse skin and enhanced stratum corneum and deeper layer skin moisture in human volunteers after four weeks of daily applications.
Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2012Microfine 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, 2006Oral astaxanthin supplementation significantly restored moisture content and improved elasticity but did not significantly decrease wrinkle depth compared to placebo in humans.
Nutrients, 2021Combining oral and topical astaxanthin in 30 healthy females improved skin wrinkles, age spots, elasticity, texture, and moisture, while 6 mg daily oral supplementation in 36 healthy males improved crow's feet wrinkles, elasticity, and transepidermal water loss.
Acta Biochimica Polonica, 2012Twice-daily application of a novel topical antioxidant formulation safe, well-tolerated, and effective in improving overall skin quality, fine lines, wrinkles, radiance, and hyperpigmentation in 32 healthy female subjects over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Polyester-8, Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Isohexadecane, Bisabolol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysilicone-11, Polysorbate 60, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Thioctic Acid, Astaxanthin, Titanium Dioxide
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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