CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion for oily skin
Superior
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best moisturizers for oily skin.
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
- Excellent for your oily skin as niacinamide and hyaluronic acid work synergistically to control oil production and provide essential hydration, addressing your concern for oily shine.
- Glycerin and ceramides further enhance skin barrier resilience and offer superior moisturizing benefits, supporting overall skin health.
- The product is safe for your skin, featuring a gentle formula with soothing ingredients and no harsh irritants.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 60.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this moisturizer is highly praised for its lightweight, non-greasy texture and its effectiveness in repairing the skin barrier without causing breakouts, making it a favorite for oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin. While most users find it gentle and effective, a moderate number of users with very dry skin report it's not hydrating enough for nighttime use, and a low number experience mild stinging or have concerns about potential formula changes.
Highlights
Lightweight & non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “Sinks right into your skin”
- “Leaves no greasy residue”
- “Perfect under makeup”
Barrier-repairing ingredients Often Mentioned
- “Helped repair my moisture barrier”
- “Niacinamide calms my redness”
- “Great ingredients for the price”
Safe for acne-prone skin Often Mentioned
- “Never breaks me out”
- “The only moisturizer that doesn't clog my pores”
- “Safe for my acne-prone skin”
Fragrance-free & gentle Sometimes Noted
- “No strong scent”
- “Great for sensitive skin”
Not moisturizing enough Sometimes Noted
- “Not enough for winter dryness”
- “Need to layer it with something heavier”
- “Skin felt tight after an hour”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Pump stopped working halfway through”
- “Hard to open”
- “Bottle is too small for the price”
Reformulation concerns Rarely Noted
- “New formula is watery”
- “Used to be better”
- “Caused breakouts after they changed it”
Stinging sensation Rarely Noted
- “Burned my face instantly”
- “Stings around my eyes”
- “Caused redness and heat”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, ulta.com, walmart.com, target.com, cerave.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion one of the best fits for oily skin?
This lotion is an exceptional fit for your oily skin because niacinamide and hyaluronic acid work together to control oil while delivering light hydration to reduce shine. Glycerin and ceramides also strengthen your skin barrier to keep it healthy without feeling heavy or greasy.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
This cream is a great fit for oily skin because niacinamide and sodium hyaluronate work together to control oil and provide light hydration. Glycerin and ceramides also help strengthen your skin barrier while keeping the formula gentle and safe for daily use.
What do Ceramides do for oily skin?
Ceramides help balance and strengthen oily skin by supporting the natural barrier and keeping moisture locked in without feeling heavy. They may also help calm irritation and reduce blemishes when used as part of a regular daily routine.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004
What does Niacinamide do for oily skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily skin by significantly reducing excess oil production and shine. It is well tolerated and may improve skin texture without clogging pores.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Antioxidants, 2021
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cream goes in the last step of your evening routine, after your cleanser, toner, and treatment. It is also used as the third step in the morning after your cleanser and toner, right before your sunscreen.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol to help keep your skin calm and hydrated while lowering the chances of dryness and irritation. Apply your retinol first, let it absorb, and then follow with this moisturizer to protect and strengthen your skin barrier.
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 your skin balanced, hydrated, and protected without feeling heavy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This lotion is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin because it has a gentle, lightweight formula that controls oil while keeping your skin calm and hydrated. It does not contain ingredients that typically trigger purging.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this cream on the body and around the eyes because the gentle formula and ingredients like glycerin and ceramides provide balanced hydration and strengthen the skin barrier across different body areas. Studies show that skin thickness varies significantly across body regions, and products with strong barrier-supporting lipids help maintain moisture and integrity in delicate areas.
Is it 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
Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Topical 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 2% niacinamide significantly decreased sebum excretion rate in Japanese individuals and casual sebum levels in Caucasian individuals compared to placebo or baseline.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Topical 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, 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, 2001Topical application of an emulsion containing a complete mixture of ceramides III, IIIB, VI, phytosphingosine, cholesterol, and linoleic acid significantly accelerated barrier recovery after SLS damage and improved skin hydration after acetone treatment in human volunteers compared to an emulsion containing only two types of ceramides.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2002Phytosphingosine demonstrates anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activity with excellent clinical results in acne vulgaris.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007Phytosphingosine increased filaggrin metabolism and skin hydration in human skin by stimulating filaggrin biosynthesis and degradation leading to natural moisturizing factor formation.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Ceteareth-20, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Dipotassium Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, 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
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