Dermalogica Active Moist for oily acne-prone skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Lavandula Angustifolia Extract Lavender Extract
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Silk Amino Acids
High
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few moisturizers fit it even 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
- Excellent suitability for your oily skin is provided by ingredients like Dimethicone and Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, which offer emollient action without being overly heavy, alongside humectants like Sodium Hyaluronate for hydration.
- The formula offers moderate benefits for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts, and oiliness or shiny skin, due to the presence of ingredients like Dimethicone and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate that provide hydration and sun protection.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients, and the presence of soothing ingredients like Arnica Montana Flower Extract and Lavender Extract.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 700+ reviewsUsers with oily, combination, and acne-prone skin frequently praise this moisturizer for its sheer, lightweight formula that hydrates without clogging pores or leaving a greasy residue. Those with drier skin types or in colder climates often find it insufficient for their hydration needs, and a low frequency of users mention concerns about scent or formula changes.
Highlights
Lightweight & non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “feels like nothing”
- “zero residue”
- “super sheer”
- “matte finish”
- “light as water”
Absorbs instantly Often Mentioned
- “sinks in immediately”
- “disappears into skin”
- “no waiting time”
- “makeup ready instantly”
- “drinks it up”
Best for oily/acne skin Often Mentioned
- “doesn't clog pores”
- “no breakouts”
- “controls oil”
- “saved my acne”
- “perfect for grease-balls”
Great under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “no pilling”
- “smooth canvas”
- “primer-like finish”
- “foundation sits perfectly”
- “non-sticky base”
Expensive price point Sometimes Noted
- “pricey for size”
- “too expensive”
- “wallet hurts”
- “cost prohibitive”
- “tiny tube”
Not moisturizing enough Sometimes Noted
- “skin felt tight”
- “need more hydration”
- “too watery”
- “dry patches remain”
- “useless in winter”
Formula change concerns Rarely Noted
- “consistency changed”
- “used to be better”
- “new formula stings”
- “waterier than before”
- “quality dropped”
Herbal/earthy scent Rarely Noted
- “smells like plants”
- “weird herbal smell”
- “medicinal scent”
- “strong lemon/cucumber”
- “scent lingers”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, dermstore.com, ulta.com, acne.org, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Dermalogica Active Moist a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer is a great fit because it provides lightweight smoothing ingredients like caprylic capric triglyceride and dimethicone that hydrate oily skin without feeling heavy, alongside sodium hyaluronate for essential moisture. It also includes soothing extracts like lavender and arnica that help keep skin calm without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer is a great fit because ingredients like dimethicone and caprylic capric triglyceride smooth and soften oily skin without feeling heavy, while sodium hyaluronate adds hydration. Soothing plant extracts like lavender and arnica help keep the skin calm and are unlikely to cause irritation.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
What does Lavender Extract do for oily acne-prone skin?
Lavender extract helps oily acne-prone skin by reducing oxidative stress and fighting inflammation to calm breakouts. It also supports skin barrier function and helps improve overall skin recovery.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer goes after your hydrating toner and before your sunscreen in the morning, and after your treatment step at night. It provides light hydration and helps keep your skin calm without feeling heavy.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with your retinol by applying it after your retinol treatment to help keep your skin calm and hydrated. Using a gentle moisturizer like this one is unlikely to cause irritation and may help support your skin barrier while using stronger acne treatments.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizer twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular daily application helps keep your oily skin hydrated and balanced without feeling heavy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is a great fit for oily and acne-prone skin because it uses light hydrators like sodium hyaluronate and dimethicone instead of heavy oils that clog pores. Its safe, gentle formula also helps calm the skin and is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizer is a great fit for oily acne-prone skin because its lightweight hydrators and soothing plant extracts provide moisture without feeling heavy or causing irritation. While it can be safely used on the body, the thin skin around the eyes requires specialized formulas that address delicate periorbital concerns.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (linalool). Cetearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023Liposomal encapsulation of octyl methoxycinnamate increases its safety, skin affinity, and in vivo solar photoprotection factor while slowing its release and enhancing retention in the stratum corneum compared to a conventional formulation.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2013Lavandula angustifolia leaf callus extract enhanced skin cell viability, reduced oxidative stress and melanin content, improved wound healing, and enhanced skin barrier function in human skin cells and clinical tests.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2025Topical 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, 2019Tea tree oil effectively treated acne while lavender and rosemary oils demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties in derma cosmetic applications based on an evaluation of various essential oils.
Frontiers in Medicine, 2025A blend of Lavandula angustifolia flower extract and dipeptide-4 reduced oxidative and glycation markers, enhanced ATP, SOD, autophagy, and melatonin production, and improved tissue morphology in human skin models and fibroblasts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2026Lavender exosome-like nanoparticles reduced inflammatory cytokine levels and improved epidermal thickness, collagen preservation, and skin integrity in UVB-induced photoaging models of HaCaT cells and mice.
Scientific Reports, 2025Topical application of sericin gels increased skin intrinsic moisturization, hydroxyproline content, and epidermal hydration while decreasing transepidermal water loss and skin impedance in healthy human volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2005Silk fibroin wound dressings exhibit anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic properties that accelerate skin wound healing compared to commercially available dressings in preclinical and clinical settings.
Biomolecules, 2022Chitosan silk fibroin topical hydrogel accelerated tissue reformation and wound regeneration compared to other groups in adult male Wistar albino rats.
Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 2023
Ingredients
Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Gluceth-20, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Lactamide Mea, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract Lavender Extract, Malva Sylvestris Stem Extract Flower Leaf, Hedera Helix Stem Extract Leaf, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Parietaria Officinalis Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Leaf Extract Flower, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lemon Fruit Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Root Extract Leaf, Silk Amino Acids, Glycolipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Palmitoyl Hydroxypropyltrimonium Amylopectin Glycerin Crosspolymer, Lecithin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract Grape Seed Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-10, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 60, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium Edta, Linalool, Lavandula Hybrida Oil
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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