Kate Somerville Peptide K8 Power Cream for oily skin
Peptides
Squalane
Ceramide 2
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Sodium Hyaluronate
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
Works for oily skin; other moisturizers fit it 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 moderate moisturizing and treatment for your oily skin due to the presence of Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate, which hydrate and plump the skin. However, the inclusion of occlusive ingredients like Dimethicone and Isopropyl Myristate may pose a risk of worsening oily shine and enlarged pores.
- While the formula provides general skincare benefits, it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively address your primary concern of oily shine and enlarged pores.
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
★4.8Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsUsers with dry, dehydrated, and mature skin highly recommend this moisturizer for its intense hydration and lightweight feel. It is frequently praised for plumping the skin, smoothing fine lines, and improving firmness. Some users find the price point high and a few have noted issues with the fragrance or opaque packaging.
Highlights
Lightweight texture Mostly Mentioned
- “Sinks in quickly”
- “glides on top”
- “feels like nothing”
- “silky feel”
Effective hydration Often Mentioned
- “Intense hydration”
- “plumper skin”
- “good for dehydrated skin”
- “deeply hydrated”
Expensive price point Often Mentioned
- “Not cheap”
- “too expensive”
- “luxury splurge”
- “pricey for the amount”
Anti-aging results Sometimes Noted
- “Diminishes fine lines”
- “firmer skin”
- “smoother texture”
- “softens deep-set wrinkles”
Hygienic packaging Sometimes Noted
- “Love the airless pump”
- “hygienic”
- “pumps every last bit”
- “easy to use”
Fragrance issues Sometimes Noted
- “Odd smell”
- “intrusive scent”
- “smell is strong”
- “scent lingers”
Not rich enough Rarely Noted
- “Skin felt dry by afternoon”
- “needed to re-apply”
- “underwhelmed”
Opaque packaging Rarely Noted
- “Don't know how much is left”
- “runs out unexpectedly”
- “can't see level”
Sources: lovi.care, katesomerville.com, sephora.co.uk, spacenk.com, reddit.com, fragrancenet.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Kate Somerville Peptide K8 Power Cream work for oily skin?
This cream works moderately well for oily skin, though certain ingredients like dimethicone and isopropyl myristate may worsen oily shine and enlarged pores. Oily skin needs a lightweight moisturizer with peptides and hydrating agents that lack heavy oils and support the skin barrier without clogging pores or causing breakouts.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cream a moderate fit for your oily skin by helping hydrate and plump it. However, a product of this type needs lightweight textures, no heavy oils, and ingredients that control oily shine and manage enlarged pores to truly suit oily skin.
What do Peptides do for oily skin?
Peptides help support skin health and may improve the look of oily skin, but this type of skin needs formulas with ingredients that balance oil production and keep pores clear.
Advanced Science, 2025International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025
What does Squalane do for oily skin?
Squalane helps keep oily skin soft and smooth without feeling heavy, though oxidized forms may sometimes trigger irritation. To work well for oily skin, this type of product needs lightweight, non-clogging ingredients that balance moisture without adding excess grease.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes near the end of your evening routine, right before your moisturizer. Oily skin needs lightweight moisturizers and treatments with niacinamide or oil-controlling ingredients that keep pores clear without adding heavy shine.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, and it is best applied after your retinol treatment to help keep your skin soft and calm. Using a moisturizer alongside retinol helps reduce dryness and irritation while supporting your skin barrier during treatment.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day to keep your skin soft and hydrated. However, because it contains heavier ingredients that may worsen oily shine and enlarged pores, oily skin needs a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer with mattifying ingredients and niacinamide.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
Yes, this cream may clog pores and worsen oily shine because it contains heavy ingredients like isopropyl myristate and dimethicone. Oily skin needs lightweight, oil-free formulas with ingredients that balance oil and refine pores without feeling heavy.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This moisturizing treatment can be used around the eyes or on the body, though the thin skin around the eyes requires formulas with very good tolerance and lightweight hydration. While general formulas provide basic moisture, treating delicate eye areas or specific body needs is best managed with specialized, lightweight hydrators that absorb easily without heavy layers.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, hexyl cinnamal, and limonene). Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
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, 2017Topical application of isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl myristate, butyl stearate, isopropyl isostearate, decyl oleate, isostearyl neopentanoate, isocetyl stearate, myristle myristate, and cocoa butter produced comedone formation in the rabbit external ear canal.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2007Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Unencapsulated cold-pressed industrial hemp seed oil at 0.12 mg/mL accelerated wound healing and increased normal human dermal fibroblast cell proliferation by 72% at 48 hours compared to baseline, though microencapsulation reduced this biological activity.
Journal of Oleo Science, 2026Topical 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, 2019
Why other moisturizers fit oily skin better
A 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, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Squalane, Cholesterol, Urea, Sodium Pca, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Silk Powder, Tribehenin, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Trehalose, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ceramide 2, Peg-10 Rapeseed Sterol, Triacetin, Copper Pca, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Disodium Edta, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methyl Propional, Limonene
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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