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Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Gel Mask for combination skin

Average

  • HighCombination Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for combination skin; other products fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 exfoliation for your combination skin due to papain and glycolic acid, which help smooth texture and manage oily shine by providing moderate resurfacing.
  • Subtilisin and keratolytic action further support exfoliation, but the formula lacks sufficient hydrating ingredients to fully address drier areas of your combination skin.
  • The product is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh or prohibited ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use this exfoliant product in your PM routine starting once a week, then increase frequency carefully if your skin feels fine.
  • Apply this exfoliant step after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and wait a minute before layering.
  • Apply the exfoliant to clean, dry skin to help control your oily shine comfortably.
  • Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.7Overall rating based on 400+ reviews

Users consistently praise this gel mask for its ability to instantly smooth uneven texture and brighten dull complexions, often describing a "glass-like" finish. While highly effective for resurfacing and reducing the appearance of acne scars and fine lines, the active enzymes cause a potent tingling or cooling sensation that may be too intense for very sensitive skin.

Highlights

  • Smoother skin texture Mostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels amazing”
    • “significantly softer”
    • “completely changed texture”
  • Cooling sensation Often Mentioned
    • “refreshing cooling sensation”
    • “feels really cool”
    • “soothe my skin”
  • Radiance and glow Often Mentioned
    • “skin is glowing”
    • “noticeable radiance”
    • “looks fit and refreshed”
  • Acne and scarring Sometimes Noted
    • “acne massively healed”
    • “reduced redness”
    • “scarring has improved”
  • Pore reduction Sometimes Noted
    • “pores smaller”
    • “remove blocked pores”
    • “decongests pores”
  • High price point Sometimes Noted
    • “tad pricey”
    • “expensive”
    • “investment”
  • Burning or stinging Rarely Noted
    • “face burn so bad”
    • “on fire”
    • “strong tingling”
  • Lack of visible results Rarely Noted
    • “disappointing results”
    • “not powerful enough”
    • “no real difference”
  • Redness and irritation Rarely Noted
    • “skin quite sensitive”
    • “needed Benadryl”
    • “redness”

Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, lookfantastic.com, superdrug.com, influenster.com, target.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Gel Mask work for combination skin?

This mask works reasonably well for combination skin by smoothing texture and helping manage oily shine, though it is only an average fit because it lacks enough hydrating ingredients for drier areas. An exfoliant treatment for this skin needs effective ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA to balance oil and hydration without causing dryness or irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015

Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for combination skin?

Papain and glycolic acid make this exfoliant a good fit by smoothing texture and managing oily shine through moderate resurfacing. However, because it lacks sufficient hydrating ingredients to fully address drier areas, a product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA that provide balance and hydration without excess oiliness.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015

What does Tri-Enzyme Technology do for combination skin?

Tri-Enzyme Technology helps gently exfoliate combination skin, keeping it smooth and balanced. It uses enzymes to lift away dead cells, and this process is unlikely to irritate dry or oily areas.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Experimental Dermatology, 2024

What does Poria Cocos Extract do for combination skin?

Poria cocos extract helps calm redness and keeps combination skin feeling balanced by supporting natural moisture and protecting against daily stress. It is unlikely to cause irritation and works well to maintain smooth, healthy areas across both dry and oily zones.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2022Skin Research and Technology, 2006

Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for combination skin?

This exfoliant treatment goes in the evening routine once a week. Combination skin needs products that combine resurfacing ingredients like glycolic acid and papain with rich hydrating ingredients to care for both oily and dry areas.

Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this exfoliant with retinol, but apply them on separate nights to help prevent irritation on your combination skin. Because this product uses glycolic acid and papain to smooth texture and manage oily shine, alternating nights with retinol keeps your routine safe and comfortable.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015

How often should I use this exfoliant?

Start by using this exfoliant treatment once a week, and if your combination skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you may carefully use it more often. A product of this type needs hydrating ingredients to keep drier areas comfortable while smoothing texture and managing oily shine.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?

This exfoliant treatment is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your combination skin, as it has a safe profile with a low likelihood of irritation. Glycolic acid and papain help smooth texture and manage oily shine, though a product for this skin also needs more hydrating ingredients to care for drier areas.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015

Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Behenyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.

What the research says

  • A combination of dermapen and glycolic acid peel significantly decreased acne scar grades and resulted in higher patient satisfaction compared to either monotherapy in 30 patients.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
  • A fixed combination of hydroxypinacolone retinoate, retinol glycospheres, and papain glycospheres in aqueous gel applied once daily for 12 weeks achieved a 41% mean reduction in GAGS score and a 40.8% mean reduction in total lesions, with 15.3% of patients experiencing mild to moderate local side effects, in 94 evaluable patients with comedonal-papular, mild to moderate acne of the face.

    Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015
  • Topical application of papain elastic liposomes significantly decreased the scar elevation index, microvascular density, and collagen fiber with regular arrangement, and down-regulated TGF-β1, P-Smad-3, P-NF-κB p65, and P-IKBa expressions in a rabbit model of hypertrophic scar compared to the model group.

    Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & Pharmacotherapie, 2017
  • Gel containing papain loaded in elastic niosomes enhanced transdermal absorption in rat skin and achieved superior reduction of hypertrophic scars in rabbits compared to gel containing free papain, non-elastic niosomes, and PLGA nanospheres.

    European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2013
  • Application of 3% papain gel improved cutaneous wound healing in mice by reducing local inflammatory response, increasing angiogenesis, and improving organization of collagen deposition compared to placebo gel.

    Wounds, 2017
  • Poria cocos Wolf extracts repressed pigmentation by decreasing melanin synthesis through the regulation of tyrosinase activity, tyrosinase, and MITF expression in B16F10 cells, and improved skin tone using an extract-containing cream.

    Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2018
  • Poria cocos extract protected Hs68 human dermal fibroblast cells against hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress, cell death, and ROS accumulation by suppressing metallomatrix proteinases, inflammatory markers, and skin aging markers while increasing TGF-beta1 levels and antioxidant related proteins.

    Environmental Toxicology, 2021
  • Local application and oral intake of Poria cocos Wolf and Gastrodia elata Blume water extracts alleviated acute UVB-induced skin damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress in mice by potentially promoting the gut-microbiota-gut-skin axis.

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022
  • Topical 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, 2003
  • Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.

    Journal of Periodontology, 2009
  • Topical treatment with 5% vitamin C and 0.1% madecassoside significantly improved clinical scores for wrinkles, suppleness, firmness, roughness, and skin hydration, along with functional and structural remodeling of the elastic fiber network in 20 female volunteers with photoaged skin after 6 months compared to baseline.

    Experimental Dermatology, 2008
  • Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.

    International Journal of Dermatology, 2000
  • Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.

    Dermatologic Surgery, 2017
  • A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.

    Lasers in Medical Science, 2025
  • A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025

Ingredients

Water, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Menthyl Lactate, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract, Xanthan Gum, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Disodium Edta, Papain, Mannitol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Acerola Fruit Extract, Behenyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Citric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Caramel, Zinc Sulfate, Subtilisin, Protease, Poria Cocos Extract Tuber Magnatum Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Biotin, Potassium Sorbate

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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How does it fit your skin?

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