Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads for oily acne-prone skin
Lactic Acid
Lactococcus Lysate Ferment
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Papain
Tocopheryl Acetate
Average
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other products fit it 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
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your oily skin, as lactic acid and papain work to smooth texture and promote skin renewal, addressing your concerns with acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The formulation is highly suitable for oily skin due to the keratolytic action of lactic acid and papain, which aids in shedding corneocytes and improving overall skin texture.
- 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 this exfoliant as part of your PM routine once a week to start, increasing frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but before your final moisturizer step.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product directly onto clean, dry skin for the best results against breakouts.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and always use a daily SPF since exfoliating makes skin more sensitive to the sun.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 8.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently praise these pads for delivering "glass-like" skin by smoothing rough texture and brightening dull complexions without the irritation often associated with acid exfoliators. While highly effective for reducing dark spots and milia, a small minority of users experienced purging or breakouts, and some found the strong fragrance polarizing.
Highlights
Smoother skin texture Mostly Mentioned
- “baby soft”
- “glass skin”
- “rough patches”
Brightening and radiance Often Mentioned
- “healthy glow”
- “radiant complexion”
- “brighter skin tone”
Gentle exfoliation Often Mentioned
- “non-irritating”
- “gentle enough for daily use”
- “safe for sensitive skin”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “expensive”
- “pricey”
- “luxury splurge”
Convenient application Sometimes Noted
- “pre-soaked”
- “easy one-step”
- “pleasant spa-like scent”
Reduces imperfections Sometimes Noted
- “faded dark spots”
- “reduced milia”
- “smaller appearing pores”
Breakouts or purging Rarely Noted
- “terrible spots”
- “purging phases”
- “worsened acne”
Drying or irritating Rarely Noted
- “dryness”
- “slight stinging”
- “redness”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “overpowering”
- “too strong”
- “perfumey”
Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, sephora.co.uk, ulta.com, johnlewis.com, lovelyskin.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well do Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads work for oily acne-prone skin?
Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads offer moderate exfoliation that helps smooth texture and manage breakouts on oily skin. While they are generally safe and well-tolerated, oily acne-prone skin often fits better with products containing ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or benzoyl peroxide to better control excess oil and clear acne.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Lactic acid and papain help smooth texture and address breakouts by shedding dead cells, while tocopheryl acetate offers a safe, non-comedogenic profile. An exfoliant for oily acne-prone skin needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, benzoyl peroxide, or vitamin C to control excess oil and target acne effectively.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
What does Lactic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Lactic acid helps oily acne-prone skin by gently clearing pores and reducing breakouts, which supports a smoother and clearer face. Using appropriate cosmetic acids helps calm red bumps and works well alongside acne treatments.
Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift Fur Dermatologie, Venerologie, und Verwandte Gebiete, 2010Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023
What does Lactococcus Ferment Lysate do for oily acne-prone skin?
For oily acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs ingredients that help strengthen the skin barrier and balance oil without clogging pores. Look for lightweight fermented lysates and soothing agents that help calm redness and reduce the appearance of blemishes.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Scientific Reports, 2023
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant treatment goes in the evening routine. Lovi routines start exfoliating pads once a week, and people who tolerate them well and see good results may carefully use them more often.
Can I use these facial pads with retinol, and in what order?
You can use these facial pads with retinol by applying them on separate nights or at different times of day to help prevent irritation on oily acne-prone skin. Because both ingredients renew the skin, alternating them keeps your routine gentle.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start using this exfoliant treatment once a week in the evening, and if your oily skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you may carefully use it more often. This product helps smooth texture and renew skin, but oily acne-prone skin often needs a stronger exfoliant with targeted acids or enzymes to manage breakouts effectively.
Can these facial pads clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
These facial pads are unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your oily acne-prone skin, as reviewers rarely report this issue and the ingredients show a very low risk of causing problems. To work better for this skin type, products need soothing ingredients and gentle exfoliants that clear dead skin without causing irritation.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
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
Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020A 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, 2025A 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, 2025Topical papain treatment may slightly decrease pain within 30 minutes in humans stung by Chrysaora chinensis compared to placebo.
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2016A 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, 2015Reflux extraction of Carica papaya leaves yielded higher antioxidant capacity and superior in vitro wound-healing activities including fibroblast proliferation, cell migration, and collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts compared to ultrasonic-assisted extraction and agitation.
Molecules, 2020Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Lactococcus Lysate Ferment, Polysorbate 20, Methyl Gluceth-20, Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Papain, Saponins, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Poria Cocos Extract, Protease, Saponaria Officinalis Root Extract Leaf, Subtilisin, Tocopheryl Acetate
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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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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