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Good Molecules Overnight Exfoliating Treatment for oily skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Good Molecules Overnight Exfoliating Treatment

Superior

  • SuperiorOily Skin Fit
  • SuperiorEffectiveness
  • ExcellentSafety

One of the best products 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 suitability for your oily skin is provided by glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid, which offer potent keratolytic action and seboregulation to target oily shine and texture.
  • Glycerin and tocopherol ensure a gentle experience by soothing the skin, while the absence of harsh ingredients guarantees no irritation for your oily skin.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.

How to apply

  • Use this exfoliant product as part of your PM routine once a week. Start slowly and build up frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb fully. Avoid any harsh rubbing to keep your skin calm.
  • Apply the exfoliant directly onto completely dry skin to get the best balance and results. Clean, dry skin helps the product work evenly.
  • Always avoid the delicate eye area when applying. Be sure to use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ daily while using exfoliating acids.

People Say

★4.6Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this affordable overnight treatment is widely praised for its ability to rapidly resurface skin, resulting in a smoother texture and a visible glow by morning. While highly effective for reducing acne and clogged pores, it is potent; users with sensitive skin often report stinging or "purging" and recommend starting slowly.

Highlights

  • Smoother texture Mostly Mentioned
    • “skin looks like brand new baby skin”
    • “smoothed my skin tremendously”
    • “texture is very even now.”
  • Unbeatable price Mostly Mentioned
    • “worth every single penny”
    • “best exfoliant in its price range.”
  • Radiant glow Often Mentioned
    • “wake up with glowing skin”
    • “visibly radiant”
    • “skin was brighter and smoother.”
  • Acne and pore reduction Sometimes Noted
    • “helped my acne breakouts”
    • “pores were a lot smaller”
    • “dissolve clogs and reduce blackheads.”
  • Stinging sensation Sometimes Noted
    • “stings a lot”
    • “burns a little bit”
    • “slight tingle that lasted 30 seconds.”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “don't love the packaging”
    • “dropper takes away excess”
    • “hard to get last drops.”
  • Scent and texture Rarely Noted
    • “smelled of glycolic acid”
    • “slightly sticky”
    • “natural but strong scent.”
  • Skin purging Rarely Noted
    • “purge happened in problem areas”
    • “wrecked my skin initially”
    • “breakouts increased before decreasing.”

Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, beautylish.com, reddit.com, youtube.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes the Good Molecules Overnight Exfoliating Treatment one of the best fits for oily skin?

Glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid provide potent peeling action and oil control to target oily shine and texture. Glycerin and tocopherol help soothe the skin for a gentle experience, while the absence of harsh ingredients is unlikely to cause irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

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

Glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid make this exfoliant a great fit for oily skin by clearing away shine and uneven texture. Glycerin and vitamin E help keep the skin calm and comfortable.

BioMed Research International, 2020

What does Glycolic Acid do for oily skin?

Glycolic acid helps smooth oily skin by gently clearing away dead buildup to keep pores clear and skin feeling fresh. It may also help keep oil levels balanced when used regularly in your routine.

Archives of Dermatological Research, 1997American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2000

What does Bha do for oily skin?

BHA helps clear pores and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing extra shine and calming breakouts. It works deep inside pores to sweep away oil and dead skin cells, which helps keep skin looking clear and smooth. This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation and may improve overall skin hydration while controlling excess oil.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2014

Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily skin?

This treatment goes in the evening routine, starting at once a week and slowly increasing frequency if your skin tolerates it well. Glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid help target oily shine and texture, while glycerin and tocopherol soothe the skin.

Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this exfoliant with retinol by alternating nights rather than applying them together, which helps prevent dryness and irritation on oily skin. Using them separately allows the acids and retinol to work effectively without overwhelming your skin barrier.

How often should I use it?

Start using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. It helps clear oily shine and smooth texture while keeping skin calm.

Dermatologic Surgery, 2003Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?

This exfoliant is a great fit for oily skin and helps clear away shine and rough texture without clogging pores, though it may cause a low likelihood of skin purging when you first start using it. Glycerin and vitamin E help keep the experience gentle and soothe the skin.

BioMed Research International, 2020

Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denatured, ethanol, and alcohol).

What the research says

  • A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.

    BioMed Research International, 2020

  • Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

  • The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

  • 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, 2017

  • 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

  • Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.

    CMAJ, 2010

  • Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

  • Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010

  • 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, 2004

  • Topical 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, 1992

  • A 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, 2020

  • The 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, 2020

  • Ten 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, 2001

  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

  • Topical 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, 2011

  • Topical 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, 2022

  • Treatment 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

Ingredients

Water, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Propanediol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Oleate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Lemon Oil Fruit, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Bergamot Oil Fruit, Disodium Edta, Alcohol Denatured, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethanol, Alcohol

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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How does it fit your skin?

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QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play