Dermalogica Exfoliant Accelerator 35 for oily acne-prone skin
Lactic Acid
Peptides
Enzymes
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract
Carica Papaya Fruit ExtractHigh
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few products 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
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts due to the presence of lactic acid and willow bark extract, which promote skin renewal and oil control, making it highly suitable for your oily skin.
- The inclusion of Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract provides soothing benefits, further enhancing its compatibility with your skin.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.
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
★1.0Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsThis summary is based on limited data. The product is a professional-grade chemical exfoliant designed for trained skin therapists. While it is noted for effective resurfacing and potent ingredients that accelerate cell renewal, its use is strictly limited to professionals due to a very high risk of severe irritation or injury for untrained consumers. There are also some reports of shipping and handling issues.
Highlights
Professional use only Mostly Mentioned
- “This product is for professional use only and not intended for consumer retail.”
- “Use of this product by untrained, unlicensed persons may result in extreme skin irritation.”
- “Do not leave client unattended.”
Effective resurfacing Often Mentioned
- “Delivers fast-acting resurfacing for uneven, thick, or sun-damaged skin.”
- “Helps stimulate cell renewal and cell turnover rates.”
- “Visibly refine surface tone and improve clarity.”
Potent ingredients Often Mentioned
- “Contains skin smoothing ingredients including Lactic Acid, peptides and enzymes.”
- “Low pH (3.2) concentrate in a Chamomile Extract base.”
- “Papaya enzymes and willow bark support gentle enzymatic and chemical exfoliation.”
Risk of irritation Often Mentioned
- “Slight tingling, mild itching or some temporary skin redness are normal reactions.”
- “Remove immediately if client experiences discomfort, or irritation is severe.”
- “Do not use if skin is sensitive, sunburned.”
Professional customization Sometimes Noted
- “Allows for customization of professional resurfacing.”
- “Accelerates the activity and exfoliation efficacy of select Dermalogica professional exfoliants.”
- “Can be added to professional chemical exfoliation services to enhance overall results.”
Shipping issues Rarely Noted
- “The condition in which this item arrived it was not [acceptable]!”
- “Not a good representative of brand!”
- “Package was damaged in shipment.”
Sources: lovi.care, dermalogicathebook.com, saloncentric.com, skinmedix.com, ecosmetics.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Dermalogica Exfoliant Accelerator 35 a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Dermalogica Exfoliant Accelerator 35 is a great fit because it offers moderate exfoliation with lactic acid and willow bark extract to control oil and help with blemishes. It also includes chamomile extract to help soothe your skin, and its safe formula is unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Lactic acid and willow bark extract make this a great fit because they promote skin renewal and help control oil. Chamomilla recutita flower extract also provides soothing benefits to keep oily skin calm.
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 do Peptides do for oily acne-prone skin?
Peptides help calm oily, acne-prone skin by targeting acne-causing bacteria and reducing redness and swelling. Advanced delivery methods like nanomicelles may also improve how deeply these helpful ingredients sink into the skin.
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant goes in your evening routine as a treatment step, used once a week to start. Because your skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often as you see good results.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliant and retinol in the same routine, but apply them on alternating nights to keep your skin calm and avoid irritation. When combining them, it is safest to use the exfoliant on one night and the retinol on another, making sure to follow with a gentle moisturizer.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start by using this exfoliant treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. It helps clear breakouts and control oil with lactic acid and willow bark extract while keeping irritation low.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to cause clogged pores, breakouts, or irritation for oily acne-prone skin because it relies on ingredients like lactic acid and willow bark extract to control oil and promote skin renewal safely. It has an excellent safety profile with soothing plant extracts that help keep skin calm without harsh side effects.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Bioactive lipid nanocarriers co-loaded with willow bark or ivy leaf extracts and UV-filters provided pronounced UVA photoprotection up to an SPF-equivalent value of 13 and a maximum in vivo skin hydration effect of 97% when prepared with pomegranate oil.
Nanomaterials, 2022Application 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, 2020Apigenin protects against UVA-induced cytotoxicity and senescence in normal human dermal fibroblasts, decreases MMP-1 expression, and when applied topically as a cream in human subjects, increases dermal density and elasticity while reducing fine wrinkle length, skin evenness, moisture content, and transepidermal water loss compared to control cream.
International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2016Topical chamomile oil combined with a night splint significantly improved the symptomatic and functional status of patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome compared to placebo, while electrodiagnostic parameters showed no significant changes.
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2015German chamomile solution applied twice a day healed peristomal skin lesions significantly faster than once-a-day 1% hydrocortisone ointment in colostomy patients, with a mean healing time of 8.89 days versus 14.53 days.
Ostomy/wound Management, 2011Topical 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, 2020
Ingredients
Lactic Acid, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Lactate, Hydroxypropyl Phosphate Starch, Sodium Hydroxide, Galactoarabinan, Ethoxydiglycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Willow Bark Extract, Lecithin, Protease, Aminopeptidase, Bacillus Ferment, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate, Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor 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
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