Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser for combination skin
Cantaloupe Extract
Glycerin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other cleansers 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 cleansing for your combination skin, with glycerin and linoleic acid providing hydration and balancing oiliness to address your concern of oily shine. Cocamidopropyl betaine and coco-glucoside effectively cleanse pores, supporting your skin's needs.
- Aloe barbadensis leaf extract and glycolipids offer soothing and humectant properties, further enhancing the product's suitability for your combination skin type.
- The product has a favorable safety profile with no identified risks of irritation for your skin.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM as part of your daily routine. Start 3×/week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your skin using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
- For the best results , apply the cleanser directly onto slightly damp skin to help lift away excess oil.
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 8.8k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this gel cleanser is widely praised by users with oily, combination, and sensitive skin for its ability to remove dirt and oil without causing irritation or breakouts. Users with dry or dehydrated skin frequently report that the formula feels stripping and leaves their face feeling tight after use, suggesting it may be better suited for balancing oilier complexions.
Highlights
Effective daily cleansing Often Mentioned
- “Removes surface oil, dirt, and daily grime well; leaves skin feeling "squeaky clean" and refreshed.”
Gentle and non-irritating Often Mentioned
- “Suitable for sensitive and acne-prone skin; does not cause redness or breakouts for most users.”
Drying for dry skin Often Mentioned
- “Leaves skin feeling tight, stripped, or flaky; requires immediate moisturizing after use.”
Fragrance-free formula Sometimes Noted
- “Appreciated by those sensitive to scents; no strong chemical or artificial smell.”
Pleasant gel texture Sometimes Noted
- “Lathers well into a soft foam; a little product goes a long way.”
Struggles with makeup Sometimes Noted
- “Often fails to remove waterproof mascara or heavy foundation completely; requires a second cleanse.”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “Causes stinging or burning if it accidentally gets into the eyes.”
Packaging design flaws Rarely Noted
- “The twist-cap mechanism can leak, get messy, or dispense too much product at once.”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, boots.com, spacenk.com, drunkelephant.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser work for combination skin?
This cleanser works reasonably well for combination skin by offering moderate cleansing that helps balance oiliness and soothe the skin without causing irritation. However, it may not fully address all concerns of your skin type. A cleanser for combination skin needs ingredients that provide balanced hydration and effective pore cleansing without stripping moisture or causing imbalance.
Journal of Oleo Science, 2012Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for combination skin?
Glycerin, aloe extract, and linoleic acid help this cleanser work for combination skin by adding moisture and balancing oily shine without causing irritation. To be a better fit for this skin type, a cleanser of this type needs additional moisturizing agents and plant extracts that comprehensively manage both dry areas and oilier zones.
What does Cantaloupe Extract do for combination skin?
Cantaloupe extract helps keep combination skin fresh and balanced by providing light hydration to dry areas without making oily zones greasy. This type of skin needs lightweight plant extracts and hydrating ingredients that support moisture balance without clogging pores.
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cleanser goes in the morning and evening routine after any makeup remover and before toners, treatments, and moisturizers. Combination skin needs a cleanser that balances oiliness while keeping the skin hydrated with ingredients like glycerin and linoleic acid.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first to clean your skin, and following it with your retinol treatment. A gentle cleanser containing glycerin and hydrating ingredients helps keep your skin balanced while using active treatments without adding irritation.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routines. It is unlikely to cause irritation for your combination skin, though this skin type benefits most from a cleanser that pairs gentle pore-cleansing ingredients with balanced hydration and oil-controlling properties.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores, cause breakouts, or lead to purging on combination skin. It has a very safe profile with no identified risks of irritation, and uses ingredients like glycerin and linoleic acid to help balance oiliness.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on the thin skin around your eyes and on your body, as it has a gentle makeup that is unlikely to cause irritation. To properly care for combination skin, a product of this type needs ingredients like glycerin and linoleic acid to hydrate and balance oiliness while gently clearing out pores.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Oleo Science, 2012
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2017Mannosylerythritol lipids recovered the viability of SDS-damaged human skin cells by over 80% and increased stratum corneum water content while suppressing perspiration in human skin compared with a control.
Journal of Oleo Science, 2012An Acmella oleracea extract-loaded glycolipid emulsion serum applied topically demonstrated safety with no ocular irritation or systemic dermal absorption, alongside significant improvements in facial skin hydration, smoothness, and reductions in roughness, scaliness, and wrinkles.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Acidic sophorolipids and mono-rhamnolipids showed negligible effects on cell viability, morphology, and pro-inflammatory cytokine production compared with SLES, while di-rhamnolipids attenuated IL-8 and increased IL-1RA production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human keratinocytes.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2023The 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, 2020Ten 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, 2001Niacinamide/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, 2012A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycolipids, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Cucumis Melo Cantalupensis Fruit Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Polylysine
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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