Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum for oily skin
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 and salicylic acid, which effectively exfoliate and control oil production to address oily shine.
- The inclusion of Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Allantoin further soothes your skin, ensuring a comfortable experience.
- This formula is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of beneficial 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
★4.4Overall rating based on 4.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this potent chemical exfoliant is widely praised for its ability to dramatically smooth skin texture and clear congestion, often described as a 'magic potion' for dullness and acne. Many users report waking up with a radiant glow, though a significant number caution that the strong formula can cause stinging or purging and that the high price point is a major barrier.
Highlights
Smoothes skin Mostly Mentioned
- “skin felt like a baby's butt after just one use”
- “resurfaces dull congested skin”
- “bumps on my face were either gone or reduced”
Expensive price tag Mostly Mentioned
- “price is painful”
- “way too expensive”
Clears acne Often Mentioned
- “holy grail for acne marks”
- “dissolving blackheads”
- “pores are diminished”
Improves radiance Often Mentioned
- “waking up with doll like skin”
- “restored to a healthy and radiant glow”
- “complexion from lifeless to luminous”
Effective packaging Sometimes Noted
- “twist-up mechanism allows for hygienic use”
- “pump makes it easy to dispense”
- “airless pump bottle”
Little goes long way Sometimes Noted
- “spreads easily”
- “one pump to cover my entire face”
- “bottle will last a while”
Stinging sensation Sometimes Noted
- “stung a tiny bit upon application”
- “can be a bit tingly at first”
- “slight stinging sensation initially”
Initial purging Rarely Noted
- “increase blemishes for the first few days”
- “skin broke out horribly”
- “caused little red bumps”
Sticky texture Rarely Noted
- “leaving my skin just the tiniest bit sticky”
- “feels very heavy weight”
- “leave my skin feeling sticky”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.sg, amazon.com, ulta.com, spacenk.com, refinery29.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum one of the best fits for oily skin?
This product is one of the best fits because glycolic acid and salicylic acid effectively exfoliate and help control oil production to address oily shine. The formula also includes soothing ingredients like aloe leaf juice and allantoin to ensure your skin feels comfortable without irritation.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
Glycolic acid and salicylic acid make this serum a great fit because they effectively exfoliate and control oil production to address oily shine. The formula also includes aloe leaf juice and allantoin, which help soothe your skin for a comfortable experience.
What does Glycolic Acid do for oily skin?
Glycolic acid helps clear away dead skin and excess oil for a smooth, clean feel. It gently removes buildup from the surface, which keeps pores clear and skin looking fresh.
Molecules, 2023Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2011
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?
Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Starting it once a week helps your skin get used to the acids, and you may use it more often if your skin tolerates it well and sees good results.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by alternating nights rather than applying them together, because using strong exfoliants and retinoids at the same time is likely to cause irritation. Apply this treatment on its own at night after cleansing, and use your retinol on a different evening to keep your skin smooth and calm.
How often should I use this serum?
Start by using this serum once a week in your evening routine, and carefully use it more often if your skin tolerates it well and shows good results. Glycolic acid and salicylic acid exfoliate the skin and help control oil production, while soothing ingredients like aloe and allantoin keep your experience comfortable.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Dermatologic Surgery, 2003
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum may cause a low amount of initial purging as it works to clear out your oily skin. The glycolic acid and salicylic acid help to exfoliate the surface and keep pores clear, while soothing ingredients like aloe leaf juice and allantoin help keep your skin calm.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying 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, 2020Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019A topical product containing 0.5% ellagic acid and 0.1% salicylic acid demonstrated comparable tolerance and efficacy in reducing hyperpigmentation and dark spots in fifty-four multiethnic subjects over 12 weeks when compared against a benchmark prescription 4% hydroquinone product.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013A novel formulation of hydroxyphenoxy propionic acid, ellagic acid, yeast extract, and salicylic acid demonstrated parity in improving pigmentation, skin tone, spot intensity, and spot size compared to standard prescription 4% hydroquinone and 0.025% tretinoin in 82 subjects, with superior tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2013Repeated 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, 2000Serial 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, 2017Cryotherapy 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, 2010Treatment 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, 2024Topical 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, 2010A topical serum containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and raspberry leaf cell culture extract improved skin color, elasticity, radiance, smoothness, scaliness, and wrinkles compared to the untreated contralateral side in fifty female volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Topical raspberry ketone increased dermal IGF-I production through sensory neuron activation, promoting hair growth and increasing skin elasticity in mice and humans.
Growth Hormone & IGF Research, 2008A liposoluble extract of Rubus idaeus cell cultures induced genes for skin hydration, stimulated ceramide production, increased extracellular matrix synthesis in cultured fibroblasts, and showed skin-hydrating capacity in vivo.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2015Application 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, 2020Topical application of a 3% horse chestnut extract gel significantly decreased wrinkle scores at the corners of the eye and lower eyelid skin compared with controls in 40 healthy female volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2006Topical horse chestnut extract increases wound tensile strength and collagen organization in rats without inducing fibroblast to myofibroblast conversion in vitro, though it induces fibronectin-rich extracellular matrix formation.
Molecules, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract Grape Juice Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract Raspberry Fruit Extract, Yeast Extract, Buddleja Davidii Meristem Cell Culture, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Galactoarabinan, Propanediol, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Xanthan Gum, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin
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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