Equate Blackhead Clearing Scrub for oily acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Oil-Free Formula
High
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few exfoliants 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 highly effective exfoliation for your oily, acne-prone skin due to salicylic acid and polyethylene, which decongest pores and reduce breakouts without irritation.
- Menthol provides a soothing sensation, enhancing the overall comfort for your skin.
- The product is safe for your skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and contains 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
★4.5Overall rating based on 800+ reviewsThis scrub is highly praised for its ability to clear pores, remove excess oil, and manage breakouts using 2% salicylic acid. While it is effective for many, some users with sensitive or dry skin find the physical exfoliation too harsh, occasionally leading to irritation or dryness.
Highlights
Affordable price Mostly Mentioned
- “Great value for price”
- “Did not cost much”
- “Budget-friendly price”
Clears breakouts Often Mentioned
- “Clears up acne”
- “Keeps breakouts away”
- “Treats and clears breakouts”
Effective cleansing Often Mentioned
- “Cleans pores effectively”
- “Removes dirt and oils”
- “Deeply cleanses pores”
Smoother skin Sometimes Noted
- “Achieve softer complexion”
- “Kept my skin smooth”
- “Improves skin appearance”
Causes irritation Sometimes Noted
- “Causes minor irritant”
- “Not good for sensitive skin”
- “Causes rashes”
Too harsh/abrasive Sometimes Noted
- “A little harsh”
- “Skin became painful”
- “Too abrasive”
Drying effect Rarely Noted
- “Leading to further dryness”
- “Tended to dry out skin”
- “Over-drying”
No visible results Rarely Noted
- “Witnessed no change”
- “Failed to make a difference”
- “No results”
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Questions and answers
What makes Equate Blackhead Clearing Scrub a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This scrub is a great fit because it contains salicylic acid to clear out pores and reduce breakouts on oily, acne-prone skin without causing irritation. It also includes menthol to help soothe your skin and keep it comfortable.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2008Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid and polyethylene make this exfoliant a great fit by unclogging pores and clearing breakouts on oily skin without causing irritation. Menthol also helps by providing a soothing and cooling sensation that keeps your skin comfortable.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2008Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear breakouts and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing oil levels and calming inflammation. It is well suited for oily, acne-prone skin because it targets pimples while helping keep the skin hydrated and protected.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
What does Oil-Free Formula do for oily acne-prone skin?
Oil-Free Formula helps clear deep-pore impurities and leaves oily skin feeling fresh without triggering extra oil production. This type of product works best when it is gentle enough to preserve your skin barrier while managing breakouts.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant goes in your weekly routine, starting at once a week and cautiously increasing if your skin tolerates it well. It helps clear pores and reduce breakouts on oily, acne-prone skin without causing irritation.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliant alongside retinol by applying the exfoliant first and following with your retinol on alternate nights to avoid making your skin too dry or sensitive. Using these active ingredients at different times helps keep your skin clear while maintaining a safe routine.
American Family Physician, 2012Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
How often should I use it?
Start by using this exfoliant once a week, and if your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often. Salicylic acid helps clear pores and reduce breakouts when used consistently.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant is a great fit because salicylic acid and polyethylene help clear out pores and reduce breakouts for oily acne-prone skin without causing irritation. Salicylic acid clears clogged pores and reduces blemishes, though some reviewers mention a drying or slightly harsh effect.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2008Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical application of 30% salicylic acid in polyethylene glycol effectively cleared comedones and papules in 436 patients with acne while causing no stinging, burning, edema, bleeding, or crusting.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2008Twice 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, 2024The 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, 2023Cooling skin temperature or applying topical menthol reduced histamine-induced itch intensity and flare diameters in healthy male volunteers.
Neuroscience Letters, 1995Polyethylene is safe for use in cosmetic formulations at described practices of use and concentrations, supported by low systemic toxicity, lack of significant irritation or sensitization in most animal and human evaluations, and the absence of genotoxicity or chemical carcinogenicity.
International Journal of Toxicology, 2007Cryotherapy 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, 2010A 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, 2020Treatment 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
Ingredients
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyethylene, Salicylic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Peg-12 Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Tetrasodium Edta, Menthol, Sodium Hydroxide, Blue 1, Ci 16035
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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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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