Noxzema Ultimate Clear Anti-Blemish Pads for dry skin
Salicylic Acid
Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Leaf
Camphor
MentholCaution
- CautionDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A poor match for dry skin; the serums alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 treatment for acne-prone skin due to salicylic acid, but is unsuitable for your dry skin because alcohol denat and camphor can strip natural oils and exacerbate dryness.
- While the salicylic acid helps reduce acne lesions, its exfoliating properties can be drying for flaky skin.
How to apply
- Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 3.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly effective for oily and acne-prone skin, utilizing 2% salicylic acid to rapidly clear breakouts and deeply clean pores. Some users report a refreshing cooling sensation. However, due to high alcohol content and a strong eucalyptus scent, it can cause stinging and over-drying, making it unsuitable for sensitive or dry skin types.
Highlights
Cleans pores Often Mentioned
- “blown away with how much dirt was on my skin”
- “keeps my pores small”
- “I know I have 100 percent clean skin”
- “helps to clear pores”
Clears acne Often Mentioned
- “Helped clear up my son's acne quick”
- “heals my acne quicker and better than anything else”
- “1 a day cleared up my skin”
- “In less than three days, it had already improved the look of my skin”
Removes oil Often Mentioned
- “remove all excess oil from my skin”
- “takes away the oil that has accumulated”
- “leave my skin feeling clean and oil free”
- “prioritizes immediate degreasing”
Cooling sensation Sometimes Noted
- “cooling sensation rather than a burning sensation”
- “leaves my face feeling clean & fresh”
- “classic Noxzema tingle sensation”
- “cooling clean that feels as good as it works”
Causes stinging Sometimes Noted
- “It does burn a bit when you apply it”
- “stinging comes primarily from the 60%+ denatured alcohol”
- “Kinda burned my eyes and my nose a tiny bit”
- “burns your eyes strong”
Over-drying skin Sometimes Noted
- “excessive drying may occur”
- “eventually dry out”
- “too harsh for your skin type”
- “dehydration, peeling, or irritation”
Strong scent Sometimes Noted
- “scent is REALLY strong - like hard to breathe”
- “burns your eyes strong”
- “smell was strong when I first used them”
- “burns your eyes a bit”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, kroger.com, dermapproved.com, meijer.com, target.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with Noxzema Ultimate Clear Anti-Blemish Pads for dry skin?
Lovi advises caution because alcohol and camphor can strip natural oils and worsen dry skin. A treatment of this type needs soothing ingredients, ceramides, niacinamide, and peptides that provide significant hydration and support skin health without irritation.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a poor fit for dry skin?
Alcohol denat and camphor make this exfoliant a poor fit for dry skin because they can strip natural oils and worsen dryness. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients, ceramides, niacinamide, peptides, or propolis that provide deep hydration and support the skin barrier without irritation.
What does Salicylic Acid do for dry skin?
Salicylic acid is generally not a good fit for dry skin, as it is meant to clear out pores and remove dead skin rather than hydrate. Because dry skin needs soothing and moisture rather than exfoliation, a product for dry skin needs nourishing ingredients like urea to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft.
What does Eucalyptus Leaf Oil do for dry skin?
Eucalyptus leaf oil helps improve dry skin by boosting natural lipids that hold onto water, making the skin feel soft and smooth. It also supports the outer skin barrier function safely without causing irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2012International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2022
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This exfoliant is unsuitable for your dry skin because alcohol and camphor strip natural oils and worsen dryness. Dry skin needs gentle exfoliating products that remove dead cells while adding soothing and moisturizing ingredients to protect the skin barrier.
Can I use it with benzoyl peroxide, and in what order?
Using this product with benzoyl peroxide is a poor match because ingredients like alcohol and camphor may strip natural oils and exacerbate your dry skin. Combining harsh blemish treatments requires gentle, hydrating ingredients and rich moisturizers to protect the skin barrier.
How often should I use it?
This product is a poor fit for your dry skin because alcohol and camphor can strip your natural oils and make your dryness worse. When your skin is dry, a product of this type needs soothing and hydrating ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or glycerin to protect your skin barrier while treating acne.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This product helps clear acne with salicylic acid, but it is a poor match for dry skin because alcohol denat and camphor can strip natural oils and make dryness worse. A product for this skin needs gentle exfoliating ingredients and added moisturizers to keep skin smooth and soft without drying it out.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
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, 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, 2023A 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, 2020Cryotherapy 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, 2010An ointment containing larch turpentine, eucalyptus oil, and turpentine oil improved discomfort scores (7.3 vs. 4.7) and increased complete healing (67% vs. 46%) compared to placebo in outpatients with painful skin abscesses over 10 days.
Complementary Medicine Research, 2023Topical application of a methyl salicylate gel with turpentine essence, camphor, and menthol achieved skin penetration and significantly reduced pro-inflammatory gene expression compared to untreated controls in human skin explants.
Farmaceuticos Comunitarios, 2024Volatile compounds including 1,8-cineole, borneol, camphor, and thujone reduce PMA/I-stimulated IL-6 and IL-8 release by more than 50% in human gingival fibroblasts, proving more effective than rosmarinic acid.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2013Camphor induced human primary dermal fibroblast proliferation and collagen expression while reducing UV-induced MMP1 expression and wrinkle formation in mouse skin.
Phytotherapy Research, 2015Coadministration of 40% topical L-menthol with 10% trans-cinnamaldehyde reduced spontaneous pain intensity, neurogenic inflammation, primary and secondary mechanical hyperalgesia, and heat hyperalgesia, but not cold hyperalgesia, in 14 healthy volunteers.
The Journal of Pain, 2016Topical application of menthol-based cooling gel decreased intramuscular temperature by 1.9 °C and increased cutaneous blood flow by 0.3 ml/min in healthy males compared to placebo gel.
International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2018Cooling skin temperature or applying topical menthol reduced histamine-induced itch intensity and flare diameters in healthy male volunteers.
Neuroscience Letters, 1995
Ingredients
Salicylic Acid, Alcohol Denat, Water, Peg-4, Ppg-11 Stearyl Ether, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Leaf, Camphor, Menthol, Disodium Edta
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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