Prequel GLEANSER for oily acne-prone skin
Glycerin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Inulin
Dihydroxypropyl Arginine Hcl
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it 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 cleansing for your oily skin, as cocamidopropyl betaine and disodium cocoamphodiacetate effectively remove impurities without causing irritation due to the presence of soothing glycerin and aloe barbadensis leaf juice.
- While glycerin and glyceryl glucoside provide humectant action for your oily skin, the formula lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation and the inclusion of beneficial soothing agents.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsA significant number of reviews also highlight its excellent value and large size. Some users find the unique, viscous texture unappealing and report difficulty rinsing the product completely, while a small number experienced breakouts or irritation.
Highlights
Very hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “skin felt like I'd applied a very light moisturizer”
- “kept me hydrated while cleansing”
- “saved my skin from peeling”
- “no tight dry feeling anymore”
Great value Often Mentioned
- “massive by face-wash standards”
- “can't think of a better value”
- “13.5 oz bottle lasts forever”
Soothes sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “calmed my redness”
- “didn't sting my sensitive skin”
Luxurious texture Sometimes Noted
- “bouncy and a little viscous”
- “luxurious texture”
- “thick and lovely”
- “feels like a cushion”
Difficult to rinse Sometimes Noted
- “hard to wash fully off”
- “leaves a weird film”
- “feels like it hasn't rinsed off”
- “need a washcloth to remove it”
Unappealing texture Sometimes Noted
- “texture reminds me of snot”
- “thick and slimy”
- “consistency is like lube”
- “too gooey”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “broke out my blemish free skin”
- “turned my face bright red”
- “caused clogged pores”
- “gave me the worst flare”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pump doesn't lock”
- “leaked in the box”
- “bottle slipped and top broke”
- “hard to travel with”
Sources: lovi.care, target.com, prequelskin.com, reddit.com, nymag.com, newbeauty.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Prequel GLEANSER work for oily acne-prone skin?
Prequel GLEANSER works moderately well to clean your oily skin without causing irritation, but it lacks ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts. Cleansers that fit this skin type better need strong oil control and exfoliating ingredients to manage blemishes.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, cocamidopropyl betaine, and disodium cocoamphodiacetate make this cleanser a good fit because they gently remove impurities and soothe oily skin without causing irritation. However, a cleanser for this skin also needs specialized blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts.
What does Glycerin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It draws moisture into the skin while supporting the skin barrier so it stays soft and balanced.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Aloe Vera Leaf Juice do for oily acne-prone skin?
Aloe Vera Leaf Juice helps calm redness and reduces acne breakouts for oily skin. Studies show it effectively targets acne lesions and lowers redness when used regularly.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2014
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes in the morning and evening steps of your routine, right before your toner and moisturizer. An oily and acne-prone skin type needs a cleanser that removes impurities gently while pairing with specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cleanser in your routine alongside retinol, applying the cleanser first to clean your skin before your retinol treatment. A cleanser for oily acne-prone skin of this type also needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your regular routine. It gently washes away impurities without causing irritation, though oily acne-prone skin often benefits from pairing a cleanser like this with specialized ingredients such as salicylic acid to target breakouts.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as its gentle ingredients safely remove impurities without irritating your skin. However, because it lacks targeted blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, an oily acne-prone skin type needs extra acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid and oil-controlling agents to truly clear breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body and around the eyes because its gentle ingredients are safe for different skin areas. While it cleans effectively without irritation, a cleanser for the thin skin around the eyes or the body needs soothing agents and mild cleansers to keep those areas comfortable and clean.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A 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 application of glyceryl glucoside significantly increased AQP3 mRNA levels and reduced transepidermal water loss compared with vehicle-controlled areas in volunteer subjects.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2012Topical oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions containing glyceryl glucoside, natural moisturizing factors, and ceramide significantly improved skin hydration and barrier function while reducing visible dryness and tactile roughness in subjects with very dry skin compared to untreated sites and vehicles.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2012A 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, 2017The 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, 2001Topical 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, 2010Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006The 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
Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better
Topical 5% tea tree oil gel significantly improved total acne lesions and acne severity index compared to placebo in 60 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris, showing 3.55 times and 5.75 times greater efficacy respectively.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Tea tree oil gel and face wash significantly reduced total facial acne lesions from 23.7 to 10.7 and improved investigator global assessment scores in 14 participants with mild to moderate facial acne over 12 weeks.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 2017A novel emulsion containing niacinamide, lens esculenta seed extract, and white willow bark extract effectively improved acne, blackheads, and conspicuous facial pores in 30 subjects with oily skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Glycerin, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, Inulin, Dihydroxypropyl Arginine Hcl, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Glyceryl Glucoside, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide
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
How does it fit your skin?
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