The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser for oily acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Zinc Pca
Allantoin
Glycerin
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
High
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few cleansers 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 excellent cleansing and moderate exfoliation for your oily skin and acne, blemishes, and breakouts, as salicylic acid and zinc PCA work to decongest pores and manage excess sebum.
- Allantoin and glycerin provide soothing benefits, enhancing comfort for your oily skin type.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of beneficial components.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cleanser is highly effective for oily and acne-prone skin, with users frequently reporting reduced breakouts and controlled oiliness. Many also appreciate its gentle, non-stripping formula and affordable price. A smaller number of users noted occasional dryness or an initial worsening of acne before improvement, and some experienced packaging difficulties.
Highlights
Affordable Price Mostly Mentioned
- “Good for the price”
- “bang for your buck”
- “inexpensive”
- “great value”
Clears Acne Mostly Mentioned
- “Free of active acne”
- “helped me majorly”
- “blackhead eraser”
- “visibly reduces breakouts”
Controls Oil Often Mentioned
- “Skin instantly looks less oily”
- “controls excess oil”
- “keeps shine at bay”
Gentle & Non-Stripping Sometimes Noted
- “Never tight or stripped”
- “super lightweight”
- “gentle mild everyday cleanser”
Drying for some Sometimes Noted
- “Leaves my skin a bit dry”
- “can and will dry your skin out”
- “felt tight afterwards”
Packaging Issues Rarely Noted
- “Hard to squeeze”
- “packaging is annoying”
- “difficult to get product out”
Purging/Breakouts Rarely Noted
- “New formula breaks me out”
- “got purge pimples”
- “burned my face”
Sources: lovi.care, theinkeylist.com, sephora.com, boots.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit because salicylic acid and zinc PCA help clear out clogged pores and manage excess oil for your oily and acne-prone skin. Allantoin and glycerin also add soothing comfort, while the gentle formula is unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid and zinc PCA make this cleanser a great fit because they help clear out pores and control extra oil on oily acne-prone skin. At the same time, allantoin and glycerin soothe the skin and keep it comfortable.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020
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 Zinc PCA do for oily acne-prone skin?
Zinc PCA helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by reducing excess oil and targeting the bacteria that cause breakouts. This ingredient has a great safety profile and is unlikely to irritate your skin while helping to keep pores clear.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes as the first active step in your morning routine and the second step after your makeup remover in the evening. It helps clear pores and manage excess oil for oily acne-prone skin while keeping irritation unlikely through soothing ingredients.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cleanser with retinol by using it in your morning routine or on alternate nights, as it helps clear pores and manage excess oil without harsh ingredients. Follow it with your hydrating toner, retinol treatment, and moisturizer to keep your skin calm and comfortable.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. It helps clear pores and manage excess oil while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because salicylic acid and zinc PCA help clear out pores and manage excess oil, while soothing ingredients keep your skin comfortable. While it is unlikely to cause irritation, a low number of reviewers mention experiencing minor breakouts or purging.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser is great for your oily acne-prone skin, but avoid using it around the eyes because that skin is very thin and sensitive. It is safe and effective to use on your body to help clear breakouts and manage excess oil.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).
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, 2020A 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, 2017Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 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, 2010Zinc PCA inhibits UVA-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 production through suppressed AP-1 activation and enhances type I collagen synthesis by increasing SVCT2 mRNA expression in cultured normal human dermal fibroblasts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2012Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018The 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, 2012The 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, Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Salicylic Acid, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides, Betaine, Zinc Pca, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Benzyl Alcohol, Coconut Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
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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