ZO Skin Health Exfoliation Accelerator for oily acne-prone skin
Glycolic Acid
Lactic Acid
Retinyl Palmitate Vitamin A
Squalane
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower ExtractHigh
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few products 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 exfoliation for your oily skin, as glycolic acid and lactic acid promote skin renewal and oil control, while squalane and caprylic capric triglyceride provide balancing emollient action.
- This formula is well-suited for addressing acne, blemishes, and breakouts, with ingredients that effectively manage oiliness and shine.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
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 300+ reviewsUsers report this product is a potent exfoliant that smooths texture and clears acne-prone skin, delivering a radiant glow and treating conditions like Keratosis Pilaris. Many users note an adjustment period with peeling and redness before results appear.
Highlights
Improves skin texture Mostly Mentioned
- “Smoother skin”
- “soft and refined”
- “glass-like finish”
Brightening & radiance Often Mentioned
- “Glowing complexion”
- “brighter skin”
- “revitalized look”
Clears acne & congestion Often Mentioned
- “Unclogs pores”
- “vanishes zits”
- “cleared my KP”
High price Often Mentioned
- “Expensive”
- “hefty price tag”
- “overpriced”
Fast-acting results Sometimes Noted
- “Difference in 1-2 days”
- “works overnight”
- “immediate softness”
Initial irritation Sometimes Noted
- “Stinging/burning”
- “redness”
- “destroyed skin barrier”
Peeling/purging phase Sometimes Noted
- “Skin peeling”
- “worse before better”
- “flaking”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Pump stops working”
- “hard to dispense”
- “airlock in pump”
Sources: lovi.care, zoskinhealth.com, dermstreet.com, facedr.com, reddit.com, skincareessentials.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes ZO Exfoliation Accelerator a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
ZO Skin Health Exfoliation Accelerator is a great fit because glycolic acid and lactic acid help renew your skin and control oil, while squalane and caprylic capric triglyceride keep your skin balanced. It helps manage breakouts and shine effectively without harsh ingredients, making it safe and unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycolic acid and lactic acid help renew oily skin and control shine, while squalane and caprylic capric triglyceride provide a balancing touch. These ingredients, along with retinyl palmitate vitamin A, work together to manage breakouts effectively and safely without harsh irritation.
What does Glycolic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycolic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing pimples and soothing breakouts. It exfoliates the surface to keep pores clear and leaves the skin feeling smooth.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Dermatologic Surgery, 2014
What does Lactic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Lactic acid helps oily acne-prone skin by gently clearing pores and reducing breakouts, which supports a smoother and clearer face. Using appropriate cosmetic acids helps calm red bumps and works well alongside acne treatments.
Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift Fur Dermatologie, Venerologie, und Verwandte Gebiete, 2010Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant goes in your evening routine as a treatment step, used once a week to start. You may carefully use it more often if your skin tolerates it well and you see good results.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
This exfoliant is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin, as glycolic and lactic acids help renew the skin and control oil. Because this treatment already includes vitamin A, you are unlikely to need a separate retinol product at the same time to avoid over-exfoliating.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start by using this exfoliant once a week in the evening, and if your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. This gentle approach helps your skin adjust to the active ingredients while keeping breakouts and shine under control.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
Yes, this exfoliant may cause a temporary peeling or purging phase when you first start using it, as the glycolic acid and lactic acid renew the skin and clear out pores. However, it is unlikely to clog pores or cause new breakouts because it helps manage excess oil and shine.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023Glycolic 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 combination of dermapen and glycolic acid peel significantly decreased acne scar grades and resulted in higher patient satisfaction compared to either monotherapy in 30 patients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Retinyl palmitate ethosomal hydrogel reduced non-inflammatory and total acne lesion counts significantly better than marketed tretinoin while improving tolerability with minimal skin irritation in patients with acne vulgaris.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2021Combining microneedling with 5% retinyl palmitate-loaded oleogel yielded modest scar reduction and good patient satisfaction in three female patients with atrophic acne scars, showing no significant differences compared to microneedling with placebo.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2026Repeated 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, 2017Application 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, 2020Over-the-counter retinol products provided only weak evidence for a mild ameliorating effect on fine facial skin wrinkle lines in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials, and major methodological flaws call the validity of positive results into question.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010A novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to 0.02% tretinoin and reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing in female adults while causing less skin irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Apigenin protects against UVA-induced cytotoxicity and senescence in normal human dermal fibroblasts, decreases MMP-1 expression, and when applied topically as a cream in human subjects, increases dermal density and elasticity while reducing fine wrinkle length, skin evenness, moisture content, and transepidermal water loss compared to control cream.
International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2016Topical chamomile oil combined with a night splint significantly improved the symptomatic and functional status of patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome compared to placebo, while electrodiagnostic parameters showed no significant changes.
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2015German chamomile solution applied twice a day healed peristomal skin lesions significantly faster than once-a-day 1% hydrocortisone ointment in colostomy patients, with a mean healing time of 8.89 days versus 14.53 days.
Ostomy/wound Management, 2011
Ingredients
Disodium Edta, Glycolic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Squalane, Steapyrium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Retinyl Palmitate Vitamin A, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dimethicone, Ammonium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E, Allantoin, Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
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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