Clinique Clarifying Do-Over Peel for sensitive skin
Glycolic Acid
Lactic Acid
Salicylic Acid
Micro-Acid Complex
Witch Hazel Extract
High
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for sensitive skin; a few products fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 exfoliation for redness and irritation due to the presence of glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which promote skin renewal for your normal skin type. While beneficial for texture, the formula may lack sufficient emollient ingredients for optimal hydration.
- The combination of acids provides effective exfoliation, and the absence of harsh ingredients ensures it is safe for your sensitive skin.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients, minimizing the risk of irritation.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliant PM once a week to help with redness and irritation. Start slowly and only increase frequency if your skin feels happy and comfortable.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toner , but always before your moisturizer . This ensures the product absorbs properly into the skin.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin without rubbing . Let it absorb for a minute before moving on.
- Since your skin is sensitive , apply the exfoliant on completely dry skin for the best tolerance. This helps prevent any extra stinging or discomfort.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area .
People Say
★4.1Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, users frequently report that this leave-on peel effectively smooths skin texture, boosts radiance, and helps clear pores, making it a popular choice for those looking to refine their complexion. While many find it gentle and transformative, some users with sensitive skin or those sensitive to scent note concerns regarding its alcohol content and potential for irritation.
Highlights
Smoother skin texture Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves my skin so smooth”
- “Noticed a difference in texture right away”
- “Skin feels soft and smooth”
Boosts radiance Often Mentioned
- “Wake up to more radiant-looking skin”
- “My skin really glows”
- “Radiance definitely improved”
Clears pores Sometimes Noted
- “Clears pores of blackheads”
- “Pores appear less noticeable”
- “Helps with congestion”
Easy to use Sometimes Noted
- “Goes on smoothly and easily”
- “Convenience of this leave-on formula”
- “Doesn't require any extra steps”
Potential irritation Sometimes Noted
- “Found that I had to discontinue”
- “Be mindful of the tingling”
- “Compromised my skin barrier”
Strong alcohol scent Sometimes Noted
- “It reeks of alcohol”
- “Smells like alcohol”
- “Akin to nail polish remover”
Price point Rarely Noted
- “Product is a little pricey”
- “Price might be a barrier”
Too gentle Rarely Noted
- “Too gentle of a peel”
- “Saw and felt no noticeable results”
Sources: lovi.care, clinique.com, sephora.me, sephora.com.au, ulta.com, macys.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Clinique Clarifying Do-Over Peel a great fit for sensitive skin?
Clinique Clarifying Do-Over Peel is a great fit for sensitive skin because its mix of acids offers effective exfoliation to smooth texture, and the absence of harsh ingredients ensures it is safe and minimizes the risk of irritation.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for sensitive skin?
Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and witch hazel extract make this exfoliant a great fit by offering gentle renewal while helping to calm redness and keep sensitive skin comfortable. These ingredients work effectively together because the formula avoids harsh irritants.
What does Glycolic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Glycolic acid can be too harsh for sensitive skin, leaving it dry and irritated, so this type of skin needs a gentler exfoliating ingredient and calming plant extracts to keep the skin barrier safe and comfortable.
What does Lactic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Lactic acid may cause stinging and irritation on sensitive skin because sensitive skin often has a fragile barrier and enhanced facial blood flow. To care for sensitive skin, a product of this type needs soothing ingredients like ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier and calm discomfort.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2018Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2021
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This exfoliant treatment goes in your evening routine once a week. You can 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?
You can use this exfoliant in your evening routine, but use it on nights when you are not applying retinol to avoid irritation. Applying strong acids and retinol at the same time may easily cause excessive dryness and redness on sensitive skin.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start by using this exfoliant treatment once a week in your evening routine, and carefully increase the frequency only if your sensitive skin tolerates it well without irritation.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin because it is free of heavy, pore-clogging ingredients. However, the mix of acids helps renew the skin surface, which may occasionally lead to mild purging as things clear out.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Repeated 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, 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, 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, 2024Twice-daily application of an over-the-counter multi-acid and niacinamide serum significantly improved acne severity, inflammatory lesions, pore size, and quality of life in Japanese women with mild acne compared to baseline.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025A Hamamelis virginiana leaf extract increased LOXL1 expression twofold, decreased elafin synthesis, restored functional elastic fibers, reduced nonfunctional elastin aggregates, decreased wrinkles, and improved skin firmness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Hamamelis bark proanthocyanidins strongly increased the proliferation of cultured human keratinocytes and reduced transepidermal water loss and erythema formation in SLS-irritated skin, whereas the polysaccharide fraction had no effect.
Phytochemistry, 2001Witch hazel bark extract and hamamelitannin showed pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, supported keratinocyte migration in a wound healing assay, and inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth, whereas their skin microbiota metabolite ellagic acid stimulated inflammatory mediator release.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Alcohol Denat, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Witch Hazel Extract, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract, Lactobionic Acid, Yeast Extract, Acetyl Glucosamine, Tartaric Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Edta, Benzalkonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol
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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Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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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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