Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Cleanser for combination skin
Glycerin
Ceramide Np
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 suitability for your combination skin as Glycerin and Shea Butter provide hydration and emollient actions, but it lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control on your oily areas.
- The cleansing agents, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Decyl Glucoside, effectively decongest the pores, offering general skincare benefits that are supportive for your oily shine.
- The product is safe for your combination skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM as part of your daily routine. Start 3×/week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your skin using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
- For the best results , apply the cleanser directly onto slightly damp skin to help lift away excess oil.
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.3k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this creamy, lipid-enriched cleanser is highly praised for nourishing dry, mature, or sensitive skin while effectively removing impurities and light makeup. Users frequently report that it leaves skin feeling soft, hydrated, and balanced, without tightness or stripping. Some users find the price point high and note a strong scent, while a low number of reviews mention potential irritation or that it may be too rich for oily skin types.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves skin feeling moisturized”
- “Doesn't strip skin”
- “Perfect for dry skin”
Gentle formula Often Mentioned
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “No irritation”
- “Very mild”
Softens skin Often Mentioned
- “Skin feels noticeably softer”
- “Smoother feel”
- “More luminous”
Efficient cleansing Sometimes Noted
- “Cleanses thoroughly”
- “Removes impurities well”
- “Rinses off easily”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “Expensive for a cleanser”
- “Steep price”
- “Worth the money but pricey”
Strong scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smells like burnt wires”
- “Essential oil smell”
- “Too much fragrance”
Causes irritation Rarely Noted
- “Skin turned bright red”
- “Caused burning”
- “Not for reactive skin”
Too rich for oily skin Rarely Noted
- “Too rich”
- “Left oily residue”
- “Not for acne-prone”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, walmart.com, pure-beauty.co.uk, dermapproved.com, markskinexpert.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Intensive Moisture Cleanser work for combination skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for combination skin because glycerin and shea butter provide hydration while gentle cleansing agents clear out pores, though it lacks enough oil-controlling ingredients for oily areas. A cleanser for this skin type needs ingredients that safely balance oil production, keep the skin hydrated, and manage shine.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for combination skin?
Glycerin and shea butter make this cleanser a good fit by providing hydration and softening benefits, while ingredients like sodium cocoyl isethionate help clear out pores on oily areas. A cleanser of this type needs ingredients that safely balance oil production, keep the skin hydrated without irritation, and maintain a healthy moisture barrier across both dry and oily zones.
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What do Ceramides do for combination skin?
Ceramides help balance combination skin by supporting the skin barrier in dry areas without feeling heavy on oily zones, keeping the skin smooth and comfortable. They play an essential role in maintaining the outer water barrier, and a moisturizer with ceramides and light hydrators works well for this skin type.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cleanser fits into both your morning and evening routines as the first cleansing step, helping to wash away impurities without irritation. To better balance combination skin, a cleanser of this type needs added ingredients that provide targeted oil control for your oily areas.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first to clean your skin, and following it with your retinol treatment. It is safe for your skin with no risk of irritation, though a cleanser for combination skin also needs strong oil control ingredients for oily areas.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It cleanses the skin safely without irritation, though a cleanser for combination skin also needs strong ingredients for oil control on oily areas.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on your combination skin, as it safely decongests pores and avoids harsh ingredients. However, because it lacks sufficient oil-controlling ingredients for oily areas, a cleanser for this skin needs targeted balancing agents and lightweight hydrators.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this cleanser on your body, but it is not specifically designed for the thin skin around the eyes. To properly care for combination skin, a cleanser of this type needs ingredients that balance hydration with effective oil control.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene).
What the research says
A 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, 2017Sodium cocoyl isethionate micelles are too large to penetrate stratum corneum aqueous pores, resulting in significant steric hindrance that prevents skin barrier perturbation and explains its skin mildness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007The 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, 2012A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025
Why other cleansers fit combination skin better
A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Divinyldimethicone Dimethicone Copolymer, Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate, Ceramide Np, Phytosterols, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Coconut Acid, Hydrolyzed Cottonseed Protein, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, C12-13 Pareth-3, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata Oil Leaf Tangerine Oil Leaf, Myristic Acid, Trideceth-12, Jasmine Oil, Linoleic Acid, Amyris Balsamifera Oil Bark, Cananga Odorata Oil Flower, Lemon Peel Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Clove Oil Leaf, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil Flower, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Lemon Fruit Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Canarium Luzonicum Nonvolatiles Gum, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil Flower, Guaiacum Officinale Oil Wood, Rosa Damascena Oil Flower, Zingiber Officinale Oil Root, Disodium Edta, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Pinus Sylvestris Cone Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract Rosemary Leaf Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Linolenic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Isethionate, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Peg-12 Dimethicone, Limonene, 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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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
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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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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
How does it fit your skin?
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