doTERRA Facial Cleanser for acne-prone skin
Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf
Peppermint Oil
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Glycerin
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 combination skin, as Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract help decongest pores, while Glycerin and Sodium PCA provide humectant action.
- Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf offers mild antiseptic benefits for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts, though more targeted ingredients would enhance treatment efficacy.
- The formulation is safe for your combination skin, free from harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it.
- This cleanser is the first step in your morning routine and the second step after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Always follow up with a toner and moisturizer .
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face in circular motions. Avoid harsh rubbing to keep your skin calm.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it work effectively against breakouts. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water .
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
Questions and answers
How well does doTERRA Facial Cleanser work for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for acne-prone skin, helping clear pores and blemishes while keeping your skin calm and safe from irritation. Cleansers that fit this skin better need a balanced mix of soothing and hydrating ingredients like aloe and glycerin, alongside gentle cleansing agents and targeted breakout fighters to keep your skin clear and balanced.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf helps calm blemishes, while Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract gently decongest pores without causing irritation. For the best results on acne-prone skin, cleansers of this type need targeted blemish-fighting ingredients alongside soothing, hydrating agents that keep the skin balanced and prevent over-drying.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007
What does Tea Tree Oil do for acne-prone skin?
Tea tree oil helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing pimples and redness with a good safety profile. It works through natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities that target breakouts while keeping side effects low when used properly.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2006
What does Peppermint Oil do for acne-prone skin?
Peppermint oil helps acne-prone skin by targeting blemish-causing bacteria and calming angry, red areas. Because it has natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, it may reduce breakouts and soothe swelling with a low risk of irritation.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser fits in your routine both morning and evening to help wash away impurities. Acne-prone skin works best with products that combine gentle cleansers with targeted blemish-fighting ingredients to help clear breakouts while keeping the skin calm.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in the same routine as retinol, applying the cleanser first on damp skin, rinsing thoroughly, and then following with your retinol treatment once your face is completely dry. This gentle cleansing step helps keep pores clear without harsh irritation, though acne-prone skin often benefits more from a cleanser that includes targeted acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Dermatology, 2014
How often should I use it?
You can use this cleanser twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine, since it safely washes your skin without causing irritation. Acne-prone skin works best with cleansers that combine mild pore-clearing ingredients with targeted blemish treatments.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your acne-prone skin, as it relies on gentle cleansing ingredients like Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and tea tree oil that help clear pores without irritation. However, because it offers only moderate help for breakouts, acne-prone skin often needs a cleanser with more targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing agents to perform at its best.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but it is best to avoid the very thin skin directly around your eyes. A cleanser for this delicate area needs extra gentle, soothing ingredients that protect moisture without causing any irritation.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol and limonene). Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
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, 2007Lactobacillus-fermented Chamaecyparis obtusa reduced inflammatory acne lesions by 65.3% compared to 38.2% with tea tree oil in 34 patients over 8 weeks, demonstrating superior efficacy, faster onset, and safety.
Dermatology, 2014A 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, 2018Sodium 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, 2007Tea tree oil nanoemulsion containing adapalene gel demonstrated significantly greater reductions in total, inflammatory, and non-inflammatory acne lesions as well as acne severity index compared to adapalene marketed gel in 100 patients with acne vulgaris over 12 weeks.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Topical tea tree oil treatment confirmed efficacy on Demodex mite blepharitis across fourteen papers evaluating chronic blepharitis compared to no treatment or alternative management.
BioMed Research International, 2022Weekly treatment with tea tree oil-saturated human amniotic membrane showed superior efficacy in healing pityriasis versicolor lesions and fungicidal activity compared to daily application of 1% tioconazole cream in 120 patients.
Cell and Tissue Banking, 2020Topical application of menthol-based cooling gel decreased intramuscular temperature by 1.9 °C and increased cutaneous blood flow by 0.3 ml/min in healthy males compared to placebo gel.
International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2018Cooling skin temperature or applying topical menthol reduced histamine-induced itch intensity and flare diameters in healthy male volunteers.
Neuroscience Letters, 1995Topical 3.5% menthol gel decreased pain perception and resulted in 116.9% higher tetanic force compared to ice in 16 subjects with delayed onset muscle soreness.
International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 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, 2001
Why other cleansers fit 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, 2007A 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, 2018A 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
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf, Peppermint Oil, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Phytate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Pca, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Yucca Filamentosa Root Extract, Limonene
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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