doTERRA Facial Cleanser for dry sensitive skin
Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf
Peppermint Oil
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Glycerin
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Average
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 dry and sensitive skin, as Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract help decongest pores, while Glycerin and Sodium PCA provide some humectant action.
- The formula lacks sufficient emollient ingredients like Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil to fully address your dryness and flakiness.
- The product is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your face fresh. Start slowly once a day if your dry skin feels sensitive at first.
- Apply your cleanser first thing in your routine before any toner or moisturizer. Follow the usual steps for your AM or PM daily routine.
- Gently massage the cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Avoid harsh rubbing to protect your dry skin.
- Apply the cleanser to slightly damp skin to help it clean gently without stripping moisture. This method is very safe for sensitive and dry skin types.
- Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and avoid the delicate eye area. Always do a patch test before using the product for the first time.
Questions and answers
How well does doTERRA Facial Cleanser work for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for your dry sensitive skin, as it cleans pores gently while providing some moisture with glycerin. However, it lacks enough softening oils to fully address your dryness and flakiness. A cleanser for this skin needs rich moisturizing oils and soothing ingredients to keep skin soft and comfortable.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Glycerin and Sodium PCA help provide moisture, while Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate gently decongests pores without disturbing the skin barrier. A cleanser for dry sensitive skin needs richer moisturizing oils and extra soothing ingredients to fully address dryness and flakiness.
What does Tea Tree Oil do for dry sensitive skin?
Tea tree oil is generally a poor fit for dry sensitive skin because it can easily cause irritation, redness, and peeling on delicate barriers. This skin type needs gentle, soothing hydrators and protective ingredients that restore moisture without causing stinging or dryness.
What does Peppermint Oil do for dry sensitive skin?
Peppermint oil is a poor fit for dry sensitive skin because it easily causes irritation, allergic reactions, and discomfort. Products for this skin type need gentle, soothing ingredients that calm redness and keep moisture locked in without triggering sensitivity.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, followed by a soothing toner and a moisturizing spf in the day, or a soothing toner, treatment, and moisturizer at night. A product of this type needs richer softening and smoothing oils like macadamia seed oil to fully address dryness and flakiness on your skin.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying it before your retinol treatment in your evening routine. This cleanser is unlikely to irritate dry sensitive skin, but a cleanser of this type needs more softening oils like macadamia oil and richer moisture ingredients to fully address dryness and flakiness.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It is gentle on your skin, but because it lacks enough softening oils, your dry and sensitive skin needs a richer cream cleanser or an added moisturizer to fully soothe dryness and flakiness.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin because its mild cleansing agents help gently decongest pores without disrupting your skin barrier. A cleanser for this skin needs more softening ingredients like macadamia nut oil and hydrating ingredients like glycerin to fully handle dryness and flakiness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser is safe to use on your body and around the eyes, as its gentle ingredients are unlikely to cause irritation. However, dry skin on the body and around the eyes needs extra softening ingredients like Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil to fully prevent dryness and flaking.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007
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
Sodium 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, 2007A 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, 2017A 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, 2018Tea 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 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, 2007Topical 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, 2012The 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, 2012
Why other cleansers fit dry sensitive skin better
Transgenic cucumber expressing poly-γ-glutamic acid synthesis genes increased water content by 6-14%, reduced water loss by 11-12%, decreased facial wrinkles and roughness by 19.58% and 24.97%, decreased skin melanin by 5.27%, and improved facial elasticity in human skin and zebrafish compared to controls.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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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
How does it fit your skin?
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