Dr. Sam's Flawless Cleanser for oily acne-prone skin
Allantoin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E
Disodium Edta
Citric AcidAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it 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 moderate cleansing for your oily skin due to Peg-7 glyceryl cocoate and Poloxamer 188, which help lift impurities, while Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder and Tocopheryl Acetate provide general benefits but lack targeted acne-fighting ingredients.
- The formula provides antioxidant activity with Bht and Tocopheryl Acetate, suitable for oily skin, but does not offer sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control.
- The safety profile is good, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsMost users appreciate that it leaves the skin feeling soft and hydrated. A significant portion of users find the non-foaming texture satisfying, though some users prefer a cleanser that lathers. It is also noted that the cleanser may struggle with waterproof eye makeup and can cause eye stinging for some.
Highlights
Gentle and non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves my skin soft and hydrated”
- “never feels stripped or dry”
- “skin feels calm after washing”
Effective makeup removal Often Mentioned
- “melts away my SPF”
- “removes all my foundation”
- “cleanses thoroughly in one step”
- “great for the one-minute massage”
Fragrance-free formula Often Mentioned
- “zero irritation or stinging”
- “great for fragrance sensitivity”
- “simple, clean ingredients”
Luxurious jelly texture Sometimes Noted
- “lovely thick gel texture”
- “glides over the skin”
- “feels like a spa treatment”
- “luxurious and smooth application”
Does not foam Sometimes Noted
- “miss the squeaky clean feeling”
- “feels a bit slimy”
- “hard to get used to no foam”
- “feels like washing with lotion”
Eye makeup struggle Sometimes Noted
- “stings my eyes badly”
- “doesn't remove waterproof mascara”
- “need a separate eye makeup remover”
- “cloudy vision after using”
Price point Rarely Noted
- “pricey for a face wash”
- “expensive with shipping”
- “good but not budget friendly”
- “wish it was cheaper”
Skin reactions Rarely Noted
- “caused closed comedones”
- “gave me small bumps”
- “skin didn't agree with it”
- “caused redness after use”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.co.uk, drsambunting.com, reddit.com, skinsort.com, mywomenstuff.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Dr. Sam's Flawless Cleanser work for oily acne-prone skin?
Dr. Sam's Flawless Cleanser provides moderate cleansing for oily skin with a low risk of irritation, but it lacks targeted acne-fighting and oil-controlling ingredients. An ideal cleanser for this skin needs powerful ingredients that effectively clear breakouts and control oil while remaining gentle and safe.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Peg-7 glyceryl cocoate and Poloxamer 188 help lift impurities to provide moderate cleansing for your oily skin, while Allantoin, aloe, and Vitamin E offer soothing and antioxidant benefits. However, a cleanser for this skin type needs targeted acne-fighting ingredients and strong oil control or exfoliation to deliver the best results.
What does Allantoin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Allantoin helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by soothing irritation and supporting a healthy skin barrier. It is often combined with other gentle ingredients to keep skin comfortable while managing breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
What does Aloe Vera do for oily acne-prone skin?
Aloe vera helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by reducing redness, bumps, and breakouts while keeping the skin smooth. This plant-based ingredient also supports clearer skin and helps improve overall skin texture.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes as the first step in the morning and as the second step in the evening after your makeup remover. A mild cleanser helps gently lift impurities from oily skin without causing irritation, though this type of skin also needs targeted acne-fighting ingredients and better oil control for an ideal fit.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in the same routine as retinol, applying it first on damp skin to wash away impurities before you put on your retinol treatment. This gentle formula is unlikely to cause extra irritation, but oily acne-prone skin still needs targeted ingredients for oil control and blemishes.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. It gently lifts impurities from oily skin, though an oily acne-prone skin type needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and better oil control for a top-rated fit.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
Dr. Sam's Flawless Cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin because it has a good safety profile with no harsh or prohibited ingredients. However, it lacks targeted acne-fighting ingredients and sufficient oil control for this skin type, which needs active ingredients like salicylic acid or glycolic acid to properly manage oil and breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but you should be careful around the eyes since the skin there is much thinner and more sensitive. The gentle formula has a good safety profile with no harsh ingredients, making it unlikely to cause irritation.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Vitamin E in O/W and W/O emulsions significantly increased stratum corneum hydration and enhanced water-binding capacity, with an optimum concentration of 5%.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 1998Co-encapsulation of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopheryl acetate in nanostructured lipid carrier gel formulations significantly enhanced moisture retention up to 68% and improved skin elasticity in human volunteers compared to a solution gel.
Scientific Reports, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Asiatic acid-loaded solid lipid microparticles stabilized with poloxamer-188 reduced porphyrin intensity, enhanced skin barriers, and improved skin hydration and brightness in fifteen participants with mild-to-moderate acne.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2024Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018A 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, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced air pollution-induced skin pigmentation and proinflammatory gene expression ex vivo, and improved skin aging signs in 40 healthy adult females after 90 days of daily use.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Topical 20% citric acid lotion increases viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycan content in sun-damaged skin compared to vehicle alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 1997
Why other cleansers fit oily 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 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, 2019Tea tree oil gel and face wash significantly reduced total facial acne lesions from 23.7 to 10.7 and improved investigator global assessment scores in 14 participants with mild to moderate facial acne over 12 weeks.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 2017
Ingredients
Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Bht, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Poloxamer 188, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water
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
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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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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