Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash for oily skin
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Glycerin
Papain
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Tocopherol Vitamin E
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 your oily skin due to the presence of papain and protease, which gently break down dead skin cells to support overall cleansing.
- While Tocopherol and Poria Cocos Extract provide soothing benefits, the formula lacks sufficient seboregulating ingredients to optimally manage oily shine.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh ingredients and the inclusion of beneficial soothing agents.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin fresh. Always make sure to follow with a good SPF in the morning.
- Apply your cleanser as the first step in the morning or the second step in the evening before your toner.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using circular motions, then rinse well with water .
- You can apply this cleanser safely on damp skin for a refreshing and easy wash.
- Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop use if irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 3.4k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently praise this enzyme-gel cleanser for its ability to gently exfoliate and refine skin texture without stripping moisture, making it a favorite for those with dull, uneven, or sensitive skin. Many reviewers report a visible improvement in radiance and smoothness, noting that it effectively addresses congestion and acne scarring while providing a luxurious, spa-like experience.
Highlights
Gentle exfoliation Mostly Mentioned
- “non-stripping formula”
- “gentle daily use”
- “no redness after”
- “great for sensitive skin”
Deep cleansing Often Mentioned
- “face feels super clean”
- “removes all grime”
- “clears out pores”
- “great second cleanse”
Radiant complexion Often Mentioned
- “instantly fresh glow”
- “removes dullness”
- “skin looks brighter”
- “restored my radiance”
Smoother skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels baby-soft”
- “completely changed texture”
- “smooths uneven bumps”
- “refined my pores”
Expensive price point Often Mentioned
- “pricey for a wash”
- “expensive habit”
- “wish it was cheaper”
- “luxury price tag”
Luxurious scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like a spa”
- “divine fresh scent”
- “relaxing aroma”
- “beautiful light fragrance”
Initial skin reaction Rarely Noted
- “slight tingling sensation”
- “caused minor breakout”
- “redness at first”
- “sting on active spots”
Lack of results Rarely Noted
- “didn't see difference”
- “just a normal wash”
- “expected more resurfacing”
- “no change in pores”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pump broke quickly”
- “dispenses too much”
- “hard to unlock”
- “leaky bottle”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is overpowering”
- “scent not for me”
- “too perfumed”
- “medicinal smell”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, spacenk.com, lookfantastic.com, dermstore.com, elemis.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash work for oily skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for oily skin by offering gentle exfoliation to clear away dead skin cells, but it lacks enough oil-controlling ingredients to manage shine. Cleansers that fit oily skin better typically need ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to help control oil and keep shine in check.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Environmental Toxicology, 2021
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?
Papain and protease make this cleanser a decent fit for oily skin by gently breaking down dead skin cells for a cleaner feel. Meanwhile, a cleanser for this skin type needs ingredients like Niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to properly manage oily shine and keep oil under control.
What does Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate do for oily skin?
Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate is a cleanser ingredient that helps wash away excess oil, but it may also decrease some of the natural fats that keep your skin barrier strong and smooth. Oily skin types often do better with cleansers that balance oil removal with extra soothing and barrier-protecting ingredients like amino acids, ceramides, and mild salicylic acid.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
What does Glycerin do for oily skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, before your toner, moisturizer, and other steps. It offers gentle cleansing and smoothing benefits for oily skin, though this skin type also needs oil-controlling ingredients to properly manage shine.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying the cleanser first on damp skin and following with your retinol after your skin is dry. This product is unlikely to irritate your skin, but an oily skin type needs oil-controlling and mattifying ingredients like zinc or niacinamide to properly manage shine.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser can be used daily in your morning and evening routines, as it offers gentle exfoliation with papain and protease while remaining safe for oily skin. To manage oily shine effectively, an oily skin type needs a cleanser with strong oil-controlling ingredients.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it contains gentle exfoliating enzymes and soothing ingredients with a safe profile. However, because it lacks sufficient oil-controlling ingredients, oily skin generally needs a cleanser with dedicated sebum-regulating components to properly manage shine.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Environmental Toxicology, 2021
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser is safe to use on your body, but you should avoid the thin skin around your eyes since eyelid skin is very thin and sensitive. For best care on thin areas, a product needs gentle, highly soothing ingredients and lightweight moisture to prevent irritation.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Lauryl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, and stearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A fixed combination of hydroxypinacolone retinoate, retinol glycospheres, and papain glycospheres in aqueous gel applied once daily for 12 weeks achieved a 41% mean reduction in GAGS score and a 40.8% mean reduction in total lesions, with 15.3% of patients experiencing mild to moderate local side effects, in 94 evaluable patients with comedonal-papular, mild to moderate acne of the face.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Poria cocos extract protected Hs68 human dermal fibroblast cells against hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress, cell death, and ROS accumulation by suppressing metallomatrix proteinases, inflammatory markers, and skin aging markers while increasing TGF-beta1 levels and antioxidant related proteins.
Environmental Toxicology, 2021Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate in facial cleanser decreased prokaryotic microbial alpha diversity, altered prokaryotic microbiome structure, increased phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine, and decreased ceramides on facial skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Coacervates formed from mixed micelles of sodium lauroylsarcosinate and cocamidopropyl betaine with cationic guar gum exhibited a dense porous structure with high viscoelastic modulus under strong electrostatic interactions, and a looser mesh structure with lower viscoelasticity and enhanced skin adsorption under weakened interactions.
Soft Matter, 2024A 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, 2001Topical papain treatment may slightly decrease pain within 30 minutes in humans stung by Chrysaora chinensis compared to placebo.
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2016Reflux extraction of Carica papaya leaves yielded higher antioxidant capacity and superior in vitro wound-healing activities including fibroblast proliferation, cell migration, and collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts compared to ultrasonic-assisted extraction and agitation.
Molecules, 2020Carica papaya leaf extracts obtained via supercritical fluid and conventional methods demonstrated antioxidant and cytoprotective effects on skin fibroblasts against oxidative stress, driven by their respective lipophilic and hydrophilic constituents.
Molecules, 2021A 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, 2025Topical 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, 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, 2021Topical 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, 2024
Why other cleansers fit oily 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, 2019A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Coco-Glucoside, Glycol Distearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Lactate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Lauryl Alcohol, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Papain, Disodium Edta, Galactoarabinan, Behenyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Benzoic Acid, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium Phosphate, Stearyl Alcohol, Protease, Subtilisin, Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Tocopherol, Poria Cocos Extract, Extracted
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
How does it fit your skin?
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