Peter Thomas Roth Max Complexion Correction Pads for oily acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Glycolic Acid Complex
Allantoin
Whole Aloe Vera Leaf
Chamomile ExtractWarning
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- WarningSafety
A poor match for oily acne-prone skin; the products alongside 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
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant as part of your PM routine once a week to start, increasing frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but before your final moisturizer step.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product directly onto clean, dry skin for the best results against breakouts.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and always use a daily SPF since exfoliating makes skin more sensitive to the sun.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.7k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with acne-prone and aging skin frequently praise these pads for their dual ability to clear stubborn hormonal breakouts and refine skin texture, often noting a "glass skin" effect. While the peach bellini scent and potent formula are hits for many, a significant number of users warn of intense tingling, dryness, and potential irritation if used too frequently or on sensitive skin.
Highlights
Clears acne breakouts Mostly Mentioned
- “cleared acne literally overnight”
- “saved my skin from hormonal breakouts”
- “zero breakouts since using”
Improves texture pores Often Mentioned
- “pores look refined”
- “skin is noticeably smoother”
- “glass skin texture”
Irritation and burning Often Mentioned
- “burned my skin”
- “face felt on fire”
- “intense stinging sensation”
Brightens anti-aging Sometimes Noted
- “lightened dark spots”
- “skin looks brighter”
- “helps with fine lines”
Convenient application Sometimes Noted
- “easy to use”
- “great for lazy nights”
- “just swipe and go”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like peach bellini”
- “amazing fresh scent”
- “best smelling acne product”
Dryness and peeling Sometimes Noted
- “caused dry patches”
- “skin started peeling”
- “very drying around nose”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “expensive for pads”
- “pricey but effective”
- “wish it was cheaper”
Allergic reactions Rarely Noted
- “eyes swelled shut”
- “severe allergic reaction”
- “weepy and itchy eyes”
Sticky residue Rarely Noted
- “leaves a sticky film”
- “feels tacky on face”
- “takes a while to dry”
Sources: lovi.care, peterthomasroth.com, sephora.com, ulta.com, dermstore.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise against Peter Thomas Roth Max Complexion Correction Pads for oily acne-prone skin?
Lovi advises against using this product on oily acne-prone skin because its formulation contains alcohol denat and strong acids that may cause irritation and dryness. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or gentle calming extracts to control oil and clear breakouts comfortably without that risk.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic Acid and Alcohol Denat can dry out and irritate oily acne-prone skin too much. A product of this type needs calming ingredients and gentle hydrators like niacinamide and propolis to keep this skin balanced and clear.
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear breakouts and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing oil levels and calming inflammation. It is well suited for oily, acne-prone skin because it targets pimples while helping keep the skin hydrated and protected.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
What does Glycolic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycolic acid helps clear breakouts and smooth oily skin by exfoliating dead surface cells. It may reduce both inflamed and non-inflamed blemishes when used regularly, though a product of this type also needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide or ceramides to keep skin calm and comfortable.
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant is a poor match for oily acne-prone skin, as this skin type needs gentle salicylic acid or soothing botanical hydrators to clear pores without harsh irritation.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
Using this exfoliant with retinol is not recommended because combining strong acids and drying ingredients like alcohol on oily acne-prone skin may easily cause severe irritation and dryness. This skin type needs gentle, hydrating, and soothing ingredients that clear pores without stripping the skin barrier.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
This product is a poor match for oily acne-prone skin because its formulation can be too harsh and drying. To treat this skin type safely, an exfoliant of this type needs soothing ingredients like aloe vera and calming plant extracts alongside gentle acids.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant is a poor match for your oily acne-prone skin because it contains high levels of alcohol and acids that often lead to irritation, burning, dryness, and peeling. While it clears dead skin, this type of skin needs gentle ingredients like soothing botanical extracts and mild hydrators to keep pores clear without causing harsh redness or flaking.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, linalool, citronellol, geraniol, benzyl alcohol, and citral) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Topical 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, 2010Apigenin protects against UVA-induced cytotoxicity and senescence in normal human dermal fibroblasts, decreases MMP-1 expression, and when applied topically as a cream in human subjects, increases dermal density and elasticity while reducing fine wrinkle length, skin evenness, moisture content, and transepidermal water loss compared to control cream.
International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2016Topical chamomile oil combined with a night splint significantly improved the symptomatic and functional status of patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome compared to placebo, while electrodiagnostic parameters showed no significant changes.
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2015German chamomile solution applied twice a day healed peristomal skin lesions significantly faster than once-a-day 1% hydrocortisone ointment in colostomy patients, with a mean healing time of 8.89 days versus 14.53 days.
Ostomy/wound Management, 2011
Ingredients
Salicylic Acid, Alcohol Denat, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Witch Hazel Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arginine, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Allantoin, Parfum, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Amyl Cinnamal, Butylparaben, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Limonene, Linalool, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Citronellol, Geraniol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Benzyl Benzoate
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, 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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