Thayers Blemish Clearing Cleanser for oily skin
Salicylic Acid
Witch Hazel
LemongrassAverage
- 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 suitability for oily skin due to salicylic acid and witch hazel, which help manage oiliness and blemishes by exfoliating and providing astringent properties.
- Lemongrass offers general cleansing benefits for oily skin, but the formula lacks specialized ingredients to effectively address oily shine.
- The product is safe for your oily 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 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
★4.5Overall rating based on 900+ reviewsUsers frequently report that this cleanser effectively manages acne and blemishes, clearing breakouts without causing dryness or tightness, making it suitable for sensitive and dry skin types. Some users note a strong lemon scent, and a few mention issues with packaging and the small size of the product.
Highlights
Effective acne clearing Often Mentioned
- “Clears acne and helps prevent new breakouts.”
- “Keeps my acne calm, face clear.”
- “Helped the swelling and reduced the size of the cyst.”
- “Started clearing up my face after just one wash.”
Gentle on skin Often Mentioned
- “Gentle for my sensitive skin.”
- “Doesn't bother my skin or make me feel dry.”
- “Easy on my skin.”
- “Doesn't leave skin feeling dry and tight.”
Lightweight texture Sometimes Noted
- “Very lightweight and easy to rinse off.”
- “Creamy gel formula.”
- “Does not leave an oily feeling.”
- “Easy to rinse away.”
Non-drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “Doesn't dry my skin out.”
- “Leaves my skin feeling clean and moisturized.”
- “Doesn't cause a lot of dryness.”
- “Leaves skin feeling soothed and hydrated.”
Strong lemon scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smells similar to a household cleaner.”
- “I just have a sensitive nose.”
- “The lemon scent... smells like a household cleaner.”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Need to be cautious when squeezing the package.”
- “A lot runs out of it quite quickly.”
Small tube size Rarely Noted
- “Very small tube for the price.”
- “I wish there was more product.”
Sources: lovi.care, mynavyexchange.com, iherb.com, walgreens.com, thayers.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does THAYERS Blemish Clearing Cleanser work for oily skin?
THAYERS Blemish Clearing Cleanser is an average fit for oily skin because salicylic acid and witch hazel help manage oil and blemishes, though it lacks specialized ingredients to control shiny skin. A cleanser for oily skin needs ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or glycerin to manage oily shine and maintain moisture balance without causing irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?
Salicylic acid and witch hazel make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin by helping manage oiliness and blemishes. To truly master oily shine and support skin health, an oily cleanser needs effective ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or glycerin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?
Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
What does Witch Hazel do for oily skin?
Witch Hazel helps calm irritated skin and may reduce redness and swelling. It is unlikely to cause irritation and is generally well tolerated by sensitive skin types.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser fits into your morning and evening routine as the first or second step, helping manage oiliness and blemishes with salicylic acid and witch hazel. It is safe for your oily skin with no risk of harsh irritation, though this skin type also needs specialized ingredients to effectively control oily shine.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol safely, as it is unlikely to cause irritation. Use the cleanser first to clear your skin, and follow with your retinol treatment once your skin is dry.
How often should I use it?
You can use this cleanser as part of your morning and evening routine for oily skin. It is safe and unlikely to cause irritation, though an oily skin routine also needs specialized ingredients to effectively control shine.
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 salicylic acid and witch hazel to help manage oil and blemishes safely. However, because it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively control oily shine, oily skin often needs extra mattifying minerals and oil-absorbing clays.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser is safe for the body, but it is best to avoid the thin skin around the eyes where the skin is much thinner and more delicate. It is unlikely to irritate your skin, though an oily skin routine also needs specialized ingredients to effectively control oily shine.
What the research says
Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023A 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, 2020Cryotherapy 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, 2010Treatment 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, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010A Hamamelis virginiana leaf extract increased LOXL1 expression twofold, decreased elafin synthesis, restored functional elastic fibers, reduced nonfunctional elastin aggregates, decreased wrinkles, and improved skin firmness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Hamamelis bark proanthocyanidins strongly increased the proliferation of cultured human keratinocytes and reduced transepidermal water loss and erythema formation in SLS-irritated skin, whereas the polysaccharide fraction had no effect.
Phytochemistry, 2001Witch hazel bark extract and hamamelitannin showed pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, supported keratinocyte migration in a wound healing assay, and inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth, whereas their skin microbiota metabolite ellagic acid stimulated inflammatory mediator release.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2025A topical emulgel formulation containing lemongrass essential oil and olive oil showed good stability, a moderate SPF value of 5.5, and significant improvements in cooling effect, odor, smoothness, and moisture in 20 volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2021Lemongrass essential oil treatment demonstrated similar efficacy to chlorhexidine and doxycycline in treating periodontitis, gingivitis, and oral malodour, while also showing potential for treating pityriasis versicolor, preventing skin aging, and providing anti-dandruff effects.
Pharmaceuticals, 2024Lemon grass essential oil demonstrated in vitro antifungal activity against pathogenic yeasts and filamentous fungi alongside in vivo topical and oral anti-inflammatory effects in animal models.
The Libyan Journal of Medicine, 2014
Why other cleansers fit oily skin better
A 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, 2024
Ingredients
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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