Clinique For Men Face Scrub for oily skin
Salicylic Acid
Glyceryl Stearate
Methylisothiazolinone
Hexylene Glycol
Disodium Oleamido Mipa-Sulfosuccinate
Average
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other exfoliants 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 salicylic acid and silica, which help smooth texture and cleanse pores. Caramel provides a soothing effect, balancing the exfoliating action for your skin type.
- The formulation is well-suited for oily skin, as salicylic acid has keratolytic action and silica offers physical exfoliation to manage shine.
- The safety profile is good, with no harsh ingredients and the inclusion of caramel to soothe the skin, making it suitable for your oily skin without irritation risks.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant product as part of your PM routine once a week. Start slowly and build up frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb fully. Avoid any harsh rubbing to keep your skin calm.
- Apply the exfoliant directly onto completely dry skin to get the best balance and results. Clean, dry skin helps the product work evenly.
- Always avoid the delicate eye area when applying. Be sure to use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ daily while using exfoliating acids.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly effective for oily and combination skin, frequently clearing pores and preparing skin for shaving. Users often report a smoother skin texture and reduced ingrown hairs. However, some users with sensitive skin find it too harsh, and a few mention stinging from menthol or difficulty dispensing the product.
Highlights
Leaves skin smooth Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves skin feeling clean, smooth, and refreshed.”
- “Rinsed off, skin feels genuinely smoother.”
- “Leaves the skin feeling refreshed, smooth, and clean.”
- “Clears away dead skin perfectly.”
Clears pores Often Mentioned
- “Completely clears my pores and makes my skin feel so glossy and clean.”
- “Softens the look of congested pores over a few weeks of regular use.”
- “Good product... good at removing blackheads.”
- “Unclogging pores and removing dirt and oil.”
Excellent shave prep Often Mentioned
- “Excellent scrub both for making skin look fresher & for a pre shave.”
- “Game-changer for managing my coarse facial hair and prepping my skin before a shave.”
- “Few scrubs make the razor's job this much easier.”
- “Helps prepare skin for a closer, more comfortable shave.”
Reduces ingrowns Sometimes Noted
- “Noted for its ability to help with ingrown hairs.”
- “Helps reduce the likelihood of ingrown hairs.”
- “Fine rounded granules help lift beard hairs, reduce ingrown hairs.”
Harsh on skin Sometimes Noted
- “Wouldn't recommend it to someone with sensitive skin.”
- “You should know that this is a very aggressive scrub.”
- “How harsh it was exfoliating... literal scrub with no lubricant.”
- “Fast route to a stripped, tight, over-exfoliated mess.”
Hard to dispense Rarely Noted
- “Dissatisfaction with the current tube design, finding it difficult to dispense.”
- “Consistency quite thick, making it difficult to dispense from its container.”
- “I feel for the price paid, the tube should be bigger!”
Menthol stings Rarely Noted
- “Others find it stings... it is just menthol.”
- “Mixed opinions on recent formula changes, particularly regarding grit and menthol.”
- “Held back by menthol and a preservative.”
Sources: lovi.care, macys.com, sephora.sg, ulta.com, bloomingdales.com, kohls.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Clinique For Men Face Scrub work for oily skin?
This scrub is an average fit for oily skin because it offers moderate cleansing and smooths texture, though other products fit this skin type better. To work best for oily skin, a product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides to manage shine and support skin health without causing excess dryness or irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily skin?
Salicylic acid and silica help smooth texture and cleanse pores to manage shine on oily skin. To be a better fit for oily skin, this type of product needs ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or blue tansy to manage shine and support skin health without irritation.
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 Glyceryl Stearate do for oily skin?
Glyceryl Stearate helps keep oily skin soft and smooth without feeling heavy, as it is very unlikely to cause irritation or allergic reactions. This ingredient works well to condition the skin while maintaining a very safe profile in everyday skincare products.
International Journal of Toxicology, 2007International Journal of Toxicology, 2001
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This exfoliant goes into a weekly routine for oily skin, starting at once a week and used more often only if you tolerate it well. Oily skin often does better with products that provide both gentle physical scrubbing and chemical exfoliation to deeply clean pores and manage shine without causing irritation.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this scrub alongside retinol, but apply them on different days or times to prevent irritation on oily skin. Because both ingredients help clear pores and smooth texture, separating them is unlikely to cause redness or flaking.
How often should I use it?
You can use this scrub once a week to help smooth your oily skin and keep pores clean, and if your skin handles it well without irritation, you may carefully use it a bit more often. Oily skin often benefits from products that combine salicylic acid and gentle physical scrubs to manage shine and clear texture.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
It is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it contains salicylic acid and silica to help cleanse pores and smooth texture. However, an oily skin type can also benefit from lightweight, oil-free hydrators and non-irritating physical scrubs that gently manage shine without harsh ingredients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2010
Ingredients
Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Silica, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium Oleamido Mipa-Sulfosuccinate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Salicylic Acid, Stearamidoethyl Diethylamine, Butylene Glycol, Menthol, Trisodium Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Sulfate, Oleamide Mipa, Caramel, Methylisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol
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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