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Shiseido Complete Cleansing Microfoam for oily acne-prone skin

Shiseido Complete Cleansing Microfoam

Low

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • ConcerningSafety

A weak match for oily acne-prone skin; the cleansers 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

Lovi Assistant explains

  • Offers moderate cleansing for your oily skin with Witch Hazel Leaf Extract to control sebum and Glycerin for hydration, but lacks specialized ingredients to target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
  • The formula is safe for your oily skin, as it avoids harsh ingredients and potential irritants, ensuring a gentle cleansing experience.

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

★4.7Overall rating based on 300+ reviews

This cleanser is highly praised for its dense, luxurious foam that effectively removes light makeup and impurities without stripping the skin. Most users report that it leaves their skin feeling soft and hydrated. However, some users find it requires a second cleanse for heavy or waterproof makeup.

Highlights

  • Hydrating and gentle Mostly Mentioned
    • “leaves skin feeling smooth and hydrated”
    • “doesn't strip away essential moisture”
    • “skin feels soft... not tight”
  • Effective for daily use Often Mentioned
    • “gentle but does its job”
    • “removes makeup and impurities at once”
    • “great for sensitive skin”
  • Luxurious foam texture Often Mentioned
    • “dense, creamy lather”
    • “rich lather that lasted”
    • “airy foam feels lightweight”
  • Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
    • “smells like a high-end spa”
    • “subtle, clean scent”
    • “smell is light and amazing”
  • High price point Sometimes Noted
    • “not worth the heavy price tag”
    • “product is unbelievable... but expensive”
    • “too pricey”
  • Struggles with makeup Sometimes Noted
    • “doesn't remove all of my eye makeup”
    • “too gentle to remove even sunscreen”
    • “doesn't remove waterproof lipstick”
  • Oily residue Rarely Noted
    • “left my face feeling oily”
    • “waxy feel to your face”
    • “oily after-feel”
  • Scent sensitivity Rarely Noted
    • “strong fragrance”
    • “irritated my hands”
    • “scent... adds to experience”

Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, macys.com, influenster.com, shiseido.com, and more

Questions and answers

Why is Shiseido Complete Cleansing Microfoam a weak match for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser is a weak match because, although it gently washes oily skin and adds hydration with glycerin, it lacks specialized ingredients to target acne and breakouts. Cleansers that fit this skin well need powerful ingredients to clear blemishes and control oil.

Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser is a weak match for your oily acne-prone skin because it lacks specialized ingredients to target breakouts and blemishes, even though it provides gentle cleansing and hydration. Oily acne-prone skin needs cleansers with powerful blemish-targeting ingredients, strong oil control, and exfoliation to maintain a clear complexion.

What does Glycerin do for oily acne-prone skin?

Glycerin helps keep oily acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It draws moisture into the skin while supporting the skin barrier so it stays soft and balanced.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

What does Sodium Laureth Sulfate do for oily acne-prone skin?

Sodium laureth sulfate helps clean away excess oil, but it may dry out the skin and disrupt its natural protective barrier. This type of ingredient tends to cause irritation, so oily and acne-prone skin needs a cleanser formulated with much milder detergents, soothing moisture-boosting ingredients, and a skin-friendly pH that protects the barrier while it cleans.

International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2026

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser fits into your morning routine and your evening makeup-removal step for oily acne-prone skin. Because it is a weak match for your breakouts, an oily skin routine also needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to target blemishes and keep pores clear.

Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cleanser in your routine with retinol, applying the cleanser first to wash your face and following it with your retinol treatment once your skin is dry. This cleanser is unlikely to irritate your skin, but because it is a weak match for breakouts, an oily acne-prone skin type needs a cleanser with specialized blemish-targeting ingredients to properly manage acne.

How often should I use this cleanser?

This cleanser is safe to use every morning and evening as part of your daily routine. A cleanser of this type for your oily acne-prone skin needs ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to help clear blemishes and prevent breakouts.

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores because its formula is gentle and avoids harsh irritants, but it lacks the specialized ingredients needed to actively target and clear acne.

Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?

You can use this cleanser on your body and around the eyes because its gentle formula avoids harsh irritants and is safe for thin areas. A cleanser for this skin needs soothing ingredients and gentle cleansing agents to keep it comfortable without causing irritation.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It contains fragrance (parfum and linalool) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).

What the research says

  • A 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, 2017
  • The 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, 2020
  • Ten 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, 2001
  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
  • Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) treatment decreases lipid membrane chain conformational order and stiffness leading to increased water sorption and diffusivity, whereas sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) treatment increases lipid membrane conformational order and stiffness with increased water sorption capacity driven by its hygroscopic nature.

    Langmuir, 2014
  • A 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, 2018
  • Hamamelis 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, 2001
  • Witch 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, 2025
  • Bacterial cellulose wound dressing containing silk sericin and PHMB improved wound quality and reduced pain compared to Bactigras in patients with split-thickness skin graft donor-site wounds.

    Archives of Dermatological Research, 2018
  • A bacterial nanocellulose wound dressing incorporating polyhexamethylene biguanide and sericin showed no skin irritation in healthy volunteers and significantly promoted wound healing with lower wound size and higher collagen formation in full-thickness rat wounds compared to controls.

    Archives of Dermatological Research, 2016
  • Topical application of sericin gels increased skin intrinsic moisturization, hydroxyproline content, and epidermal hydration while decreasing transepidermal water loss and skin impedance in healthy human volunteers.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2005

Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Peg-8 Glyceryl Isostearate, Peg Ppg-14 7 Dimethyl Ether, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta, Bht, Linalool, Rice Germ Oil, Tocopherol, Witch Hazel Leaf Extract, Betaine, Hydrolyzed Silk

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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