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Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil for oily acne-prone skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil

Average

  • AverageOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • ExcellentSafety

Works for oily acne-prone skin; other pre-cleansers 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 suitability for your oily skin as Cetyl Ethylhexanoate and Triethylhexanoin effectively dissolve makeup and impurities, while glycerin provides humectant action to maintain hydration.
  • While it offers general cleansing benefits for your oily skin, it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts or manage oiliness.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components like tocopheryl acetate.

How to apply

  • Use this makeup remover PM as the first step of your evening routine to clear away impurities. Start by using it 3×/week before working up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply this makeup remover before your regular cleanser and toner. Follow it with your usual cleansing steps to ensure all residue is thoroughly washed away.
  • Gently press a small amount of the makeup remover onto your face using soft cotton pads. Avoid harsh rubbing to prevent irritating your blemishes and active breakouts.
  • Apply the makeup remover on completely dry skin to effectively break down excess oil and makeup. Clean away thoroughly before moving on to the next skincare steps .
  • Do a patch test before your first use to ensure your skin reacts well. Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes .

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, users with oily and acne-prone skin frequently praise this lightweight oil for dissolving stubborn waterproof makeup without clogging pores or leaving a greasy residue. While most find it non-stripping and gentle on sensitive skin, a small subset of users experienced blurred vision when removing eye makeup or minor breakouts after use.

Highlights

  • Dissolves stubborn makeup Mostly Mentioned
    • “Immediately dissolves even tenacious face makeup, oil and impurities.”
    • “Melts away waterproof mascara and long-wearing foundation effortlessly.”
    • “Removes all traces of lipstick, blush, and eye shadow with ease.”
    • “Takes off layers of sunscreen and baking powder without scrubbing.”
  • Rinses completely clean Often Mentioned
    • “Rinses off easily with water, leaving no residue behind.”
    • “Turns into a milky emulsion and washes away completely.”
    • “Leaves skin feeling super clean and not greasy at all.”
    • “No oily film left on the skin after rinsing.”
  • Gentle & non-drying Sometimes Noted
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft, never tight or dry.”
    • “Super gentle on the skin, doesn't strip moisture.”
    • “Great for sensitive skin, causes no irritation or redness.”
    • “Feels hydrating compared to other harsh cleansers.”
  • Ideal for acne-prone skin Sometimes Noted
    • “Works very well with my oily acne-prone skin.”
    • “Does not clog pores or cause breakouts.”
    • “Non-comedogenic and lightweight, perfect for congestion-prone skin.”
    • “Helps clear up my skin by removing all impurities.”
  • Causes blurry vision Sometimes Noted
    • “Leaves a cloudy film over my eyes for a few minutes.”
    • “Makes my vision blurry if it gets into my eyes.”
    • “Stings slightly and causes temporary cloudiness.”
    • “Hard to keep out of eyes when removing mascara.”
  • Chemical/plastic scent Rarely Noted
    • “Has a faint chemical smell despite being fragrance-free.”
    • “Smells a bit like plastic or old oil.”
    • “Not a pleasant scent, though it fades quickly.”
    • “Smells synthetic compared to other oils.”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “Pump dispenses too much product at once.”
    • “Bottle leaks if not kept perfectly upright during travel.”
    • “The lock on the pump is finicky and hard to use.”
    • “Wish it came in a larger size for the price.”
  • Thin/watery consistency Rarely Noted
    • “Texture is very thin and runny compared to the balm.”
    • “Runs through fingers easily, leading to product waste.”
    • “Wish it was slightly thicker so it didn't drip as much.”
    • “Feels a bit too watery for a deep massage.”

Sources: lovi.care, clinique.com, sephora.sg, ulta.com, makeupalley.com, skinsort.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Clinique Take The Day Off work for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleansing oil offers moderate suitability for oily skin, effectively dissolving makeup while glycerin helps maintain hydration without causing irritation. However, it lacks specialized ingredients to manage oiliness or target breakouts. A makeup remover for this skin type needs soothing agents like aloe, targeted oil-control ingredients, and lightweight hydrators like hyaluronic acid.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

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

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate and Triethylhexanoin make this cleanser a good fit because they effectively dissolve makeup and impurities, while glycerin helps maintain hydration. A cleanser for this skin also needs ingredients that control oil and target breakouts, such as hyaluronic acid or soothing plant extracts like aloe and chamomile.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

What does Cetyl Ethylhexanoate do for oily acne-prone skin?

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate helps soften the skin and keeps moisture locked in without leaving a heavy greasy feel. It is unlikely to clog pores, making it a comfortable choice for oily and acne-prone skin.

What does Triethylhexanoin do for oily acne-prone skin?

Triethylhexanoin helps soften and smooth oily acne-prone skin by locking in moisture without feeling heavy or greasy. Because it has a light texture, it is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts.

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

This makeup remover goes in the evening routine before your cleanser, or as a weekly first step before cleansing. It works for oily skin by dissolving makeup and impurities, but this skin type needs specialized ingredients to effectively target breakouts and manage oiliness.

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

You can use this makeup remover before your cleanser as the first step of your evening routine when applying retinol. It is unlikely to irritate your skin, but an acne-prone skin type needs specialized ingredients to actively target breakouts and manage excess oil.

How often should I use this cleanser?

You can use this makeup remover in the evening as the first step of your nighttime routine to dissolve makeup and impurities on your oily, acne-prone skin. Because this product lacks specialized ingredients to target blemishes or manage oiliness, oily acne-prone skin needs a makeup remover paired with targeted acne-fighting ingredients to properly manage breakouts.

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

This cleanser is unlikely to irritate your skin or cause breakouts, as it is very safe and gentle, but it does not actively target acne or manage excess oil. For oily acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs specialized ingredients to effectively manage blemishes and breakouts.

Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

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

  • Dermatological 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, 2021

  • Topical 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, 2025

  • Topical 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

  • A topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced air pollution-induced skin pigmentation and proinflammatory gene expression ex vivo, and improved skin aging signs in 40 healthy adult females after 90 days of daily use.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022

  • 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

Why other pre-cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better

Ingredients

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Triethylhexanoin, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Polybutene, Peg-8 Diisostearate, Peg-12 Diisostearate, Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether, Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Laurate, Bht

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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How does it fit your skin?

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QR code: get the Lovi app
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