Dermalogica Exfoliant Accelerator 35 for dry sensitive skin

Superior
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best products for dry sensitive skin.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2016
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 excellent exfoliation for your dry and sensitive skin, as lactic acid and protease work synergistically to smooth texture and promote renewal without irritation. Glycerin and galactoarabinan provide essential hydration, complementing the keratolytic action of lactic acid to maintain comfortable, moisturized skin.
- The inclusion of Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract further soothes the skin, making it highly compatible with your dry and sensitive skin type.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no harsh ingredients and a focus on soothing components that prevent irritation.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliant PM once a week to help with dryness. Start ⏳3 times a week only if your sensitive skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but always before your favorite moisturizer .
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and avoid any rubbing. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before layering.
- Since your skin is reactive and sensitive, apply the exfoliant on completely dry skin for better tolerance.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area .
People Say
★1.0Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsThis summary is based on limited data. The product is a professional-grade chemical exfoliant designed for trained skin therapists. While it is noted for effective resurfacing and potent ingredients that accelerate cell renewal, its use is strictly limited to professionals due to a very high risk of severe irritation or injury for untrained consumers. There are also some reports of shipping and handling issues.
Highlights
Professional use only Mostly Mentioned
- “This product is for professional use only and not intended for consumer retail.”
- “Use of this product by untrained, unlicensed persons may result in extreme skin irritation.”
- “Do not leave client unattended.”
Effective resurfacing Often Mentioned
- “Delivers fast-acting resurfacing for uneven, thick, or sun-damaged skin.”
- “Helps stimulate cell renewal and cell turnover rates.”
- “Visibly refine surface tone and improve clarity.”
Potent ingredients Often Mentioned
- “Contains skin smoothing ingredients including Lactic Acid, peptides and enzymes.”
- “Low pH (3.2) concentrate in a Chamomile Extract base.”
- “Papaya enzymes and willow bark support gentle enzymatic and chemical exfoliation.”
Risk of irritation Often Mentioned
- “Slight tingling, mild itching or some temporary skin redness are normal reactions.”
- “Remove immediately if client experiences discomfort, or irritation is severe.”
- “Do not use if skin is sensitive, sunburned.”
Professional customization Sometimes Noted
- “Allows for customization of professional resurfacing.”
- “Accelerates the activity and exfoliation efficacy of select Dermalogica professional exfoliants.”
- “Can be added to professional chemical exfoliation services to enhance overall results.”
Shipping issues Rarely Noted
- “The condition in which this item arrived it was not [acceptable]!”
- “Not a good representative of brand!”
- “Package was damaged in shipment.”
Sources: lovi.care, dermalogicathebook.com, saloncentric.com, skinmedix.com, ecosmetics.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Dermalogica Exfoliant Accelerator 35 one of the best fits for dry sensitive skin?
Dermalogica Exfoliant Accelerator 35 is an exceptional fit for dry sensitive skin because lactic acid and enzymes smooth texture and renew skin without irritation, while glycerin provides essential hydration to keep your skin comfortable and moisturized. Chamomilla flower extract further calms the skin, and the formula has a very safe profile with soothing ingredients that help prevent redness.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Lactic acid and protease smooth your dry and sensitive skin texture and help renewal without irritation, while glycerin provides essential hydration to keep your skin comfortable and moisturized. Chamomilla recutita flower extract further calms the skin, and the formula has an excellent safety profile without harsh ingredients to prevent irritation.
What does Lactic Acid do for dry sensitive skin?
Lactic acid helps hydrate dry skin, but for sensitive skin it may cause stinging and irritation unless it is formulated with soothing ingredients like colloidal oat or tangerine fruit extract to calm discomfort.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2021
What do Peptides do for dry sensitive skin?
Peptides help hydrate dry sensitive skin while smoothing the look of fine lines and keeping the surface calm. They may also improve skin elasticity, though some types need enhanced delivery systems to deeply penetrate the skin barrier.
Advanced Science, 2025International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This exfoliant goes into your evening routine as a treatment step, used once a week to start. It helps smooth texture and encourage renewal without irritation, and you may slowly use it more often if your skin tolerates it well.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
It is best not to use this exfoliant on the same night as retinol, as combining them may easily irritate dry and sensitive skin. Instead, alternate nights or use the exfoliant in your morning routine and retinol at night to keep your skin smooth and calm.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start using this exfoliant once a week in the evening, and if your skin feels comfortable and tolerates it well, you may carefully use it more often. Its gentle formula helps smooth texture while keeping your skin calm and moisturized without irritation.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry and sensitive skin. Lactic acid and enzymes help clear away dead skin cells to keep your skin smooth, while soothing chamomile extract helps prevent irritation.
Is this exfoliant 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, 2017Apigenin 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, 2016Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Topical 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, 2011Topical chamomile reduces the incidence and delays the occurrence of phlebitis due to amiodarone infusion in coronary care patients compared to a placebo of lanoline.
Journal of Integrative Medicine, 2017Topical papain treatment may slightly decrease pain within 30 minutes in humans stung by Chrysaora chinensis compared to placebo.
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2016A fixed combination of hydroxypinacolone retinoate, retinol glycospheres, and papain glycospheres in aqueous gel applied once daily for 12 weeks achieved a 41% mean reduction in GAGS score and a 40.8% mean reduction in total lesions, with 15.3% of patients experiencing mild to moderate local side effects, in 94 evaluable patients with comedonal-papular, mild to moderate acne of the face.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Reflux extraction of Carica papaya leaves yielded higher antioxidant capacity and superior in vitro wound-healing activities including fibroblast proliferation, cell migration, and collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts compared to ultrasonic-assisted extraction and agitation.
Molecules, 2020
Ingredients
Lactic Acid, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Lactate, Hydroxypropyl Phosphate Starch, Sodium Hydroxide, Galactoarabinan, Ethoxydiglycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Willow Bark Extract, Lecithin, Protease, Aminopeptidase, Bacillus Ferment, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate, Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
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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