NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR for combination skin
Salicylic Acid
Niacinamide
Glycerin
Panthenol
Citric AcidAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 combination skin, as salicylic acid and niacinamide work to reduce blemishes and even skin tone. These ingredients are beneficial for managing oiliness and pore appearance, making the product highly suitable for your skin type.
- The formula is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
- It provides excellent treatment for acne-prone skin, with moderate concentrations of salicylic acid and niacinamide that offer general skincare benefits.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, and right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏳for it to soak in.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive.
- Always do a patch test before using the serum for the first time, and avoid the eye area .
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this range for oily and blemish-prone skin is highly effective at reducing active acne and improving skin texture, with many users noting clearer pores and balanced oil production without dryness. Some users with very oily skin experienced increased shine, and a small number reported initial breakouts or had mixed feelings about the scent and consistency.
Highlights
Clears active blemishes Mostly Mentioned
- “cleared my complexion in 7 days”
- “helped settle down new spots”
- “reduced redness and inflammation”
Smoother skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels squeaky clean and soft”
- “refines pores significantly”
- “left face smooth and not stripped”
Good value for money Sometimes Noted
- “absolute steal for the price”
- “performs better than expensive options”
- “budget-friendly holy grail”
Non-drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't leave skin dry or stretched”
- “leaves a hydrating film”
- “no stinging or irritation”
Increases skin shine Rarely Noted
- “made my face slightly shiny”
- “left a hydrating film I didn't like”
- “too glowy for my oily skin”
Initial skin purging Rarely Noted
- “caused a breakout at first”
- “skin got worse before better”
- “brought spots to the surface”
Scent preferences Rarely Noted
- “smells like men's hairspray”
- “scent was too weak”
- “fragrance is a bit strong”
Sticky consistency Rarely Noted
- “consistency is sticky”
- “felt heavy on the skin”
- “gelatinous texture”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, superdrug.com, hometesterclub.com, nykaa.com, amazon.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Nivea Derma Skin Clear work for combination skin?
Nivea Derma Skin Clear works well for your combination skin, as salicylic acid and niacinamide help clear blemishes and manage oiliness without causing irritation. Treatments that fit combination skin even better need ingredients like propolis, zinc PCA, and extra balancing hydrators to keep oily areas under control while maintaining smooth, healthy skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Which ingredients make this treatment a good fit for combination skin?
Salicylic acid and niacinamide make this treatment a good fit by reducing blemishes, managing oiliness, and evening out skin tone without causing irritation. To work best for combination skin, a product of this type needs ingredients like propolis, zinc PCA, and hydrating components that regulate oil and provide balance without causing excess dryness or shine.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002
What does Salicylic Acid do for combination skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear clogged pores and balance oily areas while remaining gentle enough for dry spots on combination skin. It reduces breakouts and oiliness effectively with a low likelihood of irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.
Where does this treatment go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This treatment goes in your evening routine, as a step after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer. A product of this type works best for combination skin when it includes salicylic acid and niacinamide to help manage oiliness and reduce blemishes without causing irritation.
Can I use this treatment with retinol, and in what order?
This treatment is safe for your combination skin and is unlikely to cause irritation, but because other products fit this skin type better, a combination product for this skin needs salicylic acid and niacinamide along with soothing hydrators like glycerin and panthenol to manage oil and pores safely. When using with retinol, apply your retinol first in your evening routine and follow with this treatment, or use them on alternate nights to keep your skin calm and smooth.
How often should I use this treatment?
Start using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your combination skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often. This product needs ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide to help manage oiliness, reduce blemishes, and keep your skin clear.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can this treatment clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This treatment is unlikely to clog pores, though you may experience a low chance of initial skin purging as it clears out blemishes. It helps manage oiliness and pore appearance safely without harsh ingredients, though combination skin often benefits most from formulas that also balance dry spots with extra hydration and soothing plant extracts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024BioMed Research International, 2020
Is this treatment fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
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, 2023Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002A 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, 2010Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005A 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, 2017The 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, 2020Ten 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, 2001Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical 20% citric acid lotion increases viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycan content in sun-damaged skin compared to vehicle alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 1997
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
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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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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