Prequel GLEANSER NON-DRYING GLYCERIN CLEANSER FOR FACE AND BODY for oily acne-prone skin
Glycerin
Inulin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Dihydroxypropyl Arginine Hcl
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other 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 cleansing for your oily skin due to cocamidopropyl betaine and disodium cocoamphodiacetate, providing hydration with glycerin and aloe barbadensis leaf juice, though these ingredients do not specifically target acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- While the humectant action of glycerin offers some benefit for oily skin, the formula lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsThe thick jelly texture is often described as luxurious and hydrating. Some users, however, report difficulty rinsing the product completely, leading to a residual film.
Highlights
Extremely hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels moisturized”
- “never tight or dry”
- “leaves face soft”
- “bouncy post-wash feel”
Great value Often Mentioned
- “huge bottle size”
- “unbeatable price point”
- “lasts for months”
- “economical for body use”
Soothing for sensitivity Often Mentioned
- “no stinging”
- “reduced redness significantly”
Luxurious texture Sometimes Noted
- “thick jelly consistency”
- “cushiony feel”
- “rich lather”
- “glides over skin”
Leaves residue Sometimes Noted
- “hard to rinse”
- “leaves a film”
- “feels slimy”
- “slippery after-feel”
Breakouts/reactions Rarely Noted
- “caused tiny bumps”
- “triggered acne flare”
- “burning sensation”
- “clogged my pores”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pump arrived broken”
- “leaks in transit”
- “messy dispenser”
- “pump stops working”
Texture dislike Rarely Noted
- “too thick/gooey”
- “hard to spread”
- “feels like glue”
- “requires mixing with water”
Sources: lovi.care, prequel-skin.com, target.com, reddit.com, byrdie.com, nymag.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Prequel Gleanser work for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser provides moderate cleaning and hydration for oily skin, but it lacks specific ingredients to target breakouts and control excess oil. Oily acne-prone skin needs a cleanser with ingredients like niacinamide, salicylic acid, probiotics, and ceramides to balance oil and manage blemishes without irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin, inulin, aloe vera, and oat flour help clean and hydrate your oily skin safely, but this formula lacks specific ingredients for breakouts. Cleansers of this type work best for this skin when they include niacinamide, ceramides, salicylic acid, and probiotics to balance oil and clear blemishes.
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 Inulin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Inulin acts as a prebiotic that helps nourish good gut and skin bacteria, which may support clearer skin and reduce breakouts. This type of ingredient helps balance oily, acne-prone skin by supporting immune responses and calming inflammation.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes in the morning and evening routine, before a hydrating toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen or treatments. It washes your skin gently while adding moisture with glycerin and aloe, but oily acne-prone skin needs ingredients that help control oil and target breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in your routine before applying your retinol treatment because it is safe and unlikely to cause irritation. Oily acne-prone skin needs a cleanser that also includes ingredients for oil control and blemishes to get the best results.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It is safe for your oily skin and unlikely to cause irritation, but because it lacks ingredients for oil control, oily acne-prone skin needs a cleanser that also includes targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing actives.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores for oily acne-prone skin, as it has a safe formula without harsh ingredients that typically cause irritation. However, because it lacks specific blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-control components, this skin type needs extra salicylic acid or niacinamide to properly manage excess oil and breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser both around the eyes and on your body because its gentle surfactants and ingredients like glycerin and aloe vera provide safe, non-irritating cleansing and hydration for thin and body skin alike.
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, 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, 2001Niacinamide/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, 2012A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010A repair cream containing Rhealba oat plantlets extract, l-ALA-l-GLU dipeptide, and hyaluronic acid provided immediate relief and was judged by doctors as good or very good in 96.8% of cases for wound healing in 2,363 patients following dermatological acts.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2018Topically applied Avena sativa and Avena Rhealba oatmeal extracts significantly reduced skin irritation parameters including a* parameter increase and blood flow increase compared to vehicle in 12 healthy individuals subjected to the sodium lauryl sulfate irritation model.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2002Colloidal oat extracts diminished pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro and colloidal oat lotion improved skin dryness, scaling, roughness, and itch intensity in healthy female subjects compared to baseline.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015
Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Ingredients
Glycerin, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, Inulin, Dihydroxypropyl Arginine Hcl, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Glyceryl Glucoside, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide
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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