SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser for oily skin
Allantoin
Glycerin
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Cetyl Alcohol
Glycolic Acid
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 capryl capramidopropyl betaine and glycolic acid, which gently remove impurities and dead skin cells, though it lacks sufficient seboregulating ingredients for optimal oil control.
- While allantoin provides soothing benefits, the primary function of this cleanser is supportive rather than directly addressing oily shine.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin fresh. Always make sure to follow with a good SPF in the morning.
- Apply your cleanser as the first step in the morning or the second step in the evening before your toner.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using circular motions, then rinse well with water .
- You can apply this cleanser safely on damp skin for a refreshing and easy wash.
- Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop use if irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1000+ reviewsThis creamy, non-foaming cleanser is highly recommended for dry, sensitive, or reactive skin, effectively cleansing without stripping moisture. It is frequently noted as ideal for post-procedure care and calming irritated skin, though a moderate number of users mention it may not fully remove heavy or waterproof makeup.
Highlights
Extremely gentle Mostly Mentioned
- “doesn't dry out skin”
- “leaves face soft”
- “skin feels moisturized”
- “no tight feeling”
Ideal for sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “calms redness”
- “soothing after peels”
- “doesn't cause breakouts”
Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
- “creamy texture”
- “light orange scent”
- “smells like fresh citrus”
- “melts into skin”
Safe post-procedure Sometimes Noted
- “used after laser treatment”
- “safe after chemical peels”
- “good for traumatized skin”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “expensive for a cleanser”
- “wish it was cheaper”
- “pricey but worth it”
Struggles with makeup Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't remove waterproof eyeliner”
- “need a separate eye remover”
- “leaves mascara residue”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “stings my eyes”
- “burns if it gets in eyes”
- “irritates eye area”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pours out too fast”
- “hard to control amount”
- “waste product due to runny texture”
Sources: lovi.care, lovelyskin.com, dermstore.com, walmart.com, bestderm.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser work for oily skin?
SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser works reasonably well for oily skin by lifting away impurities and dead skin cells, though it lacks strong ingredients to control excess shine. Oily skin generally needs cleansers with ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to properly manage oil and support skin health.
Cureus, 2025Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?
This cleanser gently removes impurities and dead skin cells for your oily skin using capryl capramidopropyl betaine and glycolic acid, while allantoin helps soothe. Oily skin of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, salicylic acid, and probiotics to better manage shine and support skin health.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020
What does Allantoin do for oily skin?
Allantoin helps calm oily skin and keeps it feeling soft and smooth by supporting skin healing and keeping irritation low. This ingredient works well for skin that gets easily bothered, helping it stay comfortable and balanced.
What does Glycerin do for oily skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine as the first cleansing step, helping to gently remove impurities and dead skin cells while keeping your skin calm.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in your routine before applying retinol, as it is safe and gentle on your skin. To better manage oily shine, this type of skin needs a cleanser that includes ingredients focused on oil control.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. It gently removes impurities and dead skin cells, but oily skin often needs added ingredients that actively control shine and balance oil production.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it contains gentle ingredients that clear away impurities and dead skin cells without harsh irritation. An oily skin type typically needs stronger oil-controlling ingredients to properly manage shine.
Cureus, 2025Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but the thin skin around the eyes may need a milder product because active ingredients like glycolic acid can sometimes cause irritation in that area.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene). Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020A soap-free cleansing lotion containing cetyl alcohol and sodium cocoyl apple amino acids reduced skin surface impurities and improved skin hydration, barrier function, and skin tone in 27 healthy adult subjects over 30 days.
Cureus, 2025Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018Prophylactic application of a topical scar gel containing Allium cepae extract, allantoin, and heparin significantly improves patient-assessed scar color, stiffness, and irregularity compared to no treatment in women following a cesarean section.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2014A 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, 2001Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017
Why other cleansers fit oily skin better
A 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, 2019A 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, 2021
Ingredients
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Orange Peel Oil Oil, Limonene, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Capryl Capramidopropyl Betaine, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disodium Edta, Polyquaternium-39, Sodium Chloride, Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Trideceth-6, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.