Dr. Sam's Flawless Cleanser for combination skin
Allantoin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E
Disodium Edta
Citric AcidAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other cleansers 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 cleansing for your combination skin, as Peg-7 glyceryl cocoate and Poloxamer 188 help lift dirt and oil, while tocopheryl acetate and allantoin provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to help balance your skin.
- The formula offers general hydration and soothing with ingredients like Allantoin and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, which are supportive for your skin type.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM as part of your daily routine. Start 3×/week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your skin using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
- For the best results , apply the cleanser directly onto slightly damp skin to help lift away excess oil.
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsMost users appreciate that it leaves the skin feeling soft and hydrated. A significant portion of users find the non-foaming texture satisfying, though some users prefer a cleanser that lathers. It is also noted that the cleanser may struggle with waterproof eye makeup and can cause eye stinging for some.
Highlights
Gentle and non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves my skin soft and hydrated”
- “never feels stripped or dry”
- “skin feels calm after washing”
Effective makeup removal Often Mentioned
- “melts away my SPF”
- “removes all my foundation”
- “cleanses thoroughly in one step”
- “great for the one-minute massage”
Fragrance-free formula Often Mentioned
- “zero irritation or stinging”
- “great for fragrance sensitivity”
- “simple, clean ingredients”
Luxurious jelly texture Sometimes Noted
- “lovely thick gel texture”
- “glides over the skin”
- “feels like a spa treatment”
- “luxurious and smooth application”
Does not foam Sometimes Noted
- “miss the squeaky clean feeling”
- “feels a bit slimy”
- “hard to get used to no foam”
- “feels like washing with lotion”
Eye makeup struggle Sometimes Noted
- “stings my eyes badly”
- “doesn't remove waterproof mascara”
- “need a separate eye makeup remover”
- “cloudy vision after using”
Price point Rarely Noted
- “pricey for a face wash”
- “expensive with shipping”
- “good but not budget friendly”
- “wish it was cheaper”
Skin reactions Rarely Noted
- “caused closed comedones”
- “gave me small bumps”
- “skin didn't agree with it”
- “caused redness after use”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.co.uk, drsambunting.com, reddit.com, skinsort.com, mywomenstuff.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Dr. Sam's Flawless Cleanser work for combination skin?
Dr. Sam's Flawless Cleanser works moderately well for combination skin by lifting dirt and oil while soothing dry areas, but a cleaner of this type needs to balance oily shine and support the moisture barrier more comprehensively without leaving dry patches.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for combination skin?
Peg-7 glyceryl cocoate and Poloxamer 188 help lift dirt and oil, while tocopheryl acetate and allantoin soothe and balance your skin. A cleanser for combination skin needs ingredients that effectively manage oily shine and hydrate dry areas without causing irritation.
What does Allantoin do for combination skin?
Allantoin helps calm sensitive areas, keep skin smooth, and support healing in combination skin. It works by regulating the skin's response and helping it recover.
What does Aloe Vera do for combination skin?
Aloe vera helps keep combination skin hydrated without making it oily. It increases skin water content while supporting the skin barrier.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, right before your hydrating toner and moisturizer. A daily routine with a mild cleanser helps improve skin condition while keeping your skin calm.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by washing your face with it before applying your retinol treatment. It is unlikely to cause irritation due to the gentle formula, but combination skin generally works best with a cleanser that provides stronger barrier-supporting and hydrating ingredients.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. Combination skin works best with cleansers that balance oil while offering soothing hydration and gentle ingredients like allantoin and vitamin E.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Arzneimittel-Forschung, 1998
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is safe for your combination skin and is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts. It has a gentle formula with no harsh ingredients to upset your skin, though a cleanser for this skin type still needs to thoroughly clear oil and dirt without stripping moisture.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body and around the eyes since it is gentle and safe for regular use. To best care for combination skin, a product of this type needs mild cleansers to lift oil without stripping moisture, alongside soothing ingredients to keep skin calm and hydrated.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Vitamin E in O/W and W/O emulsions significantly increased stratum corneum hydration and enhanced water-binding capacity, with an optimum concentration of 5%.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 1998Co-encapsulation of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopheryl acetate in nanostructured lipid carrier gel formulations significantly enhanced moisture retention up to 68% and improved skin elasticity in human volunteers compared to a solution gel.
Scientific Reports, 2025Topical 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, 2016A 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, 2020An 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, 2018A 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, 2010Topical 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, 2025Dermatological 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, 2021Topical 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, 2024A 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
Why other cleansers fit combination 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, 2019Combined ascorbyl palmitate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate treatment significantly reduced facial sebum secretions in healthy female volunteers compared to a placebo control over 90 days.
Drug Research, 2017
Ingredients
Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Bht, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Poloxamer 188, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water
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.