Murad Daily Clarifying Peel for oily acne-prone skin
Glycolic Acid
Salicylic Acid
Retinyl Propionate
Allantoin
Witch Hazel WaterSuperior
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- SuperiorEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best products for oily acne-prone skin.
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
- Excellent suitability for your oily skin is provided by glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which effectively regulate sebum and exfoliate to clear pores and smooth texture, addressing your concerns with acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- Allantoin and urea offer soothing benefits, while ingredients like Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract and Corallina Officinalis Extract further support skin clarity and balance for your oily skin.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of beneficial components.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant as part of your PM routine once a week to start, increasing frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but before your final moisturizer step.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product directly onto clean, dry skin for the best results against breakouts.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and always use a daily SPF since exfoliating makes skin more sensitive to the sun.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsThis bi-phase peel is highly praised by users with oily, combination, and acne-prone skin for its effective blend of AHAs, BHAs, and retinoids that smooth texture and minimize pores. Most users find the formula surprisingly gentle and hydrating, noting significant improvements in congestion and breakout frequency with consistent use.
Highlights
Improves texture Mostly Mentioned
- “Skin feels much smoother”
- “Noticed a difference in texture”
- “Skin looks more refined.”
Gentle, non-stripping Often Mentioned
- “Doesn't dry my skin”
- “Surprisingly gentle formula”
- “No irritation or burning.”
Reduces breakouts Often Mentioned
- “Helped reduce daily breakouts”
- “Keeps congestion at bay”
- “Cleared up my acne.”
Minimizes pores Sometimes Noted
- “Pores look tighter”
- “Visibly improved pore size”
- “Clarifies congested pores.”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “Expensive for the size”
- “High price point”
- “Not a budget option.”
Ineffective for some Rarely Noted
- “Didn't work for me”
- “No visible difference”
- “Hormonal acne persisted.”
Initial burning Rarely Noted
- “Reported a burning sensation”
- “Stings upon application”
- “Too harsh for me.”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Easy to spill”
- “Bottle design is messy”
- “Hard to dispense.”
Sources: lovi.care, murad.com, sephora.com.au, healthline.com, reallyree.com, adorebeauty.com.au, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Murad Daily Clarifying Peel one of the best fits for oily acne-prone skin?
Murad Daily Clarifying Peel is a great fit for your oily, acne-prone skin because glycolic acid and salicylic acid help regulate oil and clear pores to smooth your skin texture. Allantoin and urea help soothe your skin while supporting clarity and balance, and the formula is safe without harsh ingredients that might cause irritation.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycolic acid and salicylic acid make this exfoliant a great fit by helping regulate oil and clear pores to smooth texture and reduce breakouts. Allantoin and urea add soothing benefits while helping keep your oily skin balanced and clear.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
What does Glycolic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycolic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing pimples and soothing breakouts. It exfoliates the surface to keep pores clear and leaves the skin feeling smooth.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Dermatologic Surgery, 2014
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear breakouts and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing oil levels and calming inflammation. It is well suited for oily, acne-prone skin because it targets pimples while helping keep the skin hydrated and protected.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant goes in your evening routine, starting at once a week so you can see how your skin tolerates it before using it more often. It helps clear pores and smooth texture by regulating oil, with soothing ingredients that keep your skin calm and balanced.
Can I use this exfoliant with benzoyl peroxide, and in what order?
It is best to use this exfoliant on separate nights from benzoyl peroxide or to alternate them to help prevent excessive dryness and irritation on oily, acne-prone skin. Using active treatments at different times allows ingredients like glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide to clear pores and smooth texture safely without overwhelming your skin.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start using this exfoliant treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin feels fine and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. Glycolic acid and salicylic acid help regulate oil and clear pores, while allantoin and urea calm your skin to keep it comfortable.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2003Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, because glycolic acid and salicylic acid clear pores and smooth texture while allantoin and urea soothe your skin. It is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
What the research says
A 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, 2020Twice 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, 2023Chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol nanofibrous dressings containing 3% Corallina officinalis extract exhibited bead-free morphology, enhanced mechanical strength, strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and excellent biocompatibility for skin cell survival and proliferation.
Journal of Biomaterials Science. Polymer Edition, 2026Glycolic 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, 2019Repeated 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, 2017Cryotherapy 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, 2010Over-the-counter retinol products provided only weak evidence for a mild ameliorating effect on fine facial skin wrinkle lines in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials, and major methodological flaws call the validity of positive results into question.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010A novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to 0.02% tretinoin and reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing in female adults while causing less skin irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Topical 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 Hamamelis virginiana leaf extract increased LOXL1 expression twofold, decreased elafin synthesis, restored functional elastic fibers, reduced nonfunctional elastin aggregates, decreased wrinkles, and improved skin firmness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Hamamelis bark proanthocyanidins strongly increased the proliferation of cultured human keratinocytes and reduced transepidermal water loss and erythema formation in SLS-irritated skin, whereas the polysaccharide fraction had no effect.
Phytochemistry, 2001Witch hazel bark extract and hamamelitannin showed pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, supported keratinocyte migration in a wound healing assay, and inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth, whereas their skin microbiota metabolite ellagic acid stimulated inflammatory mediator release.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Dimethicone, Witch Hazel Water, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Butyl Avocadate, Butylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Retinyl Propionate, Allantoin, Zinc Gluconate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Jojoba Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Leaf Extract Flower, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Bht, Betaine, Inositol, Taurine, Trehalose, Tocopherol, Salicylic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Parfum, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium Edta, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
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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Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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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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