ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser for sensitive skin
Salicylic Acid
Niacinamide
Ammonium Lactate
Glycerin
Tocopheryl AcetateHigh
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for sensitive skin; a few cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 redness and irritation, as salicylic acid and niacinamide provide mild skin benefits for your normal skin type. These ingredients work to gently decongest pores and reduce inflammation, supporting your skin's barrier repair.
- The cleansing action is excellent due to sodium laureth sulfate and salicylic acid, which help to decongest pores and exfoliate dead skin cells.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like niacinamide and tocopheryl acetate.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser in the AM and PM routines every day. Start using it daily since your sensitive skin needs gentle care.
- Apply this first in your morning and evening skincare routine before toner and moisturizer. This clears away dirt without upsetting your skin.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using soft circles. Avoid any rough rubbing to keep redness away.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it wash away impurities softly. Clean skin feels fresh and comfortable afterwards.
- Avoid getting the cleanser in your eyes and do a quick patch test before first use. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsUsers with normal to oily and acne-prone skin frequently praise this cleanser for its deep pore cleansing and oil reduction, leading to smoother skin and fewer breakouts. The formula's exfoliating beads and salicylic acid are noted for their effectiveness. Some users with drier or sensitive skin find it too aggressive, and a few mention concerns about counterfeit products when not purchased from authorized sellers. The high price point is also a recurring comment.
Highlights
Effective deep clean Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves my face feeling fresh”
- “Removes all oil and dirt”
- “Skin feels incredibly clean”
- “Best for removing makeup”
Acne & oil control Often Mentioned
- “Keeps my acne at bay”
- “Reduces surface oil”
- “Helps with cystic breakouts”
- “Unclogs my pores”
Gentle exfoliation Often Mentioned
- “Beads melt into skin”
- “Not harsh or scratchy”
- “Gentle enough for daily use”
- “Smooths texture instantly”
High efficiency Sometimes Noted
- “A pea-sized amount is enough”
- “Lasts for months”
- “Lathers up beautifully”
- “A little goes a long way”
Non-stripping formula Sometimes Noted
- “Doesn't leave skin tight”
- “Hydrating finish”
- “Soft after washing”
- “Balanced clean”
Counterfeit concerns Sometimes Noted
- “Received a fake product”
- “Consistency was watery”
- “Beads didn't dissolve”
- “Smelled different than the clinic version”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “Very expensive”
- “Pricey for a face wash”
- “Hard on the wallet”
- “A splurge item”
Drying for some Rarely Noted
- “Made my skin peel”
- “Too drying for winter”
- “Left my face tight”
- “Not for dry skin”
Scent Rarely Noted
- “Smell is too strong”
- “Perfume scent is overpowering”
- “Smells like cologne”
- “Fragrance irritated me”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, amazon.com, skinsort.com, bestviewsreviews.com, myfacedr.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes ZO Exfoliating Cleanser a great fit for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is a great fit because it gently decongests pores and reduces redness and irritation without harsh ingredients. It includes soothing components like niacinamide and tocopheryl acetate that support your skin's barrier repair and keep it calm.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for sensitive skin because it contains soothing components like niacinamide and tocopheryl acetate. These ingredients help reduce inflammation and support your skin's barrier while avoiding harsh irritants.
What does Salicylic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid may cause irritation on sensitive skin, so it requires careful use and good sun protection to keep skin comfortable. A product for this skin type needs gentle, soothing ingredients and a mild formula that respects the skin barrier.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1999International Journal of Toxicology, 2003
What does Niacinamide do for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and reducing redness and irritation. It is very well tolerated and may improve overall comfort and resilience with regular use.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, followed by a soothing toner and a moisturizing SPF in the morning, or a soothing toner, treatment, and moisturizer at night. It is safe for sensitive skin because it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like niacinamide and tocopheryl acetate.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, but to keep your skin calm, use the cleanser first and follow with your retinol product when your skin is completely dry. Because this cleanser contains exfoliating ingredients, starting slowly by using it a few times a week alongside retinol helps avoid dryness and irritation.
How often should I use this cleanser?
Start by using this cleanser once a week to see how your skin reacts, and carefully increase use if you tolerate it well and see good results. A consistent daily routine with a mild cleanser helps improve skin condition and reduces visual dryness.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for your sensitive skin because it gently clears pores and calms redness without harsh ingredients. It helps decongest skin and supports your barrier safely, though it may occasionally feel a bit drying for some users.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this cleanser on your body, but you should avoid applying it directly around the eyes as that area has much thinner skin. Salicylic acid and niacinamide help gently decongest pores while soothing components like tocopheryl acetate keep skin calm and safe from irritation.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, citronellol, hexyl cinnamal, limonene, and linalool).
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, 2023A 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, 2005Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020A 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 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, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Jojoba Esters, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Mannitol, Cellulose, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacin, Niacinamide, Caprylyl Glycol, Laureth-2, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Sulfate, Disodium Edta, Ammonium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Pca, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzoic Acid, Parfum, Chromium Hydroxide Green Ci 77289, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
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
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