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Clinique Clarifying Do-Over Peel for oily acne-prone skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Clinique Clarifying Do-Over Peel

Superior

  • 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 and acne, blemishes, and breakouts due to the high concentrations of glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid, which effectively exfoliate and decongest pores. Alcohol denat further aids in seboregulation, complementing the keratolytic actions of these acids.
  • Witch hazel extract provides soothing benefits, ensuring comfort during the exfoliation process, while Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract and yeast extract offer additional hydration and skin-renewing properties.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing 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

★4.1Overall rating based on 100+ reviews

Based on limited data, users frequently report that this leave-on peel effectively smooths skin texture, boosts radiance, and helps clear pores, making it a popular choice for those looking to refine their complexion. While many find it gentle and transformative, some users with sensitive skin or those sensitive to scent note concerns regarding its alcohol content and potential for irritation.

Highlights

  • Smoother skin texture Mostly Mentioned
    • “Leaves my skin so smooth”
    • “Noticed a difference in texture right away”
    • “Skin feels soft and smooth”
  • Boosts radiance Often Mentioned
    • “Wake up to more radiant-looking skin”
    • “My skin really glows”
    • “Radiance definitely improved”
  • Clears pores Sometimes Noted
    • “Clears pores of blackheads”
    • “Pores appear less noticeable”
    • “Helps with congestion”
  • Easy to use Sometimes Noted
    • “Goes on smoothly and easily”
    • “Convenience of this leave-on formula”
    • “Doesn't require any extra steps”
  • Potential irritation Sometimes Noted
    • “Found that I had to discontinue”
    • “Be mindful of the tingling”
    • “Compromised my skin barrier”
  • Strong alcohol scent Sometimes Noted
    • “It reeks of alcohol”
    • “Smells like alcohol”
    • “Akin to nail polish remover”
  • Price point Rarely Noted
    • “Product is a little pricey”
    • “Price might be a barrier”
  • Too gentle Rarely Noted
    • “Too gentle of a peel”
    • “Saw and felt no noticeable results”

Sources: lovi.care, clinique.com, sephora.me, sephora.com.au, ulta.com, macys.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes Clinique Clarifying Do-Over Peel one of the best fits for oily acne-prone skin?

This product is an excellent fit because its blend of glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid effectively exfoliates the surface and deeply clears out pores on oily skin. Alcohol denat helps control excess oil, while witch hazel extract and yeast extract soothe and hydrate to keep the skin comfortable and balanced during treatment.

Dermatology and Therapy, 2023BioMed Research International, 2020

Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?

Glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid make this exfoliant a great fit by clearing out clogged pores, while witch hazel extract helps keep your skin feeling calm and comfortable.

Dermatology and Therapy, 2023BioMed Research International, 2020

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 Lactic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?

Lactic acid helps oily acne-prone skin by gently clearing pores and reducing breakouts, which supports a smoother and clearer face. Using appropriate cosmetic acids helps calm red bumps and works well alongside acne treatments.

Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift Fur Dermatologie, Venerologie, und Verwandte Gebiete, 2010Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023

Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This exfoliant treatment goes in your evening routine once a week to start, after cleansing and before moisturizing. It is an excellent fit for your oily skin and blemishes because glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid effectively clear out pores while witch hazel extract keeps your skin comfortable.

Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?

It is best to use this exfoliant on nights when you do not apply retinol, as alternating them helps prevent dryness and irritation on oily skin. When you do use both in the same week, apply the exfoliant first on clean skin, let it absorb, and then follow with your retinol and moisturizer.

How often should I use this exfoliant?

Start using this exfoliant treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your oily acne-prone skin handles it well and shows good results, you can carefully use it more often. This approach helps clear clogged pores and smooth your skin while keeping irritation very unlikely.

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 cause breakouts or clog pores on oily skin because it contains high concentrations of glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids that effectively clear out pores and manage oil. Witch hazel and yeast extracts also provide soothing and balancing benefits to keep skin comfortable during use.

Dermatology and Therapy, 2023BioMed Research International, 2020

Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).

What the research says

  • A 30% supramolecular salicylic acid peel improved the global acne grading score and skin barrier indicators, decreased cutaneous microbiome richness and evenness along with Staphylococcus proportion, reduced inflammatory cytokines, and increased caveolin-1 expression in 28 patients with moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris.

    Dermatology and Therapy, 2023

  • 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, 2020

  • 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, 2024

  • Topical moisturizers improved skin barrier function and surface moisture, while a postbiotic moisturizer with yeast extract uniquely supported microbiome balance and modulated biomarkers of skin barrier, structure, and inflammation in participants and ex vivo explants exposed to environmental aggressors.

    Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2023

  • A novel formulation of hydroxyphenoxy propionic acid, ellagic acid, yeast extract, and salicylic acid demonstrated parity in improving pigmentation, skin tone, spot intensity, and spot size compared to standard prescription 4% hydroquinone and 0.025% tretinoin in 82 subjects, with superior tolerability.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2013

  • Repeated 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, 2000

  • Serial 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

  • Application 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, 2004

  • Topical 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, 1992

  • A 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, 2020

  • Cryotherapy 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, 2010

  • Treatment 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, 2024

  • Topical 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, 2010

  • Twice-daily application of an over-the-counter multi-acid and niacinamide serum significantly improved acne severity, inflammatory lesions, pore size, and quality of life in Japanese women with mild acne compared to baseline.

    The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025

  • A 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, 2018

  • Hamamelis 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, 2001

  • Witch 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, Alcohol Denat, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Witch Hazel Extract, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract, Lactobionic Acid, Yeast Extract, Acetyl Glucosamine, Tartaric Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Edta, Benzalkonium Chloride, 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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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QR code: get the Lovi app
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