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Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash for oily skin

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

Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash

High

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for oily skin; a few cleansers fit it even 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

  • Highly suitable for your oily skin, the salicylic acid and melaleuca alternifolia tree oil work to exfoliate and decongest pores, addressing your concerns about oily shine.
  • The formula is safe for your skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and is designed to avoid irritation.
  • While effective for general cleansing and pore decongestion, the formulation does not offer specialized treatments for managing excessive oily shine.

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

★4.7Overall rating based on 3.6k+ reviews

This foaming wash is widely praised for effectively clearing hormonal and teenage acne on both the face and body without stripping the skin of moisture. While most users find it gentle and refreshing, a minority experience dryness or irritation, and some note a "purging" phase before seeing results. This summary is based on a very large amount of data and should definitely be taken into account.

Highlights

  • Clears acne Mostly Mentioned
    • “helped keep oil under control”
    • “3 pimples went away overnight”
    • “cleared my hormonal acne”
    • “great for teenage acne”
  • Gentle and non-drying Often Mentioned
    • “doesn't strip my skin”
    • “gentle enough for sensitive skin”
    • “face feels clean not dry”
    • “balanced cleanser”
  • Improves texture Sometimes Noted
    • “brightened my skin”
    • “skin looks healthier”
    • “less oily throughout the day”
    • “smooths texture”
  • Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
    • “smells nice and fresh”
    • “love the scent”
    • “smells like orange peel”
    • “refreshing botanical smell”
  • Versatile for body Sometimes Noted
    • “helped tremendously with body acne”
    • “use on face, back, neck”
    • “cleared my back breakouts”
    • “great for chest acne”
  • Price point Sometimes Noted
    • “pricey but worth it”
    • “expensive for a face wash”
    • “wish it was cheaper”
    • “good but costly”
  • Can be drying Rarely Noted
    • “makes your skin really dry”
    • “left my face feeling tight”
    • “too drying for me”
    • “caused flaky skin”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “do not travel with this it leaks”
    • “bottle cap does not pop open”
    • “packaging arrived damaged”
    • “leaked in my bag”
  • Purging period Rarely Noted
    • “skin may experience purging”
    • “caused initial breakout”
    • “had to wait for purge to end”
    • “worse before better”
  • Skin irritation Rarely Noted
    • “turning red around nose”
    • “caused burning sensation”
    • “irritated my sensitive skin”
    • “skin became inflamed”

Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, sephora.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, adorebeauty.com.au, and more

Questions and answers

What makes Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash a great fit for oily skin?

This cleanser is a great fit for oily skin because salicylic acid and tea tree oil help clear out pores and manage oily shine. The gentle formula avoids harsh ingredients to keep your skin safe from irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?

Salicylic acid and melaleuca alternifolia tree oil work to exfoliate and decongest pores, helping to address concerns about oily shine. The formula also avoids harsh ingredients to keep your skin safe and comfortable.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?

Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019

What does Tea Tree Oil do for oily skin?

Tea tree oil helps calm oily skin and clear up breakouts by reducing acne lesions and targeting the bacteria that cause blemishes. Products of this type need clarifying and oil-balancing ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to help keep pores clean and skin looking smooth.

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 2022

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?

This cleanser goes in the morning and evening routine for oily skin. It helps clear away oil and is unlikely to irritate because it lacks harsh ingredients.

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

You can use this cleanser in your routine alongside retinol, but because both can dry out your skin, it is best to use them at different times of day or monitor closely for irritation. Using a gentle cleanser helps clear pores while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.

How often should I use this cleanser?

This cleanser is a great fit for your oily skin, and using it daily helps clear out pores and manage oily shine without causing irritation. Salicylic acid-based cleansers are generally well tolerated when added to your routine.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?

This cleanser is a great fit for oily skin and helps clear out pores using salicylic acid and tea tree oil. It is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts, though a mild purging period is possible when you first start using it.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?

This cleanser can be used on your body, but it is best to avoid the very thin skin directly around your eyes. The skin on the body is much thicker than the delicate eyelid area, making it better suited for foaming washes with exfoliating ingredients.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

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, 2024

  • The 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, 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

  • Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.

    Experimental Dermatology, 2015

  • Lavandula angustifolia leaf callus extract enhanced skin cell viability, reduced oxidative stress and melanin content, improved wound healing, and enhanced skin barrier function in human skin cells and clinical tests.

    Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2025

  • 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

  • A 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, 2018

  • Tea tree oil nanoemulsion containing adapalene gel demonstrated significantly greater reductions in total, inflammatory, and non-inflammatory acne lesions as well as acne severity index compared to adapalene marketed gel in 100 patients with acne vulgaris over 12 weeks.

    Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022

  • Topical 5% tea tree oil gel significantly improved total acne lesions and acne severity index compared to placebo in 60 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris, showing 3.55 times and 5.75 times greater efficacy respectively.

    Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007

  • A novel D-limonene and Gelucire 44/12 based microemulsion formulated with Labrasol and Labrafil M 1944 CS showed high stability, optical transparency, nanometric globule size, and a safe in vivo skin profile on mice ear skin.

    Advanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2021

  • Polysaccharide-based O/W emulsions incorporated with lavender essential oil applied to cellulosic support are non-irritating, provide softness and moisturizing effects, and are safe for topical patch applications.

    International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021

  • Gellan gum hydrogel films co-encapsulating ofloxacin with tea tree or lavender oil achieved 98% wound contraction and completely healed epidermis in rats after ten days of treatment compared to baseline.

    International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021

  • Topical application of lavender oil significantly promoted wound contraction, collagen synthesis, and fibroblast differentiation with up-regulation of TGF-beta in a rat model compared to control.

    BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016

  • Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.

    Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015

  • Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.

    Advanced Science, 2025

  • Topical application of Glycyrrhiza glabra and Sophora japonica flavonoid-rich fractions individually and in combination significantly increased the wound healing rate and reduced oxidative stress compared to wound and Nolaver-treated groups.

    Molecules, 2023

Ingredients

Salicylic Acid, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Acrylates Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Polysorbate-20, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil Lavender Oil, Oleanolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Rhizome Licorice Root Extract Rhizome, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, 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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How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play