Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser for oily acne-prone skin
Geranium Leaf
Bergamot
Rose Bud
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Average
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it better.
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
- Offers moderate cleansing for your oily skin, with Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate and Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside effectively removing impurities, while willow bark extract and citrus oils help regulate sebum production.
- While beneficial for general cleansing and oiliness, the formula lacks specific ingredients like salicylic acid to directly address your concerns with acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients and poses no risk of irritation for oily skin.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.7k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cleanser is highly praised for its ability to decongest pores and remove impurities while maintaining the skin's natural moisture barrier, making it a favorite for those with combination or sensitive skin. While most users love the botanical scent and gentle, non-stripping formula, some individuals with reactive skin may find the essential oil-based fragrance irritating.
Highlights
Non-stripping formula Mostly Mentioned
- “Doesn't dry out my skin”
- “leaves skin feeling soft”
- “cleans without that tight feeling”
Effective cleansing Often Mentioned
- “Gets everything nice and clean”
- “removes daily build-up”
- “works well for AM/PM”
Gentle on skin Often Mentioned
- “Perfect for sensitive skin”
- “doesn't cause redness”
- “feels like silk”
Pleasant scent Often Mentioned
- “Smells amazing”
- “nice rosy smell”
- “refreshing earthy smell”
Not for makeup Sometimes Noted
- “Isn't going to be your makeup remover”
- “needs an oil-based cleanser first”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “Too perfumy notes”
- “scent too strong”
- “fragrance allergen considerations”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Metal tube gets annoying”
- “crinkles on the packaging”
Unpleasant texture Rarely Noted
- “Gooey texture”
- “unpleasant to wash with”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, sephora.sg, grownalchemist.com, walmart.com, dermapproved.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does the Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser work for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser provides moderate cleaning and helps control oil with willow bark extract and citrus oils, but it lacks ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts. A cleanser for this skin type needs strong oil control and blemish-fighting ingredients along with gentle cleansing.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Willow bark extract and citrus oils help regulate sebum production for your oily skin. To be a better fit for acne-prone skin, a cleanser of this type needs powerful ingredients like salicylic acid to directly address breakouts and blemishes.
What does Geranium Leaf do for oily acne-prone skin?
Geranium Leaf helps balance oily skin and calms breakouts with its natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. These plant extracts also provide antioxidant benefits to support clearer, healthier skin.
What does Bergamot do for oily acne-prone skin?
Bergamot helps balance excess oil and may soothe irritation for acne-prone skin. However, it can make skin sensitive to sunlight, so it is best used in nighttime products or diluted formulas.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine as the main cleansing step, and it is also used in your weekly routine. It is safe for your oily skin and helps wash away dirt and oil, though an oily acne-prone skin type needs added salicylic acid or stronger breakout-fighting ingredients to target blemishes directly.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in your routine before applying retinol, as it washes away impurities without irritating oily skin. Because this formula lacks acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, an oily acne-prone skin type also needs targeted breakout treatments alongside retinol.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser morning and evening as part of your daily routine. It helps remove impurities and manage oiliness without causing irritation, though oily acne-prone skin also needs ingredients like salicylic acid to directly address breakouts.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts since it has no harsh ingredients that trigger irritation. However, because it lacks targeted blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, an oily acne-prone skin type needs a cleanser with stronger pore-clearing actives to properly keep breakouts away.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but you should avoid the thin skin around your eyes since facial cleansers are formulated for thicker facial skin. It is unlikely to cause irritation elsewhere, but cleansers for this skin need targeted blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid to properly care for acne.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol, linalool plant, limonene plant, geraniol plant, and citronellol plant).
What the research says
Topical treatment with Geranium thunbergii extract lotion improved skin elasticity and reduced skin wrinkling scores compared to placebo in healthy Japanese women by inhibiting HYBID-mediated hyaluronan degradation and down-regulating HYBID expression.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Geranium and Calendula essential oil-loaded ethanolic lipid vesicular creams exhibited notable antioxidant capacity, sun protection factor values of 10.26 and 18.54, and collagenase and elastase inhibition capacity compared to nonvesicular creams.
BioMed Research International, 2021Combining bergamot essential oil-loaded nano-phytosomes with spironolactone significantly improved therapeutic response against acne vulgaris compared to bergamot essential oil-loaded nano-phytosomes alone in patients.
Pharmaceuticals, 2023Citrus bergamia extract significantly reduced dose-dependently ICAM-1, iNOS, NO, ROS, and GAG production in human NCTC 2544 keratinocytes exposed to interferon-gamma and histamine compared to untreated exposed cells.
Life Sciences, 2012Topical application of bergamot and boxthorn extract increased superoxide dismutase activity and collagen content, decreased malondialdehyde content, and promoted hair growth in mice compared to a control group.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi = Zhongguo Zhongyao Zazhi = China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, 2003Treatment with a rose extract activated newly identified skin olfactory receptors and prevented epinephrine-induced skin stress responses in epidermal keratinocytes and human skin explants, while clinically decreasing the appearance of under-eye dark circles in stressed women.
Molecules, 2020Rose petal extract improves stratum corneum moisture levels in humans by upregulating HAS2 expression via the GLK-MAP2K-MAPK signaling pathway.
BioFactors, 2023Rosa gallica petal extract (RPE) exerts skin whitening by attenuating tyrosinase activity and melanin accumulation and exhibits anti-wrinkle activity by suppressing MMP-1 levels in human cells.
Journal of Medicinal Food, 2020A 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, 2010A 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
Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better
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, 2007Tea tree oil gel and face wash significantly reduced total facial acne lesions from 23.7 to 10.7 and improved investigator global assessment scores in 14 participants with mild to moderate facial acne over 12 weeks.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 2017
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate Plant, Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside Plant, Coco-Glucoside Plant, Cellulose Plant, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil Flower Geranium Oil Flower, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil Expressed Peel Oil, Willow Bark Extract, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil Mandarin Orange Peel Oil, Bergamot Peel Oil Expressed Peel Oil, Rosa Damascena Oil Flower Rose Oil Flower, Chamomilla Recutita Oil Flower Chamomile Oil Flower, Sodium Phytate Plant, Tocopherol Vitamin E Plant, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool Plant, Limonene Plant, Geraniol Plant, Citronellol Plant
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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