Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant for sensitive skin
Charcoal Powder
Niacinamide
Lactic Acid
Microcrystalline Cellulose
Zingiber Officinale Root ExtractHigh
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best products for sensitive skin.
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 high exfoliation for your normal skin due to malic acid and lactic acid, which smooth texture and regulate desquamation without harshness.
- While it provides general cleansing benefits from ingredients like sodium bicarbonate, it does not specifically target your primary concerns of redness and irritation.
- The formula is safe for your sensitive skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use your enzyme powder exfoliant as part of your PM routine. Start once a week and increase slowly if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this product after cleansing and before your hydrating toner. Follow the weekly routine order provided by Lovi.
- Mix the enzyme powder exfoliant with a little water in your hands to create a paste. Gently pat the mixture onto your face and avoid harsh rubbing.
- Apply this product on clean skin. Since your skin is sensitive, this helps you get the best tolerance.
- Always do a patch test before your first use. Avoid the eye area and do not combine this with strong acids or retinoids.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.7k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with aging, oily, or city-dwelling skin consistently praise this product for delivering exceptionally smooth results and deep pore cleansing, often citing it as a superior resurfacer. Some users with highly sensitive skin occasionally report redness or irritation, suggesting it may be too active for delicate complexions.
Highlights
Incredibly smooth skin Mostly Mentioned
- “baby smooth”
- “polished look”
- “soft texture”
- “instant difference”
Gentle but effective Often Mentioned
- “non-abrasive”
- “fine powder”
- “no micro-beads”
- “gentle scrub”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “very pricey”
- “expensive splurge”
- “price shock”
- “investment product”
Anti-aging glow Sometimes Noted
- “resurfacing effect”
- “radiant skin”
- “fades dark spots”
- “brightening”
Deep pore cleanse Sometimes Noted
- “cleans out toxins”
- “pores look smaller”
- “removes build-up”
- “detoxifies”
Messy packaging Sometimes Noted
- “powder goes everywhere”
- “spout too big”
- “hard to control”
- “wasteful dispensing”
Irritation for sensitive skin Rarely Noted
- “caused redness”
- “chemical burn”
- “skin felt tight”
- “too harsh”
Scent preference Rarely Noted
- “smells like dirt”
- “strong herbal scent”
- “unpleasant odor”
- “weird smell”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, influenster.com, lovelyskin.com, sephora.sg, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Daily Superfoliant a great fit for sensitive skin?
Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant is a great fit because it offers high exfoliation for normal skin using malic acid and lactic acid, which smooth texture and regulate shedding without harshness. The formula is safe for sensitive skin as it lacks harsh ingredients that could cause irritation, while supporting a smooth and calm feel.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for sensitive skin?
Lactic acid and malic acid make this exfoliant a great fit for sensitive skin by smoothing texture and regulating skin shedding without harshness. The formula is safe for your skin because it lacks harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
What does Charcoal Powder do for sensitive skin?
Charcoal powder deep cleans by drawing out dirt and oil, but it can be too harsh for sensitive skin. Sensitive skin needs gentle, fragrance-free cleansers with soothing ingredients and mild synthetic detergents that do not strip away natural moisture or cause irritation.
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 exfoliant go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This exfoliant goes in your weekly routine as an occasional step, starting at once a week after cleansing. Because your skin is sensitive, it uses gentle acids like lactic acid to smooth texture safely without causing harshness.
Can I use Daily Superfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
You can use Daily Superfoliant with retinol by using the exfoliant on your weekly routine day and applying retinol on your PM treatment nights, keeping them on separate days to protect your sensitive skin from irritation.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
You can start using this exfoliant once a week as part of your weekly routine, and if your skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you may carefully use it more often. This approach helps prevent irritation while keeping your skin smooth.
Can Daily Superfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin because it gently smooths texture without harshness. The formula is safe for sensitive skin as it lacks ingredients that typically cause irritation.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene and linalool).
What the research says
Soap-and-water wash and superactive charcoal paste applied topically at various times after T-2 toxin exposure effectively reduced skin lesion severity in swine compared to untreated controls.
Fundamental and Applied Toxicology, 1989Topical 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, 2020Nanofibrillar cellulose dressing provides efficient wound healing comparable to polylactide-based copolymer dressings at skin graft donor sites in 24 patients, with significant improvements in observer scar thickness and vascularity and skin elasticity.
Advances in Wound Care, 2020Bacterial cellulose membranes with and without glycerin showed good skin compatibility and no barrier disruption in human subjects compared to a negative control, with glycerin-containing membranes additionally providing a statistically significant skin moisturizing effect (p=0.044).
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2014AgNP-BC exhibited over 99% reduction in Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with no cytotoxicity, allowing epidermal cell attachment and growth compared to unmodified bacterial cellulose.
Carbohydrate Polymers, 2014A 1-year clinical study on human facial skin demonstrated that Zingiber officinale (L.) Rose extract inhibits the UV-induced decrease in skin elasticity and prevents or improves wrinkle formation around the eye.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2008Ginger extract transethosomal hydrogel improved skin permeability, sustained drug release, and exhibited significant inhibition of edema swelling along with reduced reactive oxygen species and prostaglandin E2 compared to free ginger extract hydrogel and ketoprofen gel in a rat-paw edema model.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2023Topical delivery of ginger extract-loaded nanoemulsions significantly reduced arthritic symptoms, paw edema inhibition by 27.7%, and inflammatory cytokines in RA-induced rats compared to the negative control.
Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023
Ingredients
Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Malic Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Charcoal Powder, Vinyl Dimethicone Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Maltodextrin, Silica, Magnesium Oxide, Rice Bran Extract, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sapindus Trifoliatus Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil Lavender Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Caesalpinia Spinosa Pod Extract Fruit, Lemon Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Oil Leaf Rosemary Oil Leaf, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Subtilisin, Lipase, Papain, Lactic Acid, Rice Starch, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Xanthan Gum, Water, Coconut Acid, Calcium Lactate, Capryloyl Glycine, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Cetrimonium Chloride, 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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.