Erno Laszlo Phelityl Pre-Cleansing Oil for oily skin
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil Apricot Kernel Oil
Persea Gratissima Oil Avocado Oil
Jojoba Seed Oil
Tocopheryl Acetate
Low
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for oily skin; the pre-cleansers alongside fit it 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
- Offers moderate suitability for your oily skin as emollient oils like Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil and Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil are present, which may not be ideal for managing excess sebum and oily shine. While mineral oil and apricot kernel oil effectively dissolve makeup, the formula lacks targeted ingredients for oil control, limiting its benefits for your primary concern.
- The presence of Bisabolol and Tocopherol, along with Tocopheryl Acetate and Retinyl Palmitate, offers general skincare benefits like hydration and soothing. However, these do not directly address your oily shine concerns.
How to apply
- Use this makeup remover PM as the first step of your evening routine. Start 3×/week and increase to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this makeup remover before your regular cleanser and toner. It prepares your skin by melting away excess oil and makeup.
- Gently press a small amount onto your dry skin using your fingertips. Massage softly and avoid harsh rubbing to protect your pores.
- Apply this product on dry skin to effectively break down heavy makeup and surface oil. Massage it gently before washing it off with water.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use to ensure your skin feels comfortable.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsThis pre-cleansing oil is highly praised for its ability to effectively remove heavy makeup and dissolve impurities without stripping the skin's natural moisture, leaving it feeling soft and plump. It is particularly favored by those with dry or mature skin, contributing to a desirable glow. While many appreciate its performance as the first step in a double-cleansing routine, some users find the process to be time-consuming.
Highlights
Effective makeup remover Mostly Mentioned
- “Dissolves dirt and debris”
- “removes stubborn waterproof mascara”
- “breaks down makeup easily.”
Deeply moisturizing Often Mentioned
- “Infuses skin with moisture”
- “skin did not feel dry after use”
- “best moisturizer I have ever used.”
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “Skin felt softer & smoother”
- “refined and I look younger”
- “leaves skin fresh and plump.”
Expensive price point Often Mentioned
- “Pricey”
- “$95 a bottle”
- “expensive but worth it.”
Gentle and soothing Sometimes Noted
- “Product application felt gentle”
- “soothing essential oils”
- “smells lovely and spa-like.”
Long-lasting product Sometimes Noted
- “Product really lasts a long time”
- “bottle lasts for months”
- “good value despite price.”
Requires second step Sometimes Noted
- “Needs a triple cleanse to get off”
- “meant to be used with the bar”
- “hard to remove alone.”
Heavy oily texture Rarely Noted
- “Thick and viscous”
- “unpleasant oily feel”
- “heavy on the skin.”
Packaging concerns Rarely Noted
- “Plastic bottle feels cheap”
- “wish it was glass”
- “leaked in shipping.”
Sources: lovi.care, ernolaszlo.com, lovelyskin.com, lookfantastic.com, amazon.com, dermstore.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Erno Laszlo Phelityl Pre-Cleansing Oil a weak match for oily skin?
This makeup remover is a weak match for oily skin because it relies heavily on rich oils that do not manage excess sebum or oily shine. A makeup remover of this type needs lightweight, oil-controlling ingredients and a non-greasy formula to properly balance oily skin without clogging pores.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for oily skin?
This cleanser is a poor fit for oily skin because it contains heavy oils like mineral oil, apricot kernel oil, and avocado oil that are better suited for dry skin and may add to excess shine. A makeup remover for oily skin needs targeted oil-controlling ingredients and lighter formulas that cleanse effectively without adding extra richness.
What does Safflower Seed Oil do for oily skin?
Safflower seed oil is a poor fit for oily skin because it tends to clog pores and feel heavy. A product for oily skin needs lightweight, balancing ingredients that control excess shine without trapping oil.
What does Apricot Kernel Oil do for oily skin?
Apricot Kernel Oil is generally too heavy for oily skin because it can clog pores and make skin feel greasy. Oily skin needs lightweight, non-greasy ingredients and oil-balancing extracts that help keep pores clear without adding extra shine.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This makeup remover goes in the evening routine before your cleanser, or as a weekly step before your cleanser when you wear makeup. Because this product is a weak match for oily skin, a makeup remover of this type needs targeted ingredients for oil control to help manage excess sebum and oily shine.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this makeup remover in the evening before your cleanser as the first step of your routine before applying retinol. Oily skin requires a makeup remover of this type to balance oils with targeted oil-absorbing ingredients like niacinamide or clay, which are missing here.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this makeup remover in the evening to gently dissolve makeup. This is a weak match for oily skin, so this skin type needs a cleanser with targeted ingredients for oil control.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser may not be the best match for oily skin because heavy oils like mineral oil and avocado oil can feel too rich and may lead to clogged pores or extra shine. A cleanser for this skin type needs lighter textures and oil-controlling ingredients to help manage excess sebum without feeling heavy.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, benzyl alcohol, benzyl salicylate, citral, citronellol, coumarin, eugenol, geraniol, isoeugenol, limonene, and linalool).
What the research says
Vitamin E in O/W and W/O emulsions significantly increased stratum corneum hydration and enhanced water-binding capacity, with an optimum concentration of 5%.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 1998Co-encapsulation of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopheryl acetate in nanostructured lipid carrier gel formulations significantly enhanced moisture retention up to 68% and improved skin elasticity in human volunteers compared to a solution gel.
Scientific Reports, 2025Retinyl palmitate-loaded non-ionic lamellar liquid crystalline systems provided a significant reduction of orbicular wrinkles in human volunteers compared to systems without retinyl palmitate.
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 2011Safflower oil body-human epidermal growth factor microgel emulsions mixed with xanthan gum enhance transdermal absorption, regulate inflammation, accelerate angiogenesis, and promote re-epithelialization and remodeling in full-layer skin wounds in rats.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022Topical cream containing saffron extract and avocado oil improved wrinkle grading, reduced nasolabial fold area and volume, and increased skin elasticity in twenty healthy volunteers over 12 weeks without allergic reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Topical treatment with SSFAO 50% or avocado oil increased wound contraction, reepithelialization, collagen density, and tensile strength while showing anti-inflammatory activity compared to petroleum jelly in rats.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024Topical jojoba oil application in male mice decreased exercise-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression (Il-1b and Il-6 in soleus, Il-1b in gastrocnemius) compared to untreated exercised mice.
Biomolecules, 2025Topical 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
Paraffinum Liquidum Mineral Oil Huile Minerale Mineral Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Parfum, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil Apricot Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil Avocado Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Oil Flower, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil Grape Seed Oil, Corylus Americana Seed Oil Corylus Avellana Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Taraktogenos Kurzii Seed Oil, Bht, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Bisabolol, Ci 40800 Beta-Carotene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Isoeugenol, 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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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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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