Obagi Clear for oily skin
Hydroquinone Usp
Ascorbic Acid
Glycerin
Lactic Acid
Tocopheryl AcetateAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other serums fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
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 skin brightening for your oily skin due to hydroquinone and lactic acid, which help to even skin tone. Glycerin and tocopheryl acetate provide hydration and soothing benefits, which are supportive but not directly targeted at your oily shine.
- The formula is moderately suitable for oily skin, with glycerin offering humectant action and lactic acid providing keratolytic effects, though it lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control.
- The safety profile is good, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
Questions and answers
How well does Obagi Clear work for oily skin?
Obagi Clear works moderately well for oily skin, offering skin brightening and gentle hydration while lacking optimal oil control. An oily skin treatment of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide and zinc PCA to control excess oil and manage shine.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Hydroquinone and lactic acid make this cream a moderate fit for oily skin by helping to even skin tone and smooth the surface, while glycerin and tocopheryl acetate offer gentle hydration and soothing comfort. Because it lacks optimal oil control, a treatment for this skin needs ingredients like niacinamide, ferulic acid, and zinc PCA to manage excess oil and enlarged pores.
What does Hydroquinone do for oily skin?
Hydroquinone helps fade dark spots and uneven pigmentation on oily skin. It is unlikely to cause issues when used correctly, but this type of skin needs gentle ingredients that balance oil while treating discoloration safely.
What does Vitamin C do for oily skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten skin tone and smooth texture while providing antioxidant protection that prevents sebum oxidation. For oily skin, this type of product typically needs to be paired with oil-controlling or pore-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid or plant extracts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
Apply this treatment in the evening, as treatments with active ingredients are placed in the PM routine for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure. For oily skin, this product works moderately well but lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control, so oily skin types generally need ingredients that balance shine and control excess oil.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment alongside retinol by applying the retinol first, letting it absorb, and then following with this product. This routine is safe since the formula lacks harsh ingredients, but because your skin is oily, this type of product also needs strong oil-control ingredients to work best.
How often should I use this cream?
Start by using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your oily skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you may carefully use it more often. This product works for your skin, though an average fit for oily skin needs targeted oil-control ingredients to properly manage shine.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog your oily skin because it has a good safety profile with no harsh ingredients. However, an oily skin type still needs lighter hydration and strong oil-controlling ingredients to stay balanced.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Dermatological 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, 2021TFC-1067 and 2% hydroquinone both significantly lightened facial dyschromia after 8 and 12 weeks in 48 healthy female subjects, but only hydroquinone also lightened normal skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Application 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, 2020Topical 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, 2025Topical 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, 2024A topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced air pollution-induced skin pigmentation and proinflammatory gene expression ex vivo, and improved skin aging signs in 40 healthy adult females after 90 days of daily use.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Why other serums fit oily skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Niacinamide and ferulic acid incorporated in a stable multiple emulsion successfully reduced melanin, sebum, and skin erythema while improving skin elasticity and hydration in human skin compared to a placebo.
BioMed Research International, 2022
Ingredients
Hydroquinone Usp, Ascorbic Acid, Bht, Butylparaben, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium Edta, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Methylparaben, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ppg-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Propylparaben, Saponins, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Stearyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water
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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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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Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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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
How does it fit your skin?
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