ZO Skin Health Complexion Renewal Pads for sensitive skin
Glycolic Acid
Salicylic Acid
Plantago Major Leaf Extract
Hordeum Distichon Extract Hordeum Vulgare Extract
Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
High
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for sensitive skin; a few products fit it even better.
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 excellent exfoliation for your normal skin with sensitivity, as salicylic acid and glycolic acid work to smooth texture and provide mild chemical exfoliation for redness and irritation.
- Urea further supports humectant action, enhancing overall skin comfort and hydration.
- The formula is safe for your skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliant PM once a week to help with redness and irritation. Start slowly and only increase frequency if your skin feels happy and comfortable.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toner , but always before your moisturizer . This ensures the product absorbs properly into the skin.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin without rubbing . Let it absorb for a minute before moving on.
- Since your skin is sensitive , apply the exfoliant on completely dry skin for the best tolerance. This helps prevent any extra stinging or discomfort.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area .
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, these pads are widely praised for effectively managing oily, acne-prone, and congested skin by combining salicylic and glycolic acids to exfoliate and clear pores. While many users achieve a brighter, smoother, and more balanced complexion, those with highly sensitive or dry skin should introduce them gradually due to the inclusion of denatured alcohol and fragrance.
Highlights
Convenient to use Often Mentioned
- “Incredibly convenient and easy to incorporate.”
- “Easy-to-use pad with incredible benefits.”
- “Perfect for on-the-go skincare maintenance.”
Effective exfoliation Often Mentioned
- “Leaves my skin feeling clean, smooth, and refreshed.”
- “Truly renew the top layer of your skin with each use.”
- “Removes dead skin cells to prevent clogged pores.”
Reduces oil Often Mentioned
- “Helps keep surface oils under control.”
- “I've noticed less oiliness throughout the day.”
- “Works effectively to minimize surface oil.”
Brightens skin Sometimes Noted
- “Helped my hyperpigmentation SO much.”
- “My skin looks brighter and more even in tone.”
- “Helps to brighten skin and clarify pores.”
Contains alcohol Sometimes Noted
- “Denatured alcohol is included... it's also drying for many users.”
- “It has denatured alcohol which could lead to sensitive skin issues.”
- “I am very conservative when it comes to having alcohol based products.”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “It's a steep step up from drugstore alternatives.”
- “I just wish they weren't so pricey.”
- “Cut them in half to get more bang for your buck.”
Causes irritation Rarely Noted
- “Can be too much during a flare... may sting on reactive skin.”
- “If you suffer from sensitive or broken skin, [this] may be a more suitable choice.”
- “Fragrances... can lead to sensitive skin issues.”
Sources: lovi.care, dermapproved.com, youtube.com, skinsort.com, myfacedr.com, alexandrarosepink.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes ZO Complexion Renewal Pads a great fit for sensitive skin?
ZO Complexion Renewal Pads are a great fit for sensitive skin because glycolic acid and salicylic acid smooth texture and provide mild chemical exfoliation while keeping redness and irritation in check. Urea adds hydration to keep your skin comfortable, and the formula avoids harsh ingredients to maintain a safe, gentle experience.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid and glycolic acid work to smooth texture and provide mild chemical exfoliation for redness and irritation, while urea supports overall skin comfort and hydration. The formula is safe for your skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
What does Glycolic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Glycolic acid can be too harsh for sensitive skin, leaving it dry and irritated, so this type of skin needs a gentler exfoliating ingredient and calming plant extracts to keep the skin barrier safe and comfortable.
What does Salicylic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid may cause irritation on sensitive skin, so it requires careful use and good sun protection to keep skin comfortable. A product for this skin type needs gentle, soothing ingredients and a mild formula that respects the skin barrier.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1999International Journal of Toxicology, 2003
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This exfoliant treatment goes in your evening routine, starting at once a week to see how your skin responds. It helps smooth texture and calm redness with a safe formula that avoids harsh ingredients.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliant in your evening routine, but it is best to apply it on different nights than your retinol to avoid irritation. Since both treatments smooth texture and renew skin, alternating them helps keep sensitive skin calm and comfortable.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start using this exfoliant treatment once a week in your evening routine, and carefully use it more often only if your sensitive skin tolerates it well and shows good results. This slow buildup helps maintain comfort while glycolic acid and salicylic acid smooth texture and calm redness.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin because its ingredients work to smooth texture and gently clear away dead cells. However, because it contains acids, you may experience some initial mild skin purging as it clears out your pores.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, linalool, and hexyl cinnamal) and drying alcohol (sd alcohol 40-b).
What the research says
Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Twice 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, 2024Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Cryotherapy 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, 2010A 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, 2020Treatment 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, 2024Plantain leaf proteins exhibit a wound-healing effect on vertebrate skin both in vitro and in vivo.
Prikladnaia Biokhimiia I Mikrobiologiia, 2011Plantago lanceolata water extract improves skin wound healing in rats by inducing the transition of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, increasing wound contraction rates, and enhancing tensile strength through greater extracellular matrix protein organization compared to untreated wounds.
The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2015Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata extracts incorporated into 3D-printed polysaccharide dressings enhanced fibroblast wound closure to 64% and 52%, respectively, compared to 29% for the control.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2026Topical steroid withdrawal is driven by excess mitochondrial NAD+ metabolism that can be successfully targeted using complex I-inhibiting interventions such as metformin and berberine.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2025Topical steroid withdrawal presents as a distinct dermatopathology characterized by burning, flushing, thermodysregulation, and elevated mitochondrial NAD+ oxidation, which can be improved by targeting complex I with metformin or berberine.
MedRxiv, 2024Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose hydrogel formulations of berberine chloride-loaded escinosomes increased skin residence time and transdermal permeability while maintaining high safety and biocompatibility without skin irritation.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Propylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Urea, Glycolic Acid, Pterocarpus Soyauxii Extract Wood, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hordeum Distichon Extract Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Sodium Hydroxide
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
How does it fit your skin?
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