🇸🇦Saudi Arabia

Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser for oily skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser

Average

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for oily skin; other cleansers 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 exfoliation for your oily skin due to salicylic acid, which aids in cleansing pores, while glycerin provides essential hydration.
  • This cleanser is highly suitable for oily skin due to salicylic acid's keratolytic action and glycerin's humectant properties, though it does not specifically target oily shine.
  • The product has a good safety profile with no risks of irritation for your oily skin, as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin fresh. Always make sure to follow with a good SPF in the morning.
  • Apply your cleanser as the first step in the morning or the second step in the evening before your toner.
  • Gently massage a small amount onto your face using circular motions, then rinse well with water .
  • You can apply this cleanser safely on damp skin for a refreshing and easy wash.
  • Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop use if irritation occurs.

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 1.2k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this cleanser is highly regarded for its ability to gently exfoliate, resulting in smoother skin texture and a brighter complexion without compromising the skin's moisture barrier. Most users, including those with sensitive or dry skin, find it to be hydrating and non-irritating. A small number of users with oily or acne-prone skin have reported experiencing breakouts or a sticky residue.

Highlights

  • Smoother skin Mostly Mentioned
    • “Skin felt softer after one use”
    • “smooths uneven skin”
    • “insane results for strawberry skin”
    • “helped with texture”
  • Gentle & hydrating Often Mentioned
    • “Not stripping at all”
    • “gentle enough for daily use”
    • “leaves skin hydrated”
    • “no tight feeling”
  • Safe for sensitive skin Often Mentioned
    • “No irritation”
    • “great for sensitive skin”
    • “didn't sting my face”
    • “calmed my redness”
  • Effective cleansing Sometimes Noted
    • “Removes dirt and oil”
    • “cleanses well”
    • “foams up nicely”
    • “fresh feeling”
  • Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “Broke me out bad”
    • “caused cystic acne”
    • “got pimples after use”
    • “skin reacted poorly”
  • Drying for some Rarely Noted
    • “Dries skin a bit”
    • “felt tight afterwards”
    • “need moisturizer immediately”
    • “caused flaking”
  • Ineffective for oil Rarely Noted
    • “Didn't control my oil”
    • “too gentle for me”
    • “pores still clogged”
    • “felt greasy later”
  • Unpleasant residue Rarely Noted
    • “Felt covered in gunk”
    • “sticky residue”
    • “heavy feeling”
    • “didn't rinse clean”

Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, cetaphil.com, target.com, skinsort.com, walmart.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser work for oily skin?

This cleanser works moderately well for oily skin by helping clear out pores, but it does not specifically target oily shine. To work best for this skin type, a cleanser needs ingredients like Niacinamide and ceramides to manage oily shine and support skin health without causing irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?

Salicylic acid and glycerin make this cleanser work for your oily skin by cleaning pores and keeping hydration balanced. To fit oily skin even better, this type of product needs ingredients like Niacinamide and Ceramides to manage oily shine and support skin health.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?

Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019

What does Glycerin do for oily skin?

Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?

This cleanser goes in the morning and evening routine for oily skin, right before hydrating toners or makeup removers. Oily skin also needs ingredients and products that target shine.

Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cleanser with retinol by using the cleanser first and applying your retinol afterward, as salicylic acid helps clear pores while glycerin keeps your skin soft and hydrated. Because this cleanser offers only moderate exfoliation and does not target oily shine, oily skin often needs a cleanser that provides stronger oil control and deeper pore clearing.

How often should I use this cleanser?

You can use this cleanser daily as part of your morning and evening routine, starting just once a week if your skin is new to acids and building up slowly if you tolerate it well. It helps clear out pores while keeping skin hydrated, though an oily skin routine also needs products that specifically target oily shine.

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?

This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or irritate oily skin, as it has a safe formula with low complaints of breakouts, though a few users may experience some dryness. To better manage oily shine and deeply cleanse pores, this skin needs a product with strong oil-controlling ingredients and targeted blemish-fighting agents.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?

You can use this cleanser on your body, but you should avoid using it around the eyes because the skin there is much thinner and more sensitive. It is safe for oily skin overall as it lacks harsh ingredients, but body skin may need additional ingredients like salicylic acid to properly clear pores and control excess oil.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

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, 2017

  • Twice 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, 2024

  • The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

  • A 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, 2020

  • Cryotherapy 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, 2010

  • Treatment 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, 2024

  • Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010

  • The 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, 2020

  • Ten 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, 2001

  • Niacinamide/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, 2012

  • The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.

    Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003

  • Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.

    American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

  • Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

  • Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.

    Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000

  • Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate in facial cleanser decreased prokaryotic microbial alpha diversity, altered prokaryotic microbiome structure, increased phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine, and decreased ceramides on facial skin.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

  • Coacervates formed from mixed micelles of sodium lauroylsarcosinate and cocamidopropyl betaine with cationic guar gum exhibited a dense porous structure with high viscoelastic modulus under strong electrostatic interactions, and a looser mesh structure with lower viscoelasticity and enhanced skin adsorption under weakened interactions.

    Soft Matter, 2024

Why other cleansers fit oily skin better

  • A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

  • Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.

    International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Polyethylene, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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Prices checked 6 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for Saudi Arabia.

How does it fit your skin?

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