Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 for combination skin
Salicylic Acid
Witch Hazel
Glycerin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Citric AcidHigh
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for combination skin; a few toners fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 combination skin, as salicylic acid and citric acid work to smooth skin texture and control oiliness. Witch hazel further refines pores and offers astringent properties, making it well-suited for your oily shine concerns.
- The formula is safe for your combination skin, with soothing ingredients like glycerin and witch hazel present and no harsh or prohibited substances.
- This product is safe for your combination skin, as it contains no harsh or prohibited ingredients and includes soothing agents like witch hazel and glycerin.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliating toner during your PM routine. Start once a week and slowly build up if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply your exfoliating toner right after cleansing and before your favorite moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the exfoliating toner on clean and completely dry skin to get the best results for your combination skin.
- Always avoid the sensitive eye area and wear daily SPF to protect your skin.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 4.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this exfoliating toner for combination-oily skin is frequently praised for its effectiveness in controlling excess oil, unclogging pores, and leaving the face feeling clean. Many users report smoother skin texture and improved absorption of subsequent products. However, the high alcohol content is a frequent point of contention; while some find it beneficial for acne and texture, others experience it as overly drying and stripping, especially on sensitive areas.
Highlights
Strong alcohol smell Mostly Mentioned
- “smells like straight rubbing alcohol”
- “scent is overpowering and chemical”
- “fumes sting my eyes”
- “smell is too harsh to handle”
Clears acne & pores Often Mentioned
- “cleared up my breakouts quickly”
- “removes remaining dirt and gunk”
- “pores look visibly smaller”
- “keeps blackheads at bay”
Controls oil & shine Often Mentioned
- “keeps my T-zone matte all day”
- “balances my oily skin perfectly”
- “stopped the midday grease slick”
- “controls oil without over-drying”
Preps for moisturizer Sometimes Noted
- “helps lotion absorb much better”
- “makes my moisturizer work harder”
- “perfect canvas for hydration”
- “skin drinks up cream after”
Smooths skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “gets rid of flaky dry patches”
- “makes my skin feel baby soft”
- “leaves face smooth and polished”
- “improves texture significantly”
Drying and stripping Sometimes Noted
- “left my cheeks red and tight”
- “too harsh for daily use”
- “stripped my moisture barrier”
- “caused dry flaky patches”
Poor bottle design Rarely Noted
- “wide mouth spills too much”
- “needs a pump or stopper”
- “wastes product when pouring”
- “hard to control amount dispensed”
Stings open skin Rarely Noted
- “burns if you have a pimple”
- “stings on any open wounds”
- “painful on popped zits”
- “irritates sensitive areas”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, bluemercury.com, sephora.sg, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 a great fit for combination skin?
Clinique Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 is a great fit for combination skin because salicylic acid and citric acid help smooth skin texture and control oiliness. Witch hazel further refines pores while soothing ingredients like glycerin keep the formula safe and gentle for your skin type.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for combination skin?
Salicylic acid and citric acid make this toner a great fit by smoothing skin texture and controlling oiliness, while witch hazel refines pores and addresses oily shine. Additionally, glycerin and witch hazel help soothe the skin.
What does Salicylic Acid do for combination skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear clogged pores and balance oily areas while remaining gentle enough for dry spots on combination skin. It reduces breakouts and oiliness effectively with a low likelihood of irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Witch Hazel do for combination skin?
Witch hazel helps calm redness, manages oily shine, and keeps skin feeling comfortable without making dry areas feel tight. It may also support skin barrier strength and reduce irritation.
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This exfoliating toner fits into your evening routine as a cleansing toner after makeup removal and cleansing, starting at once a week. You may carefully use it more often if your skin tolerates it well and shows good results.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliating toner with retinol by applying the toner first in your evening routine, but use them on alternate nights or separate them into morning and evening to avoid drying your skin. Combining strong exfoliating acids and retinol may cause irritation, so watch how your skin feels and space them out if it becomes dry or sensitive.
American Family Physician, 2012Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
How often should I use this toner?
Start using this toner once a week to see how your combination skin responds. If you tolerate it well and see good results, you may carefully use it more often.
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores because salicylic acid and citric acid help clear away dead cells and control oiliness, which supports a smooth skin texture. However, since it contains exfoliating acids, it may cause initial purging as trapped debris comes to the surface, and the alcohol content could feel drying for some people.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Twice 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, 2024A 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, 2020Hamamelis bark proanthocyanidins strongly increased the proliferation of cultured human keratinocytes and reduced transepidermal water loss and erythema formation in SLS-irritated skin, whereas the polysaccharide fraction had no effect.
Phytochemistry, 2001Cryotherapy 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, 2010Treatment 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, 2024Topical 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, 2010A Hamamelis virginiana leaf extract increased LOXL1 expression twofold, decreased elafin synthesis, restored functional elastic fibers, reduced nonfunctional elastin aggregates, decreased wrinkles, and improved skin firmness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Witch hazel bark extract and hamamelitannin showed pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, supported keratinocyte migration in a wound healing assay, and inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth, whereas their skin microbiota metabolite ellagic acid stimulated inflammatory mediator release.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2025Hamamelis virginiana bark extract inhibited Cutibacterium acnes-induced IL-6 release and TNF-α-induced IL-8 release in human keratinocytes without showing antibacterial or antibiofilm activities.
Antioxidants, 2022A 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, 2017The 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, 2001Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Topical 20% citric acid lotion increases viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycan content in sun-damaged skin compared to vehicle alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 1997
Ingredients
Water, Alcohol Denat, Salicylic Acid, Witch Hazel, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium Edta, Bht, Phenoxyethanol, Benzophenone-4, Ext, Violet 2, Ci 15850, Ci 15510
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.