Elemis Pro-Collagen Tri-Acid Peel for combination skin
Mandelic Acid
Lactobionic Acid
Asiatic Acid
Copper Pca
Sodium HyaluronateAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other products fit it 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 moderate exfoliation for your combination skin, as mandelic acid and lactobionic acid work to promote skin renewal and smoothing. Glycerin and Asiatic acid provide general hydration and soothing benefits, which are supportive but not directly targeted at your oily shine concerns.
- The formula is highly suitable for combination skin due to the keratolytic action of mandelic acid and lactobionic acid, which balance exfoliation with hydration.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your combination skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components like Asiatic acid and Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant product in your PM routine starting once a week, then increase frequency carefully if your skin feels fine.
- Apply this exfoliant step after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and wait a minute before layering.
- Apply the exfoliant to clean, dry skin to help control your oily shine comfortably.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsThis product is highly praised for rejuvenating dull, aging, and textured skin. Users consistently report a brighter, smoother, and more even-toned complexion with a noticeable reduction in fine lines and pores. It is generally gentle on the skin, though some users experience slight tingling. A common drawback mentioned is the high price point.
Highlights
Improves texture Mostly Mentioned
- “my skin looked noticeably smoother”
- “significant improvement in my skin's texture”
- “leaving me with beautiful smooth skin”
- “immediate smoothness”
Brightens skin Often Mentioned
- “my skin looked immediately brighter”
- “The glow it gives is unreal!”
- “brightened up my complexion”
- “complexion looks visibly brighter”
Expensive product Often Mentioned
- “too pricey at £70”
- “I agree too priceyyyyy!!”
- “While on the pricier side”
- “There are lots of more affordable alternatives”
Gentle formula Sometimes Noted
- “gentle and non-irritating, even for sensitive skin”
- “The peel is gentle but so effective”
- “hesitant to use this as have quite sensitive skin... No problems at all”
- “without the harshness of traditional AHAs”
Reduces lines Sometimes Noted
- “helps reduce the appearance of fine lines”
- “dramatically reduced the appearance of fine lines”
- “softens the look of fine lines”
Causes tingling Sometimes Noted
- “slight tingling and a brief flush after rinsing”
- “My face is still slightly tingling an hour later”
- “yes, it tingles for a wee while”
- “A slight tingling sensation and redness may occur”
Underwhelming results Rarely Noted
- “It's just ok... just doesn't do what I want it too”
- “no obvious signs of performance”
- “It can be harsh for others”
Sources: lovi.care, elemis.com, johnlewis.com, boots.com, macys.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Pro-Collagen Tri-Acid Peel work for combination skin?
This peel works moderately well for combination skin, offering gentle smoothing while keeping skin calm. It needs ingredients like niacinamide, zinc PCA, or propolis to properly manage oily shine.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for combination skin?
Mandelic acid and lactobionic acid make this exfoliant a good fit by providing moderate renewal and smoothing while balancing hydration. Glycerin and asiatic acid offer supportive soothing and moisture, and an exfoliant for this skin type needs ingredients like niacinamide and zinc PCA to properly regulate oiliness.
What does Mandelic Acid do for combination skin?
Mandelic acid helps clear breakouts and fade dark spots in combination skin while being gentle enough to cause fewer side effects than other acids. It may also improve overall skin texture and tone without causing excessive irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Dermatologic Surgery, 2009
What does Lactobionic Acid do for combination skin?
Lactobionic acid helps keep combination skin smooth and hydrated while improving elasticity and protecting the skin barrier. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation, making it well tolerated by multiple skin types.
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This exfoliant treatment goes in your evening routine once a week. Combination skin works best with products that balance gentle exfoliation with targeted oil control and hydration.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying the retinol first and waiting for it to dry before adding this product, or by using them on alternate nights to keep your skin calm. Combination skin of this type needs products that balance gentle exfoliation with ingredients that directly control oily shine.
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 skin tolerates it well and shows good results. An average fit for combination skin also needs oil-controlling and balancing ingredients that target oily shine directly.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on combination skin, as it features gentle exfoliating acids that promote skin renewal without harsh ingredients. However, it may cause mild tingling for some users. To better control oily shine on combination skin, a product of this type needs targeted oil-balancing and sebum-regulating ingredients.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat and 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, 2017Combining a 20% lactobionic acid peel with aluminum oxide crystal microdermabrasion increases skin hydration, improves elasticity, and decreases transepidermal water loss in 20 Caucasian females compared to lactobionic acid peel alone.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Asiatic acid-loaded solid lipid microparticles stabilized with poloxamer-188 reduced porphyrin intensity, enhanced skin barriers, and improved skin hydration and brightness in fifteen participants with mild-to-moderate acne.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2024Treatment with 45% mandelic acid peel showed nearly equal overall efficacy as 30% salicylic acid peel in patients with mild-to-moderate facial acne vulgaris, but with fewer adverse effects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Chemical peels using 35% glycolic acid, 20% salicylic-10% mandelic acid, and phytic acid reduce acne scores by 70.55%, 74.14%, and 69.7% respectively, and significantly decline the postacne hyperpigmentation index in Asian patients with mild to moderate acne.
Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019Commonly used chemical peels showed no significant differences in effectiveness for acne vulgaris in most comparisons, though combined salicylic and mandelic acid peeling was superior to glycolic acid and glycolic acid was superior to placebo, based on twelve randomized controlled trials.
BMJ Open, 2018Lactobionic acid produced better skin performance with a lack of skin irritation and barrier impairment compared to glycolic acid in 77 healthy volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010An emulsion containing 10% lactobionic acid significantly reduces human skin surface pH without causing skin irritation or barrier impairment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Carboxytherapy alone and combined with lactobionic acid, ferulic acid, and ascorbic acid significantly reduced vascular dark circles and combined pigmentation in the tear trough and lower eyelid of 39 Caucasian participants.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2024Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020Moisturizer 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, 2019Topical treatment with 5% vitamin C and 0.1% madecassoside significantly improved clinical scores for wrinkles, suppleness, firmness, roughness, and skin hydration, along with functional and structural remodeling of the elastic fiber network in 20 female volunteers with photoaged skin after 6 months compared to baseline.
Experimental Dermatology, 2008Topical 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, 2019
Why other products fit combination skin better
Niacinamide 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, 2022A 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, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Mandelic Acid, Glycerin, Lactobionic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hydroxide, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Menthyl Ethylamido Oxalate, Alcohol Denat, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Disodium Edta, Asiatic Acid, Copper Pca, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Acacia Decurrens Flower Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Rhizobian Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chlorphenesin, Alcohol
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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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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