innisfree Volcanic Pore BHA Cleansing Foam for oily skin
Bha Beta Hydroxy Acid
Volcanic Ash- Salicylic Acid
Zinc Pca
Glycerin
Average
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
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 cleansing and hydration for your oily skin, with lactic acid and glycolic acid providing keratolytic action and zinc PCA for seboregulation, though it lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to fully address oily shine and enlarged pores.
- The presence of myristic acid and lauric acid effectively decongests pores, while Madecassoside offers soothing benefits, making it generally suitable for your oily skin.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
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
★4.4Overall rating based on 15.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this foaming cleanser is highly recommended for oily and acne-prone skin types, effectively cleansing pores and managing excess oil for a refreshed feel. However, users with dry or sensitive skin frequently find it too stripping and drying, sometimes causing tightness or irritation.
Highlights
Deep pore cleansing Mostly Mentioned
- “cleans the skin thoroughly”
- “removes dirt and visible impurities”
- “pores look smaller and nose is smooth”
Excellent oil control Often Mentioned
- “no oil for hours”
- “soaks up any sebum in first use”
- “best for oily skin”
Rich lather Often Mentioned
- “little goes a long way”
- “foams generously”
- “creamy, rich lather”
Drying and stripping Often Mentioned
- “leaving my skin definitely very tight”
- “removes little to no moisture you have”
- “too drying for dry skin”
Acne & blackhead reduction Sometimes Noted
- “decrease of pimples”
- “struggling with blackheads”
- “keeps acne-prone skin clear”
Good value Sometimes Noted
- “worth the money”
- “cost-effective”
- “lasts for 5-6 months easily”
Eye irritation Sometimes Noted
- “stings my eyes so much”
- “smallest amount will make your eyes burn”
- “manage to sting my eyes”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “fragrance is insanely strong”
- “smells like bar soap”
- “too scented for me”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “got tiny bumps”
- “skin definitely a little bit irritated”
- “not for sensitive skin”
Texture/residue issues Rarely Noted
- “made my face feel so rubbery”
- “leaving kind of like a white film”
- “slippery residue”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, nykaa.com, oliveyoung.com, yesstyle.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does innisfree Volcanic Pore BHA work for oily skin?
This cleanser works well for oily skin by helping to clear out pores and keep shine in check without causing irritation. Oily skin works best with cleansers that manage oil and handle large pores using ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2020Journal of Food Biochemistry, 2022
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?
This cleanser fits your oily skin with myristic acid and lauric acid to clear out pores, alongside zinc PCA and lactic acid-glycolic acid copolymer to help balance oil. It also includes madecassoside to keep your skin calm with a very low chance of irritation. Cleansers that are a better fit for oily skin need ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides to manage shine and support skin health.
What does Bha do for oily skin?
BHA helps clear pores and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing extra shine and calming breakouts. It works deep inside pores to sweep away oil and dead skin cells, which helps keep skin looking clear and smooth. This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation and may improve overall skin hydration while controlling excess oil.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2014
What does Volcanic Ash do for oily skin?
Volcanic ash helps oily skin by soaking up extra oil and clearing away dirt to keep pores clean. It may also leave your face feeling fresh and smooth without feeling too dry.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine as the first cleansing step, or as the second step in the evening after removing makeup. It cleanses and hydrates with very low risk of irritation, making it generally suitable for your oily skin.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, but choose a milder cleanser containing salicylic acid to fully tackle oily shine and enlarged pores.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily as part of your morning and evening routine. It is unlikely to cause irritation due to its gentle formula, but oily skin typically benefits from incorporating specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to fully address shine and enlarged pores.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores for oily skin because it contains ingredients that help clear out pores, but it may cause drying or stripping since reviewers frequently mention this issue. To better handle oily shine and enlarged pores, this skin type needs products with specialized ingredients like salicylic acid.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2020Journal of Food Biochemistry, 2022
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but it is best to avoid the very thin skin around the eyes. This cleanser has a very low risk of irritation and helps soothe the skin, though an oily skin type also needs ingredients like salicylic acid to fully clear shine and pores on the body.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016All three treatments—benzoyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide plus erythromycin, and the combination of niacinamide, gallic acid, and lauric acid—were effective in reducing acne vulgaris severity in ninety patients over eight weeks.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2020Myristic acid reduced inflammation and nociception by increasing IL-10 production in LPS-stimulated macrophages, reducing acute and chronic TPA-induced ear edema in mice, and involving the nitrergic system in formalin-induced paw licking.
Journal of Food Biochemistry, 2022Cryotherapy 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, 2024Zinc PCA inhibits UVA-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 production through suppressed AP-1 activation and enhances type I collagen synthesis by increasing SVCT2 mRNA expression in cultured normal human dermal fibroblasts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2012A 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, 2001
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, 2019A 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, 2024Topical 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, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Kaolin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Glycol Distearate, Palmitic Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyquaternium-22, Silica, Hot Spring Water, Zinc Pca, Disodium Edta, Propanediol, Lactic Acid Glycolic Acid Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Madecassoside, Polyquaternium-10, Ethylhexylglycerin
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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