Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gentle Cleansing Lotion for oily acne-prone skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol
Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Dodecenylsuccinate Starch
Poloxamer 188
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 for your oily skin due to glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, which provide hydration and gentle cleansing without exacerbating oiliness.
- While it offers general hydration benefits, the formula lacks targeted ingredients to address your specific concerns of acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh or prohibited ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, this fragrance-free, milky cleanser is highly regarded by users with dry and sensitive skin for its gentle, non-stripping cleansing action that leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated. While it effectively removes daily grime and light makeup, a moderate number of users note it may leave a slight residue or be insufficient for heavy makeup removal. Some users also report difficulty finding the product and occasional packaging issues.
Highlights
Gentle & non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “doesn't strip face”
- “gentle enough for daily use”
- “no tight feeling”
- “calming and soothing”
Fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “no scent”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “doesn't sting eyes”
- “no irritation”
Hydrating finish Often Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft”
- “hydrated finish”
- “moisturized feel”
- “skin feels supple”
Good for sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “no redness”
- “doesn't cause breakouts”
- “soothing effect”
Milky texture Sometimes Noted
- “soft milky consistency”
- “glides on smooth”
- “creamy gel texture”
- “feels like lotion”
Leaves residue Sometimes Noted
- “leaves residue”
- “doesn't feel fully clean”
- “need toner after”
- “filmy feeling”
Weak makeup removal Sometimes Noted
- “struggles with mascara”
- “didn't remove eyeshadow”
- “need second cleanse”
- “too gentle for makeup”
Hard to find Rarely Noted
- “hard to find in stores”
- “had to order online”
- “out of stock”
- “rarely on shelves”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “dispenser gets stuck”
- “pump arrived broken”
- “hard to get product out”
- “defective pump”
Potential breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “small bumps appeared”
- “clogged pores”
- “worsened acne”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, walmart.com, skinsafeproducts.com, youtube.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gentle Cleansing Lotion work for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for your oily skin, offering gentle hydration without making you feel too greasy, but it lacks targeted ingredients to help with breakouts. An oily and acne-prone skin type needs cleansers with soothing ingredients like Niacinamide, ceramides, probiotics, or salicylic acid to balance oil production and keep skin clear without irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cleanser a good fit by offering moderate hydration and gentle cleansing without making your skin more oily. However, a cleanser for this skin needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, probiotics, or salicylic acid to help manage breakouts and balance oil.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
What does Glycerin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It draws moisture into the skin while supporting the skin barrier so it stays soft and balanced.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes in the morning and evening steps of your routine, right before your hydrating toner and moisturizer. It cleans your oily skin safely without adding extra oil, but an oily acne-prone routine also needs targeted ingredients to actively address breakouts and blemishes.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying the cleanser first on damp skin before using your retinol treatment. It cleanses gently without clogging pores, but because it lacks targeted ingredients for breakouts, oily acne-prone skin needs cleansers with salicylic acid or acne-fighting ingredients to help clear blemishes.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. While it cleanses and hydrates your oily skin safely, this skin type needs targeted ingredients like blemish-fighting actives to properly address breakouts.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause irritation on oily acne-prone skin, as it has a safe formula with gentle hydrating ingredients. However, it lacks targeted blemish-fighting ingredients, so oily acne-prone skin usually needs a cleanser with acne-fighting actives like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to properly manage breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on the body and around the eyes, as its safe formula is unlikely to cause irritation. Oily acne-prone skin needs a cleanser of this type to include targeted ingredients that clear breakouts and blemishes while providing gentle cleansing.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical 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 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, 2001Hydrophobically modified polymers and sodium hydrolyzed potato starch dodecenylsuccinate reduce irritation and surfactant penetration while providing effective cleansing and improved tolerability in individuals with sensitive skin compared to commercial mild cleansers.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2026Asiatic 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 low concentrations of Poloxamer 188 after thermal damage improves the morphological integrity and contractile function of human foreskin fibroblasts heat shocked at 45 degrees C compared to untreated cells.
The Journal of Surgical Research, 1998
Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better
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, 2021A 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, 2024A novel emulsion containing niacinamide, lens esculenta seed extract, and white willow bark extract effectively improved acne, blackheads, and conspicuous facial pores in 30 subjects with oily skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Dodecenylsuccinate Starch, Zea Mays Starch, Polysorbate 20, Poloxamer 188, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate
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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