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NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Chemical Exfoliator for oily acne-prone skin

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

NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Chemical Exfoliator

High

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few products fit it even 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

  • Highly suitable for your oily skin as glycolic acid and salicylic acid effectively exfoliate and decongest pores, while niacinamide helps regulate oil production.
  • The formula offers moderate exfoliation for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts, promoting skin renewal and pore clearing.
  • This product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use this exfoliant as part of your PM routine once a week to start, increasing frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but before your final moisturizer step.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the product directly onto clean, dry skin for the best results against breakouts.
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area and always use a daily SPF since exfoliating makes skin more sensitive to the sun.

People Say

★4.3Overall rating based on 800+ reviews

Users with oily and blemish-prone skin generally report that this exfoliator effectively resurfaces texture and reduces active breakouts, often delivering smoother skin within a week. While many praise its ability to clear acne without excessive drying, a subset of users experiences initial purging or stinging sensations upon application.

Highlights

  • Smoother skin texture Mostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels and looks really smooth after using it”
    • “left my skin feeling incredibly silky smooth”
    • “resurfaced my skin and helped clear my blemishes”
  • Reduces blemishes Often Mentioned
    • “acne has slowly faded away”
    • “helped to settle down a couple of new spots”
    • “cleared her face in a few days”
  • Fast visible results Sometimes Noted
    • “saw an improvement within a couple of days”
    • “worked its magic overnight”
    • “in 7 days my skin was a lot better”
  • Non-drying formula Sometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling refreshed... without drying out”
    • “skin felt soft and hydrated”
  • Stinging or burning Sometimes Noted
    • “felt it stung quite a bit on applying”
    • “slight stinging sensation can occur”
    • “caused immediate burning”
  • Initial breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “broke my face out the few times I used it”
    • “worsening of skin condition before improvement”
    • “caused more spots initially”
  • No visible difference Rarely Noted
    • “no difference in my skin”
    • “did not help or encourage my skin”
    • “no exfoliation noticed”
  • Strong scent Rarely Noted
    • “smell is very sharp kind of vinegary”
    • “has a strong chemical smell”
    • “scent is a bit masculine hairspray”

Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, superdrug.com, tesco.com, nivea.co.uk, hometesterclub.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Chemical Exfoliator a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?

This product is a great fit because glycolic acid and salicylic acid effectively exfoliate and clear out pores, while niacinamide helps balance oil production. It provides moderate exfoliation to help with blemishes and breakouts while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019

Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?

Salicylic acid and glycolic acid make this exfoliant a great fit because they effectively exfoliate and clear clogged pores, while niacinamide helps keep excess oil under control. The formula also promotes skin renewal and pore clearing to help manage blemishes and breakouts with a low risk of irritation.

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

What does Salicylic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?

Salicylic acid helps clear breakouts and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing oil levels and calming inflammation. It is well suited for oily, acne-prone skin because it targets pimples while helping keep the skin hydrated and protected.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019

What does Glycolic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?

Glycolic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing pimples and soothing breakouts. It exfoliates the surface to keep pores clear and leaves the skin feeling smooth.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Dermatologic Surgery, 2014

Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This product goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before your moisturizer. You can start by using it once a week, and if your skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often.

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

You can use this exfoliant with retinol by applying them on different nights to keep your skin calm and avoid irritation. Using both strong treatments at the same time is likely to overwhelm your skin, so alternating days works best.

How often should I use it?

Start by using this exfoliant treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin handles it well and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. The formula provides moderate exfoliation to help clear your pores and manage breakouts safely.

Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?

This exfoliant is a great fit because glycolic acid and salicylic acid effectively clear and decongest pores for oily skin, while niacinamide helps control oil. It may cause initial breakouts for your skin as it promotes skin renewal, and some people feel stinging or burning.

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

Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.

What the research says

  • 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

  • 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

  • Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019

  • 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

  • Topical treatment of nicotinamide, alone or in combination with other active ingredients, reduces the progression of skin aging and hyperpigmentation in clinical trials while being well tolerated.

    Antioxidants, 2021

  • 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

  • Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.

    International Journal of Dermatology, 2000

  • Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.

    Dermatologic Surgery, 2017

  • Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

  • Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.

    The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008

  • Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.

    Dermatologic Surgery, 2005

  • 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

  • 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

  • Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.

    Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015

  • Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.

    Experimental Dermatology, 2015

  • Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.

    Advanced Science, 2025

Ingredients

Water, Glycolic Acid, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Gluconolactone, Peg-40 Stearate, Peg-150 Distearate, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Pantolactone, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Edta, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum

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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QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play