PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash for combination skin
Benzoyl Peroxide
Glycerin
Glycolic Acid
Lactic Acid
Cetearyl Alcohol
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other cleansers fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020
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 suitability for your combination skin as glycerin provides humectant action, though it lacks sufficient emollients like mineral oil to fully address drier areas.
- The presence of benzoyl peroxide and glycolic acid offers excellent cleansing benefits for oily skin by reducing acne lesions and exfoliating, but these are not specialized for managing oily shine.
- The formula is safe for your combination skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM as part of your daily routine. Start 3×/week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your skin using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
- For the best results , apply the cleanser directly onto slightly damp skin to help lift away excess oil.
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 28.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users find this wash to be a highly effective and gentle acne treatment for the face, chest, and back. It is frequently praised for its creamy texture and suitability for sensitive skin, clearing breakouts without significant irritation. Some users still report dryness and caution that the product can permanently bleach fabrics.
Highlights
Gentle on skin Mostly Mentioned
- “gentle on sensitive and dry skin”
- “doesn't dry out skin like others”
- “creamy texture feels gentle”
- “didn't cause any sensitivity”
Bleaches fabrics Mostly Mentioned
- “bleaches towels and clothes”
- “stained my shirt orange”
- “ruined my pillowcases”
- “be careful, it bleaches fabric”
Clears acne Often Mentioned
- “clears texture and is gentle”
- “reduced back acne with almost daily use”
- “90% breakout free after 3 months”
- “clears cystic acne effectively”
Versatile use Often Mentioned
- “works well for body acne”
- “cleared my back from acne scars”
- “use it on face, chest, and back”
- “great for armpits to reduce odor”
Drying and irritation Often Mentioned
- “leaves skin a bit dry”
- “made face itchy at beginning”
- “damaged my skin barrier”
- “can be drying if used too often”
Fast results Sometimes Noted
- “saw results after the first night”
- “clears skin in a matter of 7 days”
- “immediate results and satisfaction”
- “clears acne at lightning speed”
Unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “has a weird scent”
- “smells like chlorine”
- “chemical smell is strong”
- “scent is mild but medicinal”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “product comes spilling out”
- “hard to control amount squeezed”
- “leaks if not closed tightly”
- “tube design could be better”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, target.com, walmart.com, ulta.com, drugs.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash work for combination skin?
PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash offers moderate suitability for your combination skin because glycerin helps keep skin moist, though it lacks enough softening ingredients to fully care for drier areas. Benzoyl peroxide and glycolic acid help clean oily areas by clearing blemishes, but they are not specialized for managing oily shine. A cleanser for combination skin needs soothing ingredients and balancing agents that hydrate dry patches while keeping oil in check.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep skin hydrated, while benzoyl peroxide and glycolic acid clear up acne and exfoliate oily areas. A cleanser of this type needs more rich softening ingredients to fully comfort drier areas and specialized ingredients to balance oily shine.
What does Benzoyl Peroxide do for combination skin?
Benzoyl peroxide helps clear acne and reduce blemishes for combination skin by targeting breakout-causing bacteria. Because it can sometimes cause dryness or tightness in sensitive areas, it is important to follow with a good moisturizer to keep the skin balanced.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, before your toner and moisturizer. To truly fit combination skin, this type of product also needs extra softening ingredients to keep drier areas comfortable while cleansing the oily zones.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, but it is best to use them at different times of day or on alternate days to help prevent dryness and irritation. To keep your skin comfortable, this skin type needs a cleanser that pairs gentle acne-fighting ingredients with rich soothing lotions and barrier-restoring ingredients.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily as part of your morning and evening routine, though a combination skin type needs a product that also brings richer softening ingredients to keep drier areas comfortable.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is safe for your combination skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients. However, a product of this type needs more soft, nourishing ingredients like mineral oil to fully comfort drier areas.
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 thin skin directly around the eyes. A product of this type needs extra soothing ingredients and richer softening oils to care for delicate eye areas safely.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
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, 2017Topical benzoyl peroxide may improve acne more effectively than placebo or no treatment, while showing little to no difference compared with adapalene or clindamycin, but with an increased risk of treatment discontinuation due to adverse effects compared to placebo.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Once-daily fixed-dose clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1%/adapalene 0.15% gel achieved superior treatment success (52.5%) and greater reductions in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions compared to vehicle (8.1%) and dyad component gels in participants with moderate-to-severe acne over 12 weeks.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2022Twice 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, 2024Topical clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/adapalene 0.15%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1% gel achieved significantly greater treatment success and lesion reductions compared to vehicle in participants with moderate-to-severe acne.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2023Daily application of adapalene 0.3%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel reduced and prevented atrophic acne scar formation, achieving a total scar count change of -15.5% versus +14.4% for vehicle over 24 weeks in 67 subjects with moderate or severe facial acne.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Repeated 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, 2000Serial 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, 2017Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020
Why other cleansers fit combination 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, 2019
Ingredients
Benzoyl Peroxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Imidurea, Lactic Acid, Methylparaben, Mineral Oil, Peg 14 M, Potassium Lauryl Sulfate, Potassium Phosphate, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Pca, Titanium Dioxide, Zea Mays Starch
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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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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
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