Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser for oily acne-prone skin
Oat Extract
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower Leaf Stem Juice
Sodium HyaluronateAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
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 and hydration for your oily skin, as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide humectant action without exacerbating oiliness.
- While oat kernel flour offers soothing benefits, the formula lacks targeted ingredients to effectively address your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
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 5.0k+ reviewsA notable number of users find it struggles to remove heavy makeup or mineral sunscreen, often necessitating a double-cleanse.
Highlights
Extremely gentle Mostly Mentioned
- “gentlest wash I've used”
- “perfect for damaged barriers”
Fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “no strong smell”
- “great for sensitive noses”
- “doesn't smell like chemicals”
- “truly scentless”
Non-stripping hydration Often Mentioned
- “face feels soft after”
- “no tight feeling”
- “leaves skin moisturized”
- “doesn't dry me out”
Soothes skin Often Mentioned
- “calms my redness”
- “stopped the itching”
- “great for flare-ups”
- “soothing oat ingredients”
Poor makeup removal Often Mentioned
- “won't take off mascara”
- “leaves foundation behind”
- “struggles with sunscreen”
- “need to scrub hard”
Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
- “silky gel consistency”
- “glides over skin”
- “feels like a lotion”
- “smooth application”
No lather Sometimes Noted
- “miss the bubbles”
- “feels like washing with lotion”
- “hard to spread without foam”
- “doesn't feel like it cleans”
Oily residue Sometimes Noted
- “feels like a film”
- “slimy after rinsing”
- “doesn't rinse clean”
- “waxy coating left”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “clogged my pores”
- “caused small bumps”
- “triggered acne flare”
Pump issues Rarely Noted
- “pump stopped working”
- “hard to get last bit”
- “straw is too short”
- “defective dispenser”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, target.com, ulta.com, walmart.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser work for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser provides moderate washing and moisture for oily skin without adding extra oil, but it lacks specific ingredients to target your breakouts. It is unlikely to cause irritation due to its gentle, soothing ingredients, making it safe for your daily routine. A cleanser for this skin needs soothing and effective ingredients like Niacinamide, ceramides, probiotics, or salicylic acid to address acne and balance oil production.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cleanser a good fit by providing hydration without adding oiliness, while oat extract and feverfew juice help calm the skin. However, because it lacks targeted ingredients for breakouts, a cleanser of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to properly manage acne and balance oil.
What does Oat Extract do for oily acne-prone skin?
Oat Extract helps calm irritation and soothe redness, making it a good fit for oily, acne-prone skin. It acts as a gentle anti-inflammatory agent and moisturizer that relieves itch and keeps the skin barrier comfortable without clogging pores. A product for this skin type needs soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredients like colloidal oatmeal to manage breakouts and irritation.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
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 as the first step in your morning routine, and as the second step after your makeup remover in the evening. It provides gentle cleansing and hydration without causing irritation, though oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients to effectively treat breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying it first on damp skin before using your retinol treatment. It is unlikely to cause irritation and helps keep your skin calm, though an acne-prone skin type also needs targeted ingredients to clear breakouts and blemishes.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It is safe for your skin with no risks of irritation, though an oily and acne-prone skin type needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing components.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts because it has a safe formula with soothing components, though it lacks targeted ingredients to actively address acne. To truly clear and care for oily acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this gentle cleanser around your eyes and on your body because its mild formula has a great safety profile with no harsh ingredients. The skin on the body and around the eyes handles this cleanser well, though the eyelid skin is especially thin.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying 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, 2017Topical parthenolide-depleted Feverfew extract protected skin by scavenging free radicals, restoring antioxidants, and significantly reducing UV-induced erythema compared to placebo in a clinical study.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2008A repair cream containing Rhealba oat plantlets extract, l-ALA-l-GLU dipeptide, and hyaluronic acid provided immediate relief and was judged by doctors as good or very good in 96.8% of cases for wound healing in 2,363 patients following dermatological acts.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2018Topically applied Avena sativa and Avena Rhealba oatmeal extracts significantly reduced skin irritation parameters including a* parameter increase and blood flow increase compared to vehicle in 12 healthy individuals subjected to the sodium lauryl sulfate irritation model.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2002Colloidal oat extracts diminished pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro and colloidal oat lotion improved skin dryness, scaling, roughness, and itch intensity in healthy female subjects compared to baseline.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015The 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, 2012Parthenolide and magnolol, as NF-kappaB inhibitors, effectively blocked UVB-induced gene expression, production of MMP-1 and bFGF, and proliferation of keratinocytes and melanocytes.
Current Drug Metabolism, 2010A purified parthenolide-depleted feverfew extract protects skin cells from UV-induced DNA damage by inducing Nrf2 nuclear translocation and ARE activity via a PI3-kinase-dependent pathway.
Journal of Dermatological Science, 2013Topical 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 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, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour Oat Kernel Flour, Polysorbate 20, Poloxamer 188, Zea Mays Starch, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower Leaf Stem Juice, 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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