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Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 for oily acne-prone skin

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

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2

Average

  • AverageOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for oily acne-prone skin; other toners 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 exfoliation for your oily skin due to salicylic acid, which helps decongest pores, but the hydration provided by glycerin and sodium hyaluronate is insufficient to counteract potential dryness from alcohol.
  • While the product offers general skincare benefits like cleansing and soothing, these are mostly supportive and not directly targeted at your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
  • The formulation is safe for your oily skin, as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.

How to apply

  • Could be used as part of your PM routine. Start using your exfoliating toner once a week and slowly increase frequency if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply your exfoliating toner after cleansing and before your moisturizer or other treatments.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin with your hands. Avoid any harsh rubbing .
  • Apply the exfoliating toner on clean and completely dry skin to ensure the best results .
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area and always use daily SPF while using exfoliating active products.

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 5.0k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, users with dry combination skin generally praise this lotion for its ability to remove dull flakes and residual grime, leaving skin feeling "squeaky clean" and prepped for moisturizer. A significant portion of reviewers find the high alcohol content polarizing, with some experiencing stinging, redness, and excessive dryness, particularly those with sensitive skin conditions.

Highlights

  • Effective exfoliation Mostly Mentioned
    • “You will see the dirt with one wipe”
    • “sweeps away dulling flakes”
    • “cotton pad is always dirty after use”
  • Strong alcohol smell Mostly Mentioned
    • “Smells like nail polish remover”
    • “pungent scent of alcohol”
    • “fumes make my eyes water”
  • Clean and fresh Often Mentioned
    • “Skin feels squeaky clean”
    • “refreshing tingle”
    • “feels forcefully cleansed”
  • Drying and stripping Often Mentioned
    • “Made my skin super dry”
    • “stripped all the oil”
    • “left my face feeling tight”
  • Improves skin texture Sometimes Noted
    • “Skin looks smoother and even-toned”
    • “leaves face soft”
    • “restores radiance to dull skin”
  • Preps for moisturizer Sometimes Noted
    • “Prepares skin perfectly for hydration”
    • “moisturizer sinks in better”
    • “clearing the way for lotion”
  • Irritation and stinging Sometimes Noted
    • “Face stung and became red”
    • “skin felt angry for hours”
    • “burning sensation immediately”
  • Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “My skin breaks out”
    • “caused irritation and bumps”
    • “made me oilier and break out”

Sources: lovi.care, sephora.sg, sephora.co.nz, ulta.com, clinique.com, beautyontrial.co.uk, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 work for oily acne-prone skin?

Clinique Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 is an average fit for oily acne-prone skin, offering moderate pore-clearing exfoliation with salicylic acid while lacking direct acne-fighting power and strong hydration to balance the drying alcohol. An exfoliating toner for this skin needs effective exfoliating acids and calming plant extracts that manage breakouts and control oil without any risk of irritation, alongside balanced hydration that keeps the skin comfortable.

BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

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

Salicylic acid makes this toner a fit for your oily acne-prone skin because it decongests pores and helps clear breakouts, while witch hazel and aloe offer soothing benefits. However, an exfoliating toner for this skin type needs stronger targeted ingredients for acne and blemishes, combined with enough hydrating ingredients to prevent dryness.

BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

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 this toner go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This exfoliating toner fits into an evening routine as a cleansing toner after your cleanser and before any treatments, starting once a week and slowly increasing if your skin tolerates it well. To work better for oily acne-prone skin, this type of product needs extra soothing hydration to balance the drying effects of alcohol.

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

You can use this toner with retinol, but apply them on alternating nights or keep your use to a few times a week to avoid excessive dryness. This product provides moderate exfoliation for oily skin, but an average fit like this needs stronger acne-targeting active ingredients and richer hydrators like glycerin or sodium hyaluronate to prevent irritation from alcohol.

How often should I use this toner?

Start using this toner once a week, and if your skin tolerates it well without dryness, you may carefully use it more often. To work best for oily acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs ingredients that target breakouts directly while providing enough hydration to prevent dryness from alcohol.

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

This toner helps clear pores with salicylic acid, but it is unlikely to directly target your acne or breakouts since its soothing benefits are mostly supportive. Because the formula lacks enough moisture to balance out the high amount of alcohol, an oily acne-prone skin type needs a product with extra hydrators like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to prevent dryness.

BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).

What the research says

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.

    Clinical Pharmacology, 2018

  • 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

  • A Hamamelis virginiana leaf extract increased LOXL1 expression twofold, decreased elafin synthesis, restored functional elastic fibers, reduced nonfunctional elastin aggregates, decreased wrinkles, and improved skin firmness.

    Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018

  • Hamamelis bark proanthocyanidins strongly increased the proliferation of cultured human keratinocytes and reduced transepidermal water loss and erythema formation in SLS-irritated skin, whereas the polysaccharide fraction had no effect.

    Phytochemistry, 2001

  • Witch hazel bark extract and hamamelitannin showed pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, supported keratinocyte migration in a wound healing assay, and inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth, whereas their skin microbiota metabolite ellagic acid stimulated inflammatory mediator release.

    Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2025

  • Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.

    Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018

  • Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.

    Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010

  • Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.

    Skin Research and Technology, 2006

  • Application 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, 2004

  • Topical 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, 1992

  • A 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 toners fit oily acne-prone skin better

  • Gluconolactone 14% solution significantly improved mild to moderate acne by reducing inflamed and non-inflamed lesions similarly to 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with fewer side-effects in 150 patients.

    The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992

  • Co-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, 2023

  • A 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, 2024

Ingredients

Water, Alcohol Denat, Glycerin, Witch Hazel Extract, Salicylic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Red 33 Ci 17200, Ext, Violet 2

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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