Curology Formula for oily skin
Tretinoin
Azelaic Acid
ClindamycinHigh
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 excellent treatment for acne lesions and blemishes, as tretinoin and azelaic acid work synergistically to exfoliate and regulate sebum production, making it highly suitable for your oily skin.
- Clindamycin further aids in reducing inflammation and preventing breakouts, addressing your primary concern of oily shine.
- The formula is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 15.3k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users frequently report significant improvements in acne-prone skin, with reduced breakouts and smoother texture being common outcomes. Some users experience initial irritation or purging, and a smaller number encounter issues with subscription management or packaging. Overall satisfaction is high, particularly regarding the effectiveness for acne and skin texture improvement.
Highlights
Acne clearance Mostly Mentioned
- “Cleared my cystic and hormonal acne”
- “Only thing that worked in 10 years”
- “No more breakouts here”
- “Cystic acne is finally gone”
Improved texture Often Mentioned
- “Skin has gotten smoother”
- “Scars fade, texture smoothes out”
- “Got that glow back”
- “Confident to stop wearing foundation”
Simplified routine Sometimes Noted
- “Simplifies my nightly routine”
- “3 actives in one bottle”
- “Don't need extra serums”
- “Streamlined my skincare steps”
Telehealth access Sometimes Noted
- “Convenient to order from home”
- “No need to drive anywhere”
- “Easy to text a question”
- “Skips the pharmacy line”
Packaging problems Sometimes Noted
- “Pump stops coming out”
- “Bottles are deceptively large”
- “Dispenser takes multiple pumps”
- “Packaging feels cheap”
Subscription issues Sometimes Noted
- “Charged me after I cancelled”
- “Struggled to cancel subscription”
- “Hard to adjust shipment dates”
- “Billed while on hold”
Customer service Rarely Noted
- “Initial contact is unhelpful bot”
- “Hard to reach a human”
- “Generic copy-paste responses”
- “Support email is slow”
Skin reactions Rarely Noted
- “Caused a burning sensation”
- “Face began to break out”
- “Dryness and discoloration”
- “Ruined my moisture barrier”
Sources: lovi.care, influencer.com, trustpilot.com, highya.com, reddit.com, innerbody.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Curology Formula a great fit for oily skin?
Curology Formula is a great fit for oily skin because tretinoin and azelaic acid team up to clear blemishes and manage extra oil, while clindamycin helps calm redness and stop breakouts. The formula is very gentle on your skin and carries a very low likelihood of irritation.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022
Which ingredients make this treatment a good fit for oily skin?
Tretinoin, azelaic acid, and clindamycin make this treatment a great fit because they help clear breakouts, control oily shine, and calm redness without harsh irritation. Tretinoin and azelaic acid work together to clear pores and keep oil balanced, while clindamycin helps stop acne-causing bacteria.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022
What does Tretinoin do for oily skin?
Tretinoin helps keep oily skin clear by reducing blemishes and clearing clogged pores. It speeds up skin renewal, which may reduce breakouts and leave your skin looking smoother over time.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Clinical Therapeutics, 1992
What does Azelaic Acid do for oily skin?
Azelaic acid helps calm acne and clear out pores without changing how much oil your skin makes. It targets multiple causes of breakouts and helps fade dark spots left behind by pimples.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Acta Dermato-venereologica. Supplementum, 1989
Where does this treatment go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment goes in your evening routine, keeping things simple and safe around sun exposure. You apply it after cleansing and before moisturizing, following the recommended steps for your oily skin.
Can I use this treatment with niacinamide, and in what order?
Yes, you can use niacinamide with this treatment by applying your niacinamide product first in your routine to help keep your skin calm and hydrated before putting on the treatment. This combination is unlikely to cause irritation because the formula is safe and free of harsh ingredients, while your supportive skincare helps manage sensitivity.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024American Family Physician, 2012
How often should I use this treatment?
You can use this treatment in your evening routine, applying it once a week at first and carefully building up frequency if your skin tolerates it well and sees good results. The formula helps manage breakouts and oily shine safely without harsh irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023
Can this treatment clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This treatment is a great fit for oily skin and helps clear breakouts rather than cause them, though new ingredients like tretinoin may occasionally lead to a temporary purging phase as your skin adjusts. The formula is generally safe for your skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients that typically clog pores.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Pharmaceutics, 2021
What the research says
Azelaic acid nanocrystal hydrogel 10% achieved a higher success rate and greater lesion reduction than azelaic acid cream 20% in patients with mild to moderate facial acne.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Tretinoin-loaded nano lipid carriers resulted in a significantly higher rate of decrease in acne lesions and greater reduction in porphyrin production compared to conventional tretinoin cream in patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Application of 15% azelaic acid gel significantly reduced post-inflammatory erythema and hyperpigmentation, decreased hemoglobin and melanin content, improved quality of life, and contributed to acne improvement in patients with mild to moderate acne compared to placebo.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2024Once-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, 2022Topical 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, 2023A galenic compound containing essential oils and tretinoin demonstrated anti-acne efficacy and anti-inflammatory activity, significantly reducing papular erythema and retinoid-induced rashes compared to clindamycin-tretinoin gel in sixty volunteers over 30 days.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020Topical tretinoin improves clinical appearance of photoaging in terms of wrinkling, mottled hyperpigmentation, sallowness, and lentigines and is safe and well tolerated.
International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022Topical tretinoin daily application for 10 to 12 months produced an 80 percent increase in collagen I formation in photodamaged human skin compared with a 14 percent decrease with vehicle alone.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993Topical application of a dermocosmetic containing Myrtus communis extract and azelaic acid reduced acne relapses and helped maintain remission compared to a light moisturizing cream in adult females in the acne maintenance phase over 16 weeks.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2023Topical administration of 20% azelaic acid cream and 5% tranexamic acid solution comparably improved acne-related postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in patients with acne vulgaris, while tranexamic acid demonstrated a significantly better safety profile at week 4.
Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2023Azelaic acid 15% gel showed comparable efficacy to adapalene 0.1% gel in reducing lesions, severity, and Dermatology Life Quality Index in women with adult acne, with significantly lower dryness and scaling, and demonstrated superiority during maintenance compared to no further treatment.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2015Clindamycin-BPO 2.5% aqueous gel applied once daily provided statistically significant greater efficacy than individual active ingredients and vehicle in reducing inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions and acne severity in 2813 patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2008Topical 4% nicotinamide and 1% clindamycin gels showed similar overall efficacy in reducing acne grade in patients with moderate inflammatory facial acne vulgaris over 8 weeks, with nicotinamide being more effective for oily skin and clindamycin for non-oily skin.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2013The incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events and colitis in patients exposed to topical clindamycin for acne vulgaris is extremely low across pharmacovigilance, retrospective, and clinical trial data.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2024
Ingredients
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
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