Equate Blackhead Clearing Scrub for oily skin
Salicylic Acid
Oil-Free Formula
High
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily skin; a few exfoliants 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 moderate exfoliation for your oily skin, as salicylic acid effectively decongests pores and reduces excess oil, while menthol provides a soothing sensation.
- Polyethylene further aids in gentle exfoliation, complementing the primary action of salicylic acid for managing oily shine.
- The formula is safe for your oily skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including beneficial soothing agents.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant product as part of your PM routine once a week. Start slowly and build up frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb fully. Avoid any harsh rubbing to keep your skin calm.
- Apply the exfoliant directly onto completely dry skin to get the best balance and results. Clean, dry skin helps the product work evenly.
- Always avoid the delicate eye area when applying. Be sure to use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ daily while using exfoliating acids.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 800+ reviewsThis scrub is highly praised for its ability to clear pores, remove excess oil, and manage breakouts using 2% salicylic acid. While it is effective for many, some users with sensitive or dry skin find the physical exfoliation too harsh, occasionally leading to irritation or dryness.
Highlights
Affordable price Mostly Mentioned
- “Great value for price”
- “Did not cost much”
- “Budget-friendly price”
Clears breakouts Often Mentioned
- “Clears up acne”
- “Keeps breakouts away”
- “Treats and clears breakouts”
Effective cleansing Often Mentioned
- “Cleans pores effectively”
- “Removes dirt and oils”
- “Deeply cleanses pores”
Smoother skin Sometimes Noted
- “Achieve softer complexion”
- “Kept my skin smooth”
- “Improves skin appearance”
Causes irritation Sometimes Noted
- “Causes minor irritant”
- “Not good for sensitive skin”
- “Causes rashes”
Too harsh/abrasive Sometimes Noted
- “A little harsh”
- “Skin became painful”
- “Too abrasive”
Drying effect Rarely Noted
- “Leading to further dryness”
- “Tended to dry out skin”
- “Over-drying”
No visible results Rarely Noted
- “Witnessed no change”
- “Failed to make a difference”
- “No results”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, ubuy.sn, ebay.com, reviewstream.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Equate Blackhead Clearing Scrub a great fit for oily skin?
Equate Blackhead Clearing Scrub is a great fit for oily skin because salicylic acid clears out pores and reduces excess oil, while physical scrub beads help smooth the skin. Menthol adds a soothing cooling sensation, and the oil-free formula keeps the skin feeling fresh.
Neuroscience Letters, 1995Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily skin?
Salicylic acid and polyethylene make this exfoliant a great fit for your oily skin because they clear out pores and manage oily shine. Menthol also adds a soothing feel that is safe and gentle for your skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?
Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
What does Oil-Free Formula do for oily skin?
Oil-Free Formula is a poor fit for oily skin because it lacks the ingredients needed to keep pores clear and control shine. To properly care for oily skin, a product of this type needs ingredients that help reduce oil production and deep-pore cleansers that preserve the skin barrier without causing extra grease.
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This exfoliant fits into a weekly routine step for oily skin, starting at once a week and cautiously increasing if your skin tolerates it well. It helps clear pores and reduce excess shine while keeping your skin calm.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this scrub with retinol, but apply them on different days or times to prevent irritation. Since both ingredients actively renew the skin, alternating them helps keep your routine safe and comfortable.
American Family Physician, 2012Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
How often should I use it?
This scrub is a great fit for your oily skin because salicylic acid clears out pores and reduces extra shine, while menthol leaves a soothing feel. Start using it once a week, and if your skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This oil-free exfoliant helps clear pores and reduce excess oil, making it unlikely to clog pores for oily skin. Salicylic acid clears out buildup, though a few shoppers report some irritation or dryness.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Cooling skin temperature or applying topical menthol reduced histamine-induced itch intensity and flare diameters in healthy male volunteers.
Neuroscience Letters, 1995Twice 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, 2024The 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, 2023Topical application of 30% salicylic acid in polyethylene glycol effectively cleared comedones and papules in 436 patients with acne while causing no stinging, burning, edema, bleeding, or crusting.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2008Coadministration of 40% topical L-menthol with 10% trans-cinnamaldehyde reduced spontaneous pain intensity, neurogenic inflammation, primary and secondary mechanical hyperalgesia, and heat hyperalgesia, but not cold hyperalgesia, in 14 healthy volunteers.
The Journal of Pain, 2016Cryotherapy 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, 2010A 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, 2020Treatment 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
Ingredients
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyethylene, Salicylic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Peg-12 Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Tetrasodium Edta, Menthol, Sodium Hydroxide, Blue 1, Ci 16035
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
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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