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NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub for oily acne-prone skin

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

NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub

High

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few products fit it even 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

  • Highly suitable for your oily skin, this scrub utilizes salicylic acid and lactic acid to effectively exfoliate and decongest pores, addressing your concerns with acne, blemishes, and breakouts. Niacinamide further supports oil regulation, enhancing the product's benefits for your skin type.
  • The moderate concentrations of exfoliating acids provide mild chemical exfoliation, which is beneficial for smoothing texture and managing oiliness without causing irritation.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use this exfoliant as part of your PM routine once a week to start, increasing frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but before your final moisturizer step.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the product directly onto clean, dry skin for the best results against breakouts.
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area and always use a daily SPF since exfoliating makes skin more sensitive to the sun.

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 300+ reviews

Users with oily and blemish-prone skin frequently praise this scrub for its gentle pore-unclogging and blackhead-reducing abilities, leaving skin feeling smooth and clean without excessive dryness. A significant number of reviewers note that the texture is less abrasive than expected, functioning more like a daily cleanser. Some users also report a reduction in blemishes and appreciate the pleasant scent and feel.

Highlights

  • Effective cleansing Often Mentioned
    • “unclogs pores”
    • “removes grease”
    • “skin feels clean”
    • “refreshingly cleansing”
  • Gentle, non-drying Often Mentioned
    • “doesn't dry out skin”
    • “gentle enough for daily use”
    • “skin feels moisturized”
    • “not stripped bare”
  • Smoothes skin Often Mentioned
    • “skin feels smooth”
    • “soft and refreshed”
    • “leaves face feeling amazing”
    • “instantly smooth”
  • Not gritty enough Often Mentioned
    • “not super gritty”
    • “more of a face wash”
    • “not as exfoliating as expected”
    • “particles are too fine”
  • Pleasant scent/feel Sometimes Noted
    • “smells really nice”
    • “fresh feel”
    • “lathers well”
    • “clean Nivea scent”
  • Reduces blemishes Sometimes Noted
    • “reduces blackheads”
    • “helps with acne”
    • “less breakouts”
    • “settle down spots”
  • Messy application Rarely Noted
    • “tad messy”
    • “runny consistency”
    • “messy on the face”
  • Mild dryness Rarely Noted
    • “slightly drying”
    • “dry the skin out a bit”
    • “need moisturizer after”
  • Slow results Rarely Noted
    • “didn't see difference”
    • “takes time to work”
    • “not effective for deep pores”

Sources: lovi.care, nivea.co.uk, hometesterclub.com, tesco.com, superdrug.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Scrub a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?

This scrub is a great fit because it uses salicylic acid and lactic acid to clear pores and manage breakouts, while niacinamide helps control oil. Its moderate acid levels smooth texture without causing irritation, and it has an excellent safety profile for your skin type.

BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

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

Salicylic acid and lactic acid make this exfoliant a great fit by deeply clearing out pores and smoothing rough texture on oily, acne-prone skin. Niacinamide is also included to help balance oil production, and the gentle formula is unlikely to cause irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023

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 Niacinamide do for oily acne-prone skin?

Niacinamide helps balance oil production, calms redness, and is unlikely to irritate oily, acne-prone skin while improving blemishes. Clinical tests show it reduces excess oil and helps clear up both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne breakouts.

Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This exfoliant goes in your weekly routine after cleansing, as Lovi routines start exfoliating steps once a week. People who tolerate them well and see good results may carefully use them more often.

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

It is best not to use this scrub in the same routine as retinol, because combining these strong ingredients may cause irritation on oily acne-prone skin. Instead, use your retinol on different nights or keep this exfoliant to your weekly routine steps to keep your skin smooth and calm.

How often should I use this exfoliant?

Start by using this scrub once a week, and if your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. The moderate concentrations of salicylic acid and lactic acid help smooth texture and manage oiliness without causing irritation.

Dermatologic Surgery, 2003Dermatologic Surgery, 2006

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

This exfoliant is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin and is unlikely to cause clogged pores or breakouts. Salicylic acid and lactic acid help decongest pores and smooth texture, while niacinamide supports oil regulation safely without irritation.

BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

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

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

  • 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

  • Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

  • Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.

    The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008

  • Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.

    Dermatologic Surgery, 2005

  • 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

  • Coco-glucoside powered emulgels containing probiotics and prebiotics demonstrated stability without phase separation and preserved probiotic viability for up to 11 days, supporting the skin's natural barrier.

    International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2025

  • The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.

    Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003

Ingredients

Water, Coco-Glucoside, Coco-Betaine, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Lactic Acid, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Cellulose, Mannitol, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Benzophenone-4, Parfum, Ci 77289

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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QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play