Verb Ghost Exfoliating Scalp Nectar for oily acne-prone skin
Lactobionic Acid
Glycerin
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Biotin
Glycolic AcidHigh
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
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
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your oily skin and acne concerns due to the presence of urea and glycolic acid, which provide mild chemical exfoliation and keratolytic action. Bisabolol and Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract further soothe your skin, ensuring a gentle experience.
- The inclusion of lactobionic acid enhances scalp exfoliation by promoting the shedding of dead skin cells, complementing the overall treatment for blemishes and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsUsers with various hair types report that it leaves the scalp feeling refreshed and hydrated without the harshness often associated with physical scrubs, though results can vary based on individual scalp needs.
Highlights
Removes buildup Often Mentioned
- “Lifts buildup without the stripped feeling.”
- “Clears away buildup and makes everything feel lighter.”
- “My scalp had less build-up.”
Soothes itchy scalp Often Mentioned
- “Helps keep my itchies at bay.”
- “Substantially less itchy.”
- “Really soothing on the scalp!”
Gentle formula Sometimes Noted
- “Gentle on my scalp.”
- “Does not irritate or burn my skin whatsoever.”
- “Deep clean without feeling harsh.”
Hydrates dry skin Sometimes Noted
- “Hydrates the flakes so your hair isn't flaking.”
- “My scalp felt hydrated.”
- “Helps with dry scalp flakes.”
Can cause greasiness Rarely Noted
- “Makes your hair super oily and greasy.”
- “Causes buildup.”
Insufficient exfoliation Rarely Noted
- “I was looking for a product to really exfoliate my scalp.”
- “Did not notice a difference in my scalp.”
Temporary relief Rarely Noted
- “Works great as a temporary scalp relief.”
- “After the second day, the flaking and itching comes right back.”
- “Once you rinse it out it's a wrap.”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, lemon8-app.com, skinsort.com, cosmoprofbeauty.com, lovelyskin.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Verb Ghost Exfoliating Scalp Nectar a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Verb Ghost Exfoliating Scalp Nectar is a great fit because it offers moderate exfoliation for your oily skin and blemishes with urea, glycolic acid, and lactobionic acid. It also helps calm your skin safely and gently using bisabolol and water lily flower extract without causing irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycolic acid, urea and lactobionic acid make this a great fit by providing mild chemical exfoliation to help manage oily skin and breakouts. Bisabolol and Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract further soothe your skin, ensuring a gentle experience.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
What does Lactobionic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Lactobionic acid helps calm and smooth oily, acne-prone skin while gently exfoliating without irritation or breaking down the skin barrier. Because it is very gentle and deeply hydrating, it works best when paired with ingredients that control excess oil and clear pores.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010
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 exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant goes in your evening routine as a treatment step, starting at once a week and slowly increasing if your skin tolerates it well. It offers moderate exfoliation and helps manage blemishes safely with soothing ingredients and no harsh irritants.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this scalp treatment with retinol by applying them on alternate nights to help prevent any extra irritation on your oily, acne-prone skin. Using both active ingredients at the same time may be too strong for your skin barrier.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start using this exfoliant once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin tolerates it well without irritation, you may carefully use it more often. The gentle acids and soothing ingredients help clear dead skin cells and blemishes while keeping your skin calm and safe.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This scalp treatment is unlikely to clog your pores, cause breakouts, or lead to purging, making it a great fit for oily acne-prone skin. It offers mild chemical exfoliation from glycolic acid and urea while soothing components help keep irritation at bay.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum) and drying alcohol (isopropyl alcohol).
What the research says
Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019A combination of dermapen and glycolic acid peel significantly decreased acne scar grades and resulted in higher patient satisfaction compared to either monotherapy in 30 patients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019An emulsion containing 10% lactobionic acid significantly reduces human skin surface pH without causing skin irritation or barrier impairment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Emulgels containing Perilla frutescens seed oil, Moringa oleifera seed oil, and mixed seed oil microemulsions exhibit good stability, lack of cytotoxicity in PBMC, and no skin irritation or allergic reactions in human subjects.
Polymers, 2022Lactobionic acid produced better skin performance with a lack of skin irritation and barrier impairment compared to glycolic acid in 77 healthy volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010Combining a 20% lactobionic acid peel with aluminum oxide crystal microdermabrasion increases skin hydration, improves elasticity, and decreases transepidermal water loss in 20 Caucasian females compared to lactobionic acid peel alone.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Carboxytherapy alone and combined with lactobionic acid, ferulic acid, and ascorbic acid significantly reduced vascular dark circles and combined pigmentation in the tear trough and lower eyelid of 39 Caucasian participants.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2024Lactobionic acid improved skin barrier function most compared to other AHAs and BHAs when tested on an ex vivo porcine skin model, confirming significant barrier-protective effects and enabling toxicity evaluation of cosmetic ingredients.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021A 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, 2017The 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, 2001Moringa seed oil stimulated sebaceous lipogenesis, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, and exhibited a low n-6/n-3 index in cultured human SZ95 sebocytes compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023Topical Moringa oleifera seed oil and its main constituent oleic acid reduced acute and chronic skin inflammation and epidermal hypertrophy in mice through glucocorticoid receptor activation without dexamethasone-like adverse effects on organ weights.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2020WS Biotin, a novel encapsulated form of D-Biotin with 20-fold greater water solubility than free biotin, enhanced hair-related keratin and hair growth gene expression in cell cultures and reduced melanin content in UVA-exposed epidermal melanocytes.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024Pharmacological biotin concentrations of 1 microM and 100 microM specifically increased cytokeratins induced upon terminal differentiation in a keratinocyte cell line (Ha-CaT) compared to untreated cells, demonstrating that biotin directly stimulates epidermal cell differentiation.
Schweizer Archiv Fur Tierheilkunde, 1991Repeated 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, 2000Serial 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
Ingredients
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Urea, Lactobionic Acid, Cetrimonium Chloride, Grapefruit Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Steam Extract Flower Leaf, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Sea Whip Extract, Syringa Vulgaris Extract, Hydrolyzed Pg-Propyl Silanetriol Protein, Biotin, Bisabolol, Anhyrdoxylitol, Glucose Oxidase, Glucose Pentaacetate, Maltodextrin, Xylitol, Xylitylglucoside, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Polyquaternium-10, Amodimethicone, Trideceth-12, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Dipropylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Chloride, Carnosine, Butylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Caprylyl 2-Glyceryl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Disodium Edta, Potassium Sorbate, Potassium Thiocyanate, Lactofferin, Lactoperoxidase, Isopropyl Alcohol, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Bht, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
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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