Dermalogica Liquid Peelfoliant for oily skin
Aha
Phytic Acid
Enzymes Fruit
Tranexamic Acid
Salicylic Acid
Average
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily skin; other products fit it 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 and oily shine goals due to the presence of glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid, which provide chemical exfoliation to deeply cleanse pores and smooth texture.
- The formula is safe for your oily skin, as it contains soothing ingredients like Lactobacillus Punica Granatum Extract Fruit Ferment and Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, and lacks harsh or prohibited ingredients.
- Tranexamic acid and Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract offer additional benefits for skin tone and texture, complementing the primary exfoliating action.
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
★4.7Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsThis product is highly praised for its ability to transform dull, uneven skin into a smoother, more radiant complexion by effectively targeting congestion, fine lines, and rough texture. While most users experience professional-level results, those with sensitive skin should exercise caution and start with a lower frequency of use to manage potential tingling or redness.
Highlights
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “My face is smoother and I see less breakouts.”
- “Significant improvement in my skin texture.”
- “Left with the softest, smoothest baby like skin.”
- “My skin has been getting smoother.”
Visible radiant glow Often Mentioned
- “I noticed how glow-y my skin looked.”
- “Wake up with glowing skin.”
- “Healthy, radiant glow.”
- “I know I'm going to be glowing in the morning.”
Easy to use Sometimes Noted
- “Very easy to use.”
- “Easy to apply.”
- “Quick and easy to use.”
Effective pore minimizing Sometimes Noted
- “It just tightens my pores.”
- “Helps unclog pores.”
- “Minimizes the appearance of pores.”
Potential for irritation Sometimes Noted
- “A whole lot of redness and tingling.”
- “Can be irritating at first.”
- “My face was super inflamed.”
Contains fragrant oils Rarely Noted
- “Bums me out that the brand put fragrant plant oils.”
- “Bergamot and Mandarin oils are known to irritate.”
May feel ineffective Rarely Noted
- “This is a very mild peel.”
- “I do not feel any tingling.”
- “I don't see any 'glowy' results.”
Sources: lovi.care, skinsort.com, spacenk.com, nicolaloves.co.uk, skincarmanyc.com, ulta.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Dermalogica Liquid Peelfoliant work for oily skin?
Dermalogica Liquid Peelfoliant works moderately well for oily skin, helping to deeply cleanse pores and smooth texture through chemical exfoliation. An exfoliant of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide to control sebum production and zinc PCA to manage oily shine while supporting skin barrier function.
BioMed Research International, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily skin?
This exfoliant works well for oily skin because it contains glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid to deeply cleanse pores and smooth texture. To be an even better fit for oily skin, this type of product needs ingredients like niacinamide to control extra oil, along with soothing extracts and lightweight hydrators.
BioMed Research International, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
What does Alpha Hydroxy Acid do for oily skin?
Alpha hydroxy acid helps clear away dead skin cells to keep oily skin smooth and prevent clogged pores. It may also help calm redness and improve overall skin texture when used consistently.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2011Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
What does Phytic Acid do for oily skin?
Phytic acid helps clear active acne and fades post-acne dark spots while smoothing oily skin. A product of this type needs acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or mandelic acid to properly manage breakouts and uneven tone on oily skin.
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment goes in your evening routine, starting at once a week and cautiously increasing if your skin handles it well. Oily skin works best with an exfoliant of this type when it includes soothing ingredients and chemical exfoliants that deeply cleanse pores and smooth texture.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
It is best to use this exfoliant on nights when you are not applying retinol, or to use them on alternate nights to help prevent dry, irritated skin. Using both powerful treatments together may easily overwhelm your oily skin.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start using this exfoliant once a week in your evening routine, and carefully use it more often if your skin tolerates it well and shows good results. Products for oily skin need ingredients that deeply cleanse pores, smooth texture, and provide moderate exfoliation.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as it contains salicylic acid and other acids that help deeply cleanse and clear pores. However, you may experience some mild irritation or purging when you start using it.
BioMed Research International, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Oleyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
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, 2020Glycolic 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, 2019Twice 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, 2024GarPepair and its active ingredients geniposide and genipin-1-beta-D-gentiobioside significantly upregulated mRNA and protein expression of ZO-1 in lipopolysaccharide-induced HaCat cells while showing low acute toxicity on zebrafish, demonstrating high safety and skin barrier repair efficacy.
Natural Product Research, 2026L-ascorbic acid 10% plus phytic acid 2% serum significantly reduced the pigmentation index of solar lentigines compared to a vehicle control in 30 healthy subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2011Chemical peels using 35% glycolic acid, 20% salicylic-10% mandelic acid, and phytic acid reduce acne scores by 70.55%, 74.14%, and 69.7% respectively, and significantly decline the postacne hyperpigmentation index in Asian patients with mild to moderate acne.
Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019A topical facial emulsion containing 10% glycolic acid, 2% phytic acid, and a soothing complex significantly improved skin hyperpigmentation, texture, and tone homogeneity from week 4 through week 12 in American female volunteers with Fitzpatrick skin types II-VI.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Cryotherapy 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, 2010Treatment 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, 2024Topical 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
Ingredients
Water, Lactobacillus Punica Granatum Extract Fruit Ferment, Glycolic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phytic Acid, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, Propanediol, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Tranexamic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Cranberry Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Bergamot Oil Fruit, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil Mandarin Orange Peel Oil, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Raspberry Ketone, Rosa Damascena Flower, Sodium Pca, Sucrose Distearate, Succinoglycan, Urea, Ceramide Np, Phytosphingosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Oleyl Alcohol, Triolein, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Oleic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Cholesterol, Trehalose, Polyquaternium-51, Maltodextrin, Ethyl Acetate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Stearic Acid, Gamma-Undecalactone
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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