e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Daily Cleanser for combination skin

Sodium Hyaluronate
Ceramides
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Glycerin
High
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for combination skin; a few cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 cleansing for your combination skin, as decyl glucoside and cocamidopropyl betaine effectively remove impurities without stripping the skin, while ceramides and peptides provide soothing benefits.
- Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate offer humectant action, providing hydration to your skin, though specialized ingredients for oil control are absent.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM as part of your daily routine. Start 3×/week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your skin using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
- For the best results , apply the cleanser directly onto slightly damp skin to help lift away excess oil.
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 900+ reviewsThis gel-based cleanser is highly praised for its gentle, non-stripping formula that effectively removes makeup while leaving skin feeling soft and hydrated. While many users with sensitive skin find it suitable due to ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, a small number report experiencing stinging or disliking the distinct fragrance.
Highlights
Hydrating and softening Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves skin feeling hydrated, soft and comfortable”
- “Makes my skin so soft and hydrated”
- “Skin feels smooth and has a beautiful glow”
Gentle and non-stripping Often Mentioned
- “Never stripped my skin or made it feel tight”
- “Feels super gentle, takes off leftover makeup”
- “Cleans without over drying your skin”
Great value Often Mentioned
- “Simple, affordable, and great for everyday use”
- “Great product without costing a fortune”
Effective makeup remover Sometimes Noted
- “Effective at taking off all my makeup”
- “Removes makeup so well”
- “Does an amazing job of removing my (even waterproof) makeup”
Good for sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “Works well for my sensitive and combination skin”
- “It didn't sting my skin which quite a lot of cleansers do”
Strong scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smells exactly like hair dye”
- “Fragrance is rather strong”
- “Scent is pretty overwhelming”
Irritation reported Rarely Noted
- “Sometimes it stings right here or here”
- “Experienced dryness and itching”
- “Caused burning for sensitive skin”
Not hydrating enough Rarely Noted
- “Experienced dryness”
- “Left skin feeling tight”
- “Not as rich as expected”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Package design is a point of frustration”
- “Hard to get product out”
- “Tube packing is decent since I prefer pump bottles”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, influenster.com, target.com, ulta.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Daily Cleanser a great fit for combination skin?
This cleanser is a great fit because it removes impurities without stripping your skin, while glycerin and sodium hyaluronate draw in moisture and ceramides soothe. It is safe for combination skin and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for combination skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for your combination skin because decyl glucoside and cocamidopropyl betaine lift away dirt while ceramides and peptides soothe the skin. Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate also draw in lasting hydration, and the formula is unlikely to cause irritation.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for combination skin?
Hyaluronic acid is a great fit for combination skin because it quenches dry areas with a boost of hydration while keeping oily zones balanced. Regular use helps smooth out fine lines and makes your skin feel soft and plump without causing irritation.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
What do Ceramides do for combination skin?
Ceramides help balance combination skin by supporting the skin barrier to keep dry areas hydrated without feeling heavy on oily zones. This type of skin needs lightweight hydrators and barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides and cholesterol to maintain a smooth and calm feel across both dry and oily areas.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2003Scientific Reports, 2022
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cleanser is used in both your morning and evening routines. In the morning it is the first step before a hydrating toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen, while in the evening it follows a makeup remover and precedes a cleansing toner, treatment, and moisturizer.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol as part of your regular morning and evening routine, applying the cleanser first before your treatment. Using a gentle cleanser with soothing ingredients like ceramides helps keep your skin calm and supports its barrier while you use retinol.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser is a great fit for your combination skin and is gentle enough to use daily in both your morning and evening routines. It effectively washes away impurities without stripping your skin while providing soothing and hydrating benefits.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for your combination skin because its gentle cleansers wash away impurities without stripping your skin, while ceramides, glycerin, and peptides help keep your skin calm and hydrated. It is unlikely to clog pores or cause irritation since it avoids harsh ingredients and includes soothing components.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body and around the eyes, as its gentle ingredients wash away impurities without stripping moisture or causing irritation. The thin skin around the eyes and various body areas benefit greatly from this safe and hydrating formula.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
What the research says
A 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, 2017Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019A multi-modal methodology combining MALDI-MSI, in vivo RCM, echography, and histology revealed age-related decreases in extracellular matrix and epidermal-dermal junction proteins and undulation depth, while a blend of palmitoyl oligopeptide and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 improved subepidermal low-echogenic band thickness, density, and extracellular matrix structure compared to placebo.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2015Chronomodulated daytime application of baicalin and nighttime application of palmitoyl tripeptide-1 synergistically improved skin luminance by 16.29%, nasolabial fold depth by -36.35%, and firmness by 24.35% in 30 female participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, acetyl hexapeptide-8, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-10 significantly increased type III collagen levels in human dermal fibroblasts following UV exposure, with their combination demonstrating a greater effect in vitro and enhancing type I, III, and IV collagen levels in ex vivo skin tissues compared to individual components.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2026The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Sodium Hyaluronate, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Disodium Edta, Citric Acid, Tromethamine, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Polysorbate 20
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
How does it fit your skin?
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