Equate Beauty Blackhead Clearing Scrub for dry skin
Salicylic Acid
Oil-Free Formula
Jojoba Esters
Menthyl Lactate
Low
- LowDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for dry skin; the exfoliants alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 dry skin due to salicylic acid, which aids in cleansing pores, but it lacks sufficient hydrating ingredients to counteract potential dryness.
- The presence of jojoba esters provides some nourishment, but the overall formula is moderately unsuitable for dry skin because it does not adequately address dryness.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant as part of your PM routine once a week, increasing slowly to twice a week if your dry skin tolerates it well. Always remember to apply SPF every morning to protect your newly smoothed skin.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but always before your rich moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb for a minute. Avoid rubbing to prevent any irritation on flaky areas.
- Apply the product directly to dry clean skin to ensure the best possible tolerance for your dry type. This helps address flaky patches without causing extra stress.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a quick patch test before your very first use. Do not mix this with other strong acids or retinoids on the same night.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers frequently praise this scrub for its ability to clear blackheads, reduce breakouts, and deep-clean pores, making it a popular choice for those with oily or acne-prone skin. While highly effective for many, some users find the formula slightly harsh or note a strong scent, suggesting it may be better suited for those who are not overly sensitive.
Highlights
Affordable price Mostly Mentioned
- “Price is definitely a plus”
- “Great product, great price”
- “Under three dollars”
Effective blackhead removal Often Mentioned
- “Improved my problems with blackheads”
- “Clears blackheads”
- “Brings blackheads to surface”
Breakout control Sometimes Noted
- “Acne is gone”
- “Helps me fight breakouts”
- “Keeps oil in check”
Deep pore cleansing Sometimes Noted
- “Removes dirt and impurities”
- “Removes it all”
- “Great cleaning scrub”
Harsh on skin Sometimes Noted
- “It is a little harsh”
- “Can only use every other day”
- “Not for me”
Strong scent Sometimes Noted
- “Has a weird chemical smell”
- “Odor”
- “Smell that may not appeal”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “Clogs my pores”
- “Gave me more acne”
- “Dry out my skin”
Waxy residue Rarely Noted
- “Feeling like a film of wax”
- “Left an oily film”
- “Greasy”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, reddit.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Equate Beauty Blackhead Clearing Scrub a weak match for dry skin?
Equate Beauty Blackhead Clearing Scrub is a weak match for dry skin because, while salicylic acid helps clean out pores, the formula lacks enough hydrating ingredients to prevent dryness. A better product for dry skin needs deep moisturizers and barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid or niacinamide to keep the skin soft and protected.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a poor fit for dry skin?
Salicylic acid and an oil-free formula make this scrub a weak match because they can strip away moisture and worsen dry skin. A product for this skin needs nourishing ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or niacinamide and soothing hydrators to protect the skin barrier.
What does Salicylic Acid do for dry skin?
Salicylic acid is generally not a good fit for dry skin, as it is meant to clear out pores and remove dead skin rather than hydrate. Because dry skin needs soothing and moisture rather than exfoliation, a product for dry skin needs nourishing ingredients like urea to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft.
What does Oil-Free Formula do for dry skin?
An oil-free formula may not provide enough richness for very dry skin, which typically needs heavy moisturizing ingredients like paraffin, glycerin, or ceramides to lock in moisture and repair the skin barrier. Without these nourishing components, this type of product is unlikely to sufficiently relieve dryness or stop moisture loss.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2024American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2003
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This exfoliant goes into an evening routine once a week, as dry skin needs a gentle formula with soothing and hydrating ingredients to prevent tightness and flaking.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
Using this exfoliant with retinol is not recommended because both can easily irritate dry skin. To safely address breakouts, dry skin needs gentle cleansers paired with rich hydrators and soothing ingredients rather than harsh scrubs.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start by using this exfoliant just once a week, as it offers moderate exfoliation that may dry out your skin. If your dry skin handles it well and stays comfortable, you can carefully use it a little more often. To work safely for dry skin, this type of product needs extra moisturizing and hydrating ingredients to keep the skin soft and smooth.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This scrub uses an oil-free formula with salicylic acid that helps clear out pores, so it is unlikely to clog them on dry skin. However, because it lacks enough hydrating ingredients, it may cause dryness and irritation.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
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, 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, 2024Topical formulations containing 3.75% glycerol and 1.25% hydrolyzed jojoba esters produced significantly lower evaporative TEWL values compared to glycerol alone at 8 and 24 hours posttreatment in human subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024
Why other exfoliants fit dry skin better
A formulation containing glycerol (5%) and xylitol (5%) applied twice daily for 14 days increased skin hydration, filaggrin protein quantity, interdigitation index, and biomechanical properties, and decreased transepidermal water loss compared to untreated and vehicle-treated skin in twelve volunteers with dry skin.
Acta Dermato-venereologica, 2017Phytosphingosine increased filaggrin metabolism and skin hydration in human skin by stimulating filaggrin biosynthesis and degradation leading to natural moisturizing factor formation.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000
Ingredients
Water, Salicylic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether, Synthetic Wax, Microcrystalline Wax, Steareth-21, Polysorbate 60, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Menthyl Lactate, Jojoba Esters, Ci 77510
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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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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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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