🇬🇧United Kingdom

Formula 10.0.6 So Totally Clean Deep Pore Cleanser for oily skin

Formula 10.0.6 So Totally Clean Deep Pore Cleanser

Low

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • ConcerningSafety

A weak match for oily skin; the cleansers alongside 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 due to lactic acid, which provides mild chemical exfoliation but may not be sufficient for managing oiliness and could pose risks.
  • While Lactic Acid and Sodium PCA offer some humectant and keratolytic action, the presence of multiple fragrance components increases the potential for irritation.

How to apply

  • Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin fresh. Always make sure to follow with a good SPF in the morning.
  • Apply your cleanser as the first step in the morning or the second step in the evening before your toner.
  • Gently massage a small amount onto your face using circular motions, then rinse well with water .
  • You can apply this cleanser safely on damp skin for a refreshing and easy wash.
  • Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop use if irritation occurs.

People Say

★4.4Overall rating based on 100+ reviews

Based on limited data, users with oily and acne-prone skin find this cleanser effective for removing oil, dirt, and makeup, leading to clearer skin and fewer breakouts. However, users with sensitive or dry skin should be aware that the high alcohol content may cause dryness and irritation.

Highlights

  • Effective acne control Mostly Mentioned
    • “Helped so much with acne”
    • “stops breakouts before they happen”
    • “clears up as soon as I start using it”
  • Affordable price Often Mentioned
    • “Very affordable”
    • “wonderful deal”
    • “better than most expensive brands”
  • Deep pore cleansing Often Mentioned
    • “Gets so much more dirt off”
    • “dissolve the oil”
    • “pores look smaller”
  • Drying and tight Often Mentioned
    • “Leaves skin dry and tight”
    • “it is drying”
    • “makes the skin feel taut”
  • Refreshing sensation Sometimes Noted
    • “Feels so cooling”
    • “makes your skin feel refreshed”
    • “zingy citrusy scents”
  • Irritating for sensitive Sometimes Noted
    • “Not for sensitive skin”
    • “can sting a little”
    • “can have negative effects on sensitive skin”
  • Strong alcohol scent Sometimes Noted
    • “Overwhelming alcohol smell”
    • “alcohol made my eyes water”
    • “strong chemical smell”

Sources: lovi.care, productreview.com.au, fredmeyer.com, influenster.com, reallyree.com, reviewstream.com, and more

Questions and answers

Why is So Totally Clean a weak match for oily skin?

This cleanser is a weak match for oily skin because, while it offers mild exfoliation from lactic acid, it may not be enough to manage your oiliness and the multiple fragrance ingredients increase the risk of irritation. A better cleanser for oily skin needs ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, glycerin, or salicylic acid to control shine and support your skin health without causing irritation or dryness.

Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for oily skin?

This cleanser is a weak match for oily skin mainly because it contains multiple fragrance components that increase the potential for irritation. Oily skin needs a cleanser that manages shine and supports skin health with ingredients like Niacinamide, Ceramides, Glycerin, and probiotics without causing excess dryness or irritation.

What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?

Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019

What does Alcohol Denat do for oily skin?

Alcohol Denat helps make formulas feel lighter on oily skin and dries quickly, but regular use can dry out your skin barrier. To keep oily skin balanced without irritation, a product of this type needs soothing ingredients and gentle hydrators.

Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, 2008Pharmaceutics, 2025

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?

This cleanser goes in the morning and evening routine for oily skin before toners and moisturizers. Because this product is a weak match that may cause irritation from high alcohol and fragrance, oily skin needs a gentle cleanser with salicylic acid or soothing ingredients that clears oil without harshness.

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

Using this cleanser with retinol may easily dry out and irritate your oily skin because it contains drying alcohol and multiple fragrances. A product for this skin needs gentle cleansing ingredients and soothing agents to clear oil without causing irritation.

How often should I use this cleanser?

This cleanser is a weak match for oily skin, as it may not manage oiliness well and the high alcohol and fragrance content increases the risk of irritation. Oily skin of this type needs a gentle cleanser and a lightweight moisturizer with ingredients like niacinamide to help control oil and keep skin balanced without irritation.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?

This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores, but the drying ingredients and alcohol may irritate oily skin and cause breakouts if your skin barrier gets stripped. Oily skin needs a gentle cleanser with balancing ingredients that clear pores without relying on heavy alcohol.

Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?

This cleanser is not a good match for the thin skin around your eyes or on your body because it contains high levels of alcohol and many added fragrances that easily cause irritation. Oily skin of this type needs gentle cleansers with soothing ingredients and balanced chemical exfoliants that clear oil without stripping moisture or damaging the skin barrier.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It contains fragrance (parfum, benzyl alcohol, citral, coumarin, eugenol, geraniol, isoeugenol, limonene, and linalool) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).

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, 2010
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.

    Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016
  • A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.

    Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020
  • An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.

    Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018
  • A novel natural carrier-free assembled gel composed of sodium pyrrolidone carboxylate and baicalin alleviates UVB-induced skin photodamage by scavenging reactive oxygen species, protecting mitochondria, restoring oxidative homeostasis, inhibiting inflammatory responses, and regulating collagen-related proteins.

    Biomaterials Advances, 2026

Why other cleansers fit oily skin better

  • A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
  • Chemical peels with 30% supramolecular salicylic acid effectively treated acne and reduced facial sebum secretion while improving skin hydration and barrier function in 25 patients.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022

Ingredients

Alcohol Denat, Water, Sodium Pca, Lactic Acid, Parfum, Allantoin, Sodium Carbonate, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citral, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Isoeugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Fd, C Red 4 Ci 14700, C Yellow 5 Ci 19140, C Yellow 6 Ci 15985

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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