Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gentle Cleansing Lotion for oily skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol
Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Dodecenylsuccinate Starch
Poloxamer 188
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily skin; other cleansers 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 suitability for your oily skin as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide hydration and support skin barrier resilience, though they do not directly address oily shine.
- The cleansing action is adequate for oily skin, but lacks specific ingredients for optimal oil control.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, this fragrance-free, milky cleanser is highly regarded by users with dry and sensitive skin for its gentle, non-stripping cleansing action that leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated. While it effectively removes daily grime and light makeup, a moderate number of users note it may leave a slight residue or be insufficient for heavy makeup removal. Some users also report difficulty finding the product and occasional packaging issues.
Highlights
Gentle & non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “doesn't strip face”
- “gentle enough for daily use”
- “no tight feeling”
- “calming and soothing”
Fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “no scent”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “doesn't sting eyes”
- “no irritation”
Hydrating finish Often Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft”
- “hydrated finish”
- “moisturized feel”
- “skin feels supple”
Good for sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “no redness”
- “doesn't cause breakouts”
- “soothing effect”
Milky texture Sometimes Noted
- “soft milky consistency”
- “glides on smooth”
- “creamy gel texture”
- “feels like lotion”
Leaves residue Sometimes Noted
- “leaves residue”
- “doesn't feel fully clean”
- “need toner after”
- “filmy feeling”
Weak makeup removal Sometimes Noted
- “struggles with mascara”
- “didn't remove eyeshadow”
- “need second cleanse”
- “too gentle for makeup”
Hard to find Rarely Noted
- “hard to find in stores”
- “had to order online”
- “out of stock”
- “rarely on shelves”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “dispenser gets stuck”
- “pump arrived broken”
- “hard to get product out”
- “defective pump”
Potential breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “small bumps appeared”
- “clogged pores”
- “worsened acne”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, walmart.com, skinsafeproducts.com, youtube.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleansing Lotion work for oily skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for oily skin, providing hydration without directly addressing oily shine. It is safe and unlikely to cause irritation, but a cleanser for oily skin needs specific ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to properly manage excess oil and shine.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate make this cleanser a fit by providing hydration and supporting skin barrier resilience, though they do not directly address oily shine. An oily skin type needs cleansers with ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to manage shine and control oil.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps oily skin by reducing extra oil and sebum production without causing irritation. Clinical studies show it successfully balances oil levels while keeping the skin comfortable.
What does Glycerin do for oily skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser works as a basic step in an oily skincare routine, fitting into both morning and evening cleansing steps, though an oily skin routine also needs specific ingredients for optimal oil control.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first on damp skin, rinsing it off, and then following with your retinol treatment. This gentle cleanser is unlikely to cause irritation when paired with retinol, though oily skin would benefit more from a cleanser that also includes specific oil-control ingredients.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It cleans adequately and hydrates, but oily skin also needs a product with ingredients that help control oil shine.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin because it has a safe formula with soothing ingredients and no harsh components. However, since it lacks oil-controlling ingredients, an oily skin type needs a cleanser with targeted oil-balancing components to better manage excess shine.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but the thin skin around the eyes needs extra care because it is among the thinnest on the body. This product is unlikely to cause irritation due to its gentle, soothing formula, though body skin may need additional rich moisture.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2019The 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, 2012Hydrophobically modified polymers and sodium hydrolyzed potato starch dodecenylsuccinate reduce irritation and surfactant penetration while providing effective cleansing and improved tolerability in individuals with sensitive skin compared to commercial mild cleansers.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2026Asiatic acid-loaded solid lipid microparticles stabilized with poloxamer-188 reduced porphyrin intensity, enhanced skin barriers, and improved skin hydration and brightness in fifteen participants with mild-to-moderate acne.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2024Treatment with low concentrations of Poloxamer 188 after thermal damage improves the morphological integrity and contractile function of human foreskin fibroblasts heat shocked at 45 degrees C compared to untreated cells.
The Journal of Surgical Research, 1998
Why other cleansers fit oily skin better
A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019A 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, 2024Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Dodecenylsuccinate Starch, Zea Mays Starch, Polysorbate 20, Poloxamer 188, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate
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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.