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NIVEA MEN Maximum Hydration Moisturizing Face Wash for oily acne-prone skin

Average

  • AverageOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 cleansing for your oily skin with Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Decyl Glucoside to effectively remove impurities, while glycerin and panthenol provide humectant action to hydrate.
  • The formula is safe for your oily skin, lacking harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
  • While it addresses general cleansing and hydration for your oily and acne-prone skin, it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target acne, blemishes, and breakouts, and does not offer sufficient oil control.

How to apply

  • Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
  • Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
  • Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
  • Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.

Questions and answers

How well does NIVEA MEN Maximum Hydration Face Wash work for oily acne-prone skin?

NIVEA MEN Maximum Hydration Moisturizing Face Wash works for your oily acne-prone skin by gently removing impurities and providing basic hydration, but it lacks specialized ingredients to target breakouts and control oil. To truly fit oily and acne-prone skin, a cleanser needs soothing and effective ingredients like Niacinamide, Ceramides, Salicylic Acid, or probiotics that help balance oil production and manage blemishes without causing irritation.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017

Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?

Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Decyl Glucoside clean your oily skin safely, while glycerin and panthenol help keep it hydrated. To work best for acne-prone skin, this type of product needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide, or probiotics to control oil and clear breakouts.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017

What does Aloe Vera do for oily acne-prone skin?

Aloe vera helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by reducing redness, bumps, and breakouts while keeping the skin smooth. This plant-based ingredient also supports clearer skin and helps improve overall skin texture.

Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Frontiers in Medicine, 2021

What does Panthenol do for oily acne-prone skin?

Panthenol helps regulate sebum, improves skin hydration, and reduces redness and irritation in oily acne-prone skin. It is well tolerated and may support barrier recovery without causing adverse reactions.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser goes in the morning and evening routine to wash away impurities without causing irritation. For oily acne-prone skin, this type of product also needs specialized ingredients to target breakouts and provide sufficient oil control.

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

You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying it before your retinol treatment in your routine. It cleanses and hydrates safely without harsh irritation, but oily and acne-prone skin needs a cleanser with specialized ingredients to target breakouts and provide oil control.

How often should I use it?

You can use this cleanser twice a day in the morning and evening to wash your skin without causing irritation. Oily acne-prone skin needs a cleanser of this type to also feature specialized ingredients that target blemishes and keep excess oil under control.

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

This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts because it is safe and lacks harsh ingredients that could cause irritation. However, it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target acne, blemishes, and breakouts, and does not offer sufficient oil control, so oily and acne-prone skin needs a cleanser with targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing components.

Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021

Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?

You can use this cleanser on your body, but the thin skin around the eyes may be easily irritated by cleansing agents and menthol. Cleansers for the body work best when they provide thorough cleansing for thicker skin without stripping away natural moisture.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).

What the research says

  • Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.

    American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
  • A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.

    The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
  • Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.

    Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021
  • A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
  • A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.

    Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
  • Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.

    Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018
  • Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.

    Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010
  • Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
  • Panthenyl triacetate (PTA) demonstrated skin de-acetylation into panthenol, stimulated energetic and synthesis metabolic pathways, and achieved a statistically significant improvement in wound healing after 72 hours compared to saline treatment in human volunteers, outperforming panthenol in long-lasting wound healing action.

    Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2012
  • A comprehensive topical regimen incorporating niacinamide, Pro-Xylane, and panthenol following PicoWay laser treatment decreased transepidermal water loss, increased hydration and skin elasticity, reduced wrinkles and redness, and improved skin tone in 88 Chinese females compared to a standard care control group.

    Lasers in Medical Science, 2026
  • Coadministration of 40% topical L-menthol with 10% trans-cinnamaldehyde reduced spontaneous pain intensity, neurogenic inflammation, primary and secondary mechanical hyperalgesia, and heat hyperalgesia, but not cold hyperalgesia, in 14 healthy volunteers.

    The Journal of Pain, 2016
  • Topical application of menthol-based cooling gel decreased intramuscular temperature by 1.9 °C and increased cutaneous blood flow by 0.3 ml/min in healthy males compared to placebo gel.

    International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2018
  • Cooling skin temperature or applying topical menthol reduced histamine-induced itch intensity and flare diameters in healthy male volunteers.

    Neuroscience Letters, 1995
  • Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
  • Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
  • A topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced air pollution-induced skin pigmentation and proinflammatory gene expression ex vivo, and improved skin aging signs in 40 healthy adult females after 90 days of daily use.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
  • The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.

    Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003

Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better

  • Topical 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
  • 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, 2019

Ingredients

Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Myreth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Menthol, Alcohol Denat, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Peg-90 Glyceryl Isostearate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyquaternium-10, Laureth-2, Benzophenone-4, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Blue 1

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.

How does it fit your skin?

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How does it fit your skin?

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