Clear Start Breakout Clearing Liquid Peel

Dermalogica

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Liquid Peel is a exfoliating scrubs & peeling gel. Our analysis of its 22 ingredients (19 low-risk) rates it Excellent (96/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Exfoliating Scrubs & Peeling Gel
Ingredients
22
Low-risk
19
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States
Data updated
Jun 2026

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe Cruelty-Free

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 3/5
Good for dry skin
Glycerin Coco-Caprylate/Caprate Lactic Acid
Caution for dry skin
Xanthan Gum Glycerin Salicylic Acid Sodium Hydroxide Silica
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 2/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Azelaic Acid Salicylic Acid
Sensitive Skin 1/7
Good for sensitive skin
Glycerin
Caution for sensitive skin
Cellulose Gum Sodium Chloride Azelaic Acid Glycerin Salicylic Acid Phenethyl Alcohol Lactic Acid

Ingredients list

22 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (4)
All22 Skin Conditioning10 Viscosity Controlling7 Emulsion Stabilising6 Fragrance6 Bulking Agent5 Masking5 Buffering Agent4 Ph Adjuster4
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
Propanediol
(Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
4
B
Lactic Acid
(Exfoliant, Fragrance, Humectant, Ph Adjuster, Skin Conditioning Agent Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Buffering Agent)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
4
B
Salicylic Acid
(Antiacne Agent, Antidandruff Agent, Corn/Callus/Wart Remover, Denaturant, Exfoliant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Keratolytic, Masking, Preservative)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
B
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Pentylene Glycol
(Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Cellulose Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Fragrance, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
1
B
Phenethyl Alcohol
(Fragrance, Preservative, Masking)
1
A
Azelaic Acid
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
1
Mandelic Acid
(Antimicrobial)
1
A
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate
(Bulking Agent)
1
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
1
2
A
Silica
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
CI 77891
(Colorant)
1
A
Sodium Carbonate
(Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Bulking Agent)
1
Sodium Chloride
(Bulking Agent, Masking, Oral Care Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
2
A
Tin Oxide
(Abrasive, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

AHA
Exfoliates skin for a brighter complexion.
Exfoliators
Removes dead skin cells to smoothe texture.
BHA
Unclogs pores and reduces excess oil.
Azelaic Acid
Gently exfoliates and reduces inflammation.

Benefits

Good For Oily SkinBalances oil and helps reduce shine.
Reduces Large PoresMinimizes the look of enlarged pores.
BrighteningRestores radiance to dull, tired skin.
Scar HealingImproves the look of marks and scars.
Skin TextureSmooths rough patches and refines texture.
Acne FightingFights acne and helps prevent breakouts.
Dark SpotsFades dark spots for even skin tone.
Barrier RepairStrengthen and restore your skin's natural barrier.

Concerns

Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
May not suit dry skin
May not suit sensitive skin

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Propanediol
Solvent, Viscosity decreasing agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 SolventViscosity decreasing agentViscosity controlling
Sodium Hydroxide
Denaturant, Ph adjuster
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B DenaturantPh adjusterBuffering agent
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B EmollientSkin conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin conditioning, Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningSolvent
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion stabilising, Viscosity increasing agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Emulsion stabilisingViscosity increasing agentViscosity controlling
Xanthan Gum
Binding agent, Emulsion stabilising
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Binding agentEmulsion stabilisingSkin conditioningSurfactant -emulsifying agentViscosity increasing agentBindingGel formingViscosity controlling
Cellulose Gum
Binding agent, Emulsion stabilising
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Binding agentEmulsion stabilisingFilm formingFragranceViscosity increasing agentBindingMaskingViscosity controlling
Phenethyl Alcohol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B FragrancePreservativeMasking
Azelaic Acid
Fragrance, Ph adjuster
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antimicrobial
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate
Bulking agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Bulking agent
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Silica
Abrasive, Absorbent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–2 CIR A AbrasiveAbsorbentAnticaking agentBulking agentOpacifyingViscosity controlling
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
+ 4 more — see the full ingredients list above
Lactic Acid
Exfoliant, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B ExfoliantFragranceHumectantPh adjusterSkin-conditioning agent -humectantSkin conditioningBuffering agent Bad for Sensitive Skin
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Salicylic Acid
Antiacne agent, Antidandruff agent
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B Antiacne agentAntidandruff agentCorn/callus/wart removerDenaturantExfoliantFragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningKeratolyticMaskingPreservative Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening, start slow: Best in the PM a few times a week to begin with; avoid layering with other strong actives the same night.
  • 2 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Use with caution
BHA (salicylic) (Salicylic Acid)

Low-strength topical salicylic acid (BHA) is generally considered fine. Caution is usually reserved for high-strength leave-on products and salicylic peels.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

BHA (salicylic) 0.5–2%

Salicylic acid is OTC-capped at 2%; 0.5–2% is the usual leave-on range. Much below that it acts more as a soothing agent than an exfoliant.

Salicylic Acid

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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