Retinol Acne Clearing Oil

Dermalogica

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Dermalogica Retinol Acne Clearing Oil is a emulsion. Our analysis of its 21 ingredients (13 low-risk) rates it Excellent (91/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Emulsion
Ingredients
21
Low-risk
13
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 8/2
Good for dry skin
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil Cetyl Alcohol Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Coco-Caprylate/Caprate Coconut Alkanes Triolein PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
Caution for dry skin
Cetyl Alcohol Salicylic Acid
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Sensitive Skin 3/7
Good for sensitive skin
Phenylethyl Resorcinol Propyl Gallate BHT
Caution for sensitive skin
Cetyl Alcohol Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Salicylic Acid Propyl Gallate BHT Retinyl Propionate Sclareolide

Ingredients list

21 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All21 Skin Conditioning18 Emollient8 Fragrance6 Masking5 Antioxidant4 Solvent4 Viscosity Increasing Agent3 Perfuming3
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Coconut Alkanes
(Emollient, Solvent)
1
A
PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
1
A
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient)
1
C13-15 Alkane
(Solvent)
1
B
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
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
A
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
(Skin Conditioning)
9
Retinyl Propionate
(Skin Conditioning)
1
B
Butyl Avocadate
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
(Antioxidant)
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
Sclareolide
(Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Triolein
(Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Refatting, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Cetyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Fragrance, Opacifying, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
(Skin Conditioning)
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
6
A
BHT
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Masking)
3
B
Propyl Gallate
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Perfuming)

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

Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient, Skin Conditioning
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient, Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Benefits

Good for dry skin
Good for oily/acne-prone skin

Concerns

Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinyl Propionate — higher EWG
May not suit sensitive skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Coconut Alkanes
Emollient, Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 EmollientSolvent
PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningEmollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientSkin conditioning
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollient
C13-15 Alkane
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B EmollientSkin conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientMaskingPerfumingSkin conditioningSolvent
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Butyl Avocadate
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioning
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antioxidant
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragranceSkin conditioning
Sclareolide
Masking, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A MaskingPerfumingSkin conditioning
Triolein
Viscosity increasing agent, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Viscosity increasing agentEmollientRefattingSkin conditioningSolventViscosity controlling
Cetyl Alcohol
Emulsion stabilising, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingFragranceOpacifyingEmulsifyingSurfactantFoam boostingViscosity increasing agentEmollientMaskingViscosity controlling
Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
+ 2 more — see the full ingredients list above
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientSkin conditioning Fungal-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
Retinyl Propionate
Skin conditioning
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 9 Skin conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant, Fragrance
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 6 CIR A AntioxidantFragranceMasking

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening: Use at night — start 2–3× a week and build up as your skin tolerates it.
  • 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.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinyl Propionate)

Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.

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.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.

Retinyl Propionate

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

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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