Is Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down worth it?

Yes. All 5 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 78%.

What is Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down's Guru Score?

Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down holds a Guru Score of 78%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down best for?

Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down is generally suited to oily skin and acne-prone skin.

Geek & Gorgeous

Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down.

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About this product

A chemical exfoliant combining polyhydroxy acid and salicylic acid, designed to remove dead skin and unclog pores.

Guru Score

78%

Yay

5 experts · Moderate agreement

5Gurus

5Yay

0Mixed

0Nay

What they liked

Gentle enough for sensitive skin
Lasts months per bottle
Water-like texture, easy to apply

What they flagged

Pricey compared to other exfoliants

What the gurus are saying

This low-dose PHA and salicylic acid blend is gentle enough for frequent use, even four times per week, and works well with retinoids, with one bottle lasting about six months. Reviewers split on value: some rate it as genuinely budget-friendly for the amount you get, while others find comparable actives cheaper elsewhere and don't see the premium justified.

Synthesized from 5 expert reviews · most recent take May 2026

Best for

Oily skin Acne-prone skin

Type

Liquid

Where to buy

Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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Doctor Anne

56k subs

✓Yay

"To find the balance for me, I opt for something with a low percentage, which is the Geek and Gorgeous Calm Down, a PHA with a low percentage of salicylic acid that I use four times a week. The low percentage of salicylic acid means it still keeps the congestion under control, and the PHA, polyhydroxy acids, I don't really look at them as exfoliating in the surface exfoliant sense like a glycolic acid or something like that would."

Mad About Skin

729k subs

✓Yay

"This is stunning. You get a lot of product in this. So one will last me like six months and it's super budget and affordable. I really like this because it uses a low dose polyhydroxy acid which is super gentle alongside just a touch of salicylic acid too. That salicylic acid is great because it's going to go into the pores, flush out the dirt, the debris, blackheads, sebaceous filaments which people can experience a buildup of, particularly in the early stages of their retinoid use."

All 2 takes from Mad About Skin

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"You know, I like to use lactic acid from The Ordinary which is cheaper than the equivalent Geek & Gorgeous one. If I want a touch of mandelic acid, again reaching for The Ordinary or some of the other ones out there. Their exfoliants just don't do it for me. The packaging is great, I love the fact that it's got like a spillproof cap, they're really thinking about the quality of their packaging which I appreciate, but their exfoliants for me I just think there's cheaper options out there."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"Calm Down has polyhydroxy acids and a very low percentage of salicylic acid at 0.8%, which are wonderful for very gently exfoliating and well tolerated by sensitive skin types. These ingredients help accelerate the clearance of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation [...] and improve the health of the moisture barrier. This [...] is a good one if you have sensitive [...] skin and are just looking for smoother skin texture."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"It's got a proper pH. [...] This one is great for sensitive skin, skin that's prone to redness. The exfoliants in here, it's got 0.8% salicylic acid, which is great for if you notice clogged pores or acne or blackheads, things like that. It's a great ingredient for that. It also contains two very gentle PHAs, glucactylone and lactobionic acid, which are very gentle, but very good for helping your skin tone, texture, all of that."

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"I absolutely love this stuff. I have it in my cart now so I'll definitely be repurchasing this. It's got 4% pH and BHA combo, it's wonderful. A bottle like this will last you a long time, especially if you just pat it onto your skin. It's wonderful, highly, highly recommend it. Love it."

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"If you have sensitive skin I'd recommend checking out something different for exfoliating. The first one that came to mind is the Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down look exfoliant. That one's a little bit more friendly for sensitive skin."

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"My favorite is their Calm Down liquid exfoliant because it contains BHA and PHA so it's very gentle but it's very effective on blackheads, pores, preventing breakouts. This stuff is amazing and the bottle's gigantic. You can pat it on the skin or apply it with a cotton pad and if you pat it onto your skin this bottle will last you forever."

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"Or the geek and gorgeous Calm Down all wonderful"

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"So I'm just using this as my exfoliant. It's 4% pH and BHA. This one's kind of geared towards acne prone skin or skin that's irritated because BHA has some soothing properties. If your main concern is like anti-aging, AHAs and glycolic acid are going to be your best friends. If you have acne prone skin, BHAs like salicylic acid are going to be your best friend because they can go deeper into the pore. I really didn't use this on my neck because my neck will scream at me if I do."

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"My favorite exfoliant from them is the Calm Down. Their other exfoliants are amazing too."

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"I've got the Calm Down liquid exfoliant and it's a great liquid exfoliant because it's got PHA and a BHA in it but it's still gentle. It still really helps with acne prone skin, blackheads and things like that. You don't really need much at all, and to savor it, it's probably best just to pat it on with your hands. You don't really need a cotton pad, but sometimes the cotton pad is just a little easier."

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"My favorite happens to be their Calm Down liquid exfoliant. [...] Calm Down is great for if you have acne prone skin or for pore size, things like that. [...] I've got it and I love it. It's great for different days, depending on whatever's going on."

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"My favorite typically is the Calm Down. My skin tends to be pretty sensitive. It's very gentle, but it is nice and exfoliating. It's got PHAs and BHAs, which are two very gentle exfoliants. It's a large bottle, waterlike texture, and the pH is spot on. You can apply it by patting it onto your skin or with a cotton pad, whichever you prefer. It's nice for acne prone skin too."

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"It's a really nice exfoliant with a proper pH. It's got salicylic acid, gluconolactone, lactobionic acid, prickly pear extract, saccharomyces. I use this one a lot. Like I dermaplane, I will use this one before or after I dermaplane. Sometimes if I microneedle, I will use this one before just to gently exfoliate the skin. I was a big fan of [Paula's Choice] 2% BHA and 4% BHA, and this one's just a little bit more gentle version."

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"I love this brand. Everything about it is wonderful. I've yet to try a disappointing product."

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Gothamista

683k subs

✓Yay

"I reach for this quite a lot in fact, the two I reach for the most is the Smooth Out and the Calm Down. This was developed for those with really sensitive skin or skin with aging concerns. If you're looking for an everyday exfoliant, then this would be perfect for that because I can tell you it definitely is effective. Because this uses PHAs, which is a lot gentler than AHAs, as well as a lower concentration of BHA, this will not increase sun sensitivity."