Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser for oily acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Glycerin
Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Panthenol
Superior
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- SuperiorEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best cleansers for oily acne-prone skin.
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
- Excellent suitability for your oily skin and acne concerns is provided by salicylic acid, which effectively exfoliates and decongests pores, complemented by glycerin to maintain optimal hydration.
- Panthenol further supports skin health by offering soothing benefits, ensuring a comfortable and balanced cleansing experience.
- The formulation is safe for your skin, with no risk of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of beneficial components.
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.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 700+ reviewsUsers with oily, acne-prone, and combination skin frequently praise this cleanser for its ability to reduce breakouts and unclog pores without stripping the moisture barrier. While most find it leaves skin feeling soft and thoroughly cleansed of makeup and oil, a minority of users with drier or highly sensitive skin experienced tightness, flaking, or irritation.
Highlights
Effective acne control Mostly Mentioned
- “Helped clear my cystic acne”
- “keeps my breakouts at bay”
- “noticed fewer blackheads within weeks”
- “essential for maintaining clear skin”
Gentle & non-stripping Often Mentioned
- “Doesn't strip my skin”
- “gentle enough for daily use”
- “leaves face feeling soft not tight”
- “soothing on inflamed skin”
Thorough cleansing Often Mentioned
- “Removes all my makeup easily”
- “cuts through oil instantly”
- “face feels incredibly clean”
- “takes off waterproof sunscreen”
Pleasant gel texture Sometimes Noted
- “Silky gel feel”
- “lathers up perfectly”
- “rinses off without residue”
- “a little goes a long way”
Drying for some Sometimes Noted
- “Made my skin flaky”
- “felt very tight after washing”
- “dried out my cheeks”
- “too harsh for winter use”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Cap broke immediately”
- “leaks when traveling”
- “dispenses too much product”
- “hard to close the lid”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “Caused a burning sensation”
- “turned my face red”
- “broke me out in a rash”
- “stung my eyes”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “Smells like plastic”
- “has a weird chemical odor”
- “scent is off-putting”
- “smells like glue”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com.au, dermstore.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, paulaschoice-eu.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser one of the best fits for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit because salicylic acid clears out clogged pores and glycerin keeps your oily skin balanced with just the right amount of moisture. Panthenol also helps calm the skin, making your cleansing routine comfortable without any harshness or irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid is the key ingredient that makes this cleanser a great fit because it exfoliates and clears out pores for oily acne-prone skin. Glycerin and panthenol help keep your skin hydrated and calm so the cleansing experience stays comfortable and balanced.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
What does Salicylic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear breakouts and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing oil levels and calming inflammation. It is well suited for oily, acne-prone skin because it targets pimples while helping keep the skin hydrated and protected.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019
What does Glycerin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It draws moisture into the skin while supporting the skin barrier so it stays soft and balanced.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser fits into your morning routine as the first step and into your evening routine as the second step after makeup removal. Salicylic acid helps clear out pores while glycerin and panthenol keep your skin balanced and comfortable.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in the same routine as retinol by applying the cleanser first to clean your skin, letting it dry completely, and then following with your retinol treatment. Using a gentle cleanser like this helps keep your skin comfortable and is unlikely to cause irritation when paired with stronger products.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Using it regularly helps clear out pores and keeps oily, acne-prone skin comfortable and balanced.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for oily acne-prone skin because salicylic acid clears out pores and glycerin keeps skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It is unlikely to clog pores or cause irritation, though it may feel a bit drying for some people.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but you should use caution around the thin skin of your eyes. Its gentle ingredients like glycerin and panthenol help keep skin comfortable and well-hydrated.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
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, 2017Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 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, 2002A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010The 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, 2012Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate in facial cleanser decreased prokaryotic microbial alpha diversity, altered prokaryotic microbiome structure, increased phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine, and decreased ceramides on facial skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Coacervates formed from mixed micelles of sodium lauroylsarcosinate and cocamidopropyl betaine with cationic guar gum exhibited a dense porous structure with high viscoelastic modulus under strong electrostatic interactions, and a looser mesh structure with lower viscoelasticity and enhanced skin adsorption under weakened interactions.
Soft Matter, 2024Moisturizer 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, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020
Ingredients
Salicylic Acid, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Acrylates Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Glycerin, Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Panthenol, Disodium Edta, Citric Acid, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin
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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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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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
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