Paula's Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser for oily skin
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Glycerin
Allantoin
PanthenolAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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, as sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate effectively remove impurities, while glycerin and panthenol provide basic hydration without specialized oil control.
- Allantoin and chamomile extract offer soothing benefits, contributing to a comfortable cleansing experience.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing agents like allantoin and panthenol.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin fresh. Always make sure to follow with a good SPF in the morning.
- Apply your cleanser as the first step in the morning or the second step in the evening before your toner.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using circular motions, then rinse well with water .
- You can apply this cleanser safely on damp skin for a refreshing and easy wash.
- Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop use if irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsUsers with oily and acne-prone skin frequently praise this gel cleanser for effectively clearing breakouts and controlling sebum without stripping the moisture barrier. While most find it gentle and refreshing, a minority of users with combination or sensitive skin experienced dryness, tightness, or purging after use.
Highlights
Effective acne control Mostly Mentioned
- “Holy grail for acne”
- “cleared my clogged comedones”
- “tackle my blemishes”
- “fights spots.”
Gentle & non-stripping Often Mentioned
- “Squeaky clean but not stripped”
- “doesn't dry me out”
- “gentle but does the job”
- “no redness.”
Oil balancing Often Mentioned
- “Keeps oil in check”
- “removes excess oil”
- “helped with oily t-zone”
- “skin feels balanced.”
Makeup removal Sometimes Noted
- “Cleans off leftover makeup”
- “removes heavy makeup”
- “takes off makeup very well”
- “dissolves pore-clogging debris.”
Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
- “Great gel consistency”
- “lathers up well”
- “silky feel”
- “refreshing gel.”
Drying for some Sometimes Noted
- “Made my skin pretty dry”
- “skin around lips went dry”
- “felt tight after using”
- “drying? yes.”
Breakouts/Purging Rarely Noted
- “Broke me out”
- “caused itchy papules”
- “brought zits to a head”
- “bad reaction.”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Bad packaging”
- “leaked in transit”
- “cap broke easily”
- “hard to dispense.”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “Slightly irritating”
- “caused redness”
- “felt slightly itchy”
- “burned my skin.”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “Chemical smell”
- “bad smell”
- “smells like medicine”
- “weird scent.”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.ph, sephora.com.au, dermstore.com, paulaschoice.com, cultbeauty.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Paula's Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser work for oily skin?
Paula's Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser works for your oily skin by providing moderate cleansing and basic hydration without special oil control. A cleanser for oily skin needs ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to better manage shine and support skin health.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?
Glycerin and panthenol help wash away impurities while keeping your oily skin comfortable and hydrated. Allantoin and chamomile extract may also calm the skin, though an oily skin type benefits more from specialized ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to actively manage shine and support skin health.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Sodium Laureth Sulfate do for oily skin?
Sodium laureth sulfate is a cleanser that removes excess oil, but it may dry out the skin and weaken its barrier. Because it is harsh, oily skin usually needs gentler cleansers containing mild surfactants and hydrating ingredients to stay calm and smooth.
What does Cocamidopropyl Betaine do for oily skin?
Cocamidopropyl betaine is a cleansing ingredient that helps wash away excess oil and dirt from oily skin. While it is generally safe for use in wash-off products, it is unlikely to change oil production and may cause mild skin irritation in some people.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser goes in the morning and evening routine, before your toner, moisturizer, and other steps. It removes impurities effectively, while glycerin and panthenol provide basic hydration and allantoin helps calm your skin.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Can I use this cleanser with BHA, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in your routine before applying a BHA treatment. It is unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin, but this skin type needs specialized oil control and balancing ingredients to work best.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routines. Daily use of a gentle cleanser helps wash away impurities while maintaining basic hydration and soothing your skin.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it has a low risk of breakouts and uses gentle cleansers that wash away impurities cleanly. However, because it lacks specialized oil control and may feel drying for some, oily skin types often need ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to better manage excess oil and shine.
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 to avoid irritation. It helps wash away impurities while keeping skin comfortable, though oily skin on the body benefits most from products with targeted oil-control ingredients.
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
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, 2002A 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, 2017A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020A 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, 2025Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) treatment decreases lipid membrane chain conformational order and stiffness leading to increased water sorption and diffusivity, whereas sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) treatment increases lipid membrane conformational order and stiffness with increased water sorption capacity driven by its hygroscopic nature.
Langmuir, 2014The 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, 2003A 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, 2017The 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, 2001Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018Prophylactic application of a topical scar gel containing Allium cepae extract, allantoin, and heparin significantly improves patient-assessed scar color, stiffness, and irregularity compared to no treatment in women following a cesarean section.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2014Moisturizer 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
Why other cleansers fit oily skin better
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, 2019Topical 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
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Panthenol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
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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Medical Board
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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