Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser for combination skin
Aloe Vera Extracts
Alpine Herbs
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Squalane
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 suitability for your combination skin, as sodium cocoyl isethionate and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate effectively cleanse without stripping, while squalane provides emollient action. Glycerin and squalane offer general hydration supportive for oily shine, but the formula lacks strong seboregulating ingredients to fully address your main goal.
- The cleansing agents are well-balanced for your combination skin, and the inclusion of aloe vera and moringa seed extract offers additional soothing and purifying benefits.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM as part of your daily routine. Start 3×/week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your skin using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
- For the best results , apply the cleanser directly onto slightly damp skin to help lift away excess oil.
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this creamy cleanser for normal to dry skin is praised for leaving complexions soft and hydrated, with a luxurious texture and effective cleansing. A moderate number of users enjoy its pleasant, spa-like scent and find it gentle, though a similar proportion find the fragrance strong. A low number of reviews mention it can be drying, cause eye irritation, or that the price is high.
Highlights
Non-stripping hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft and hydrated”
- “doesn't strip my skin”
- “face feels comfortable after washing”
Effective cleansing Often Mentioned
- “takes off all makeup”
- “skin feels perfectly clean”
- “removes pollution and dirt”
Luxurious texture Often Mentioned
- “mousse texture is sumptuous”
- “creamy and smooth”
- “lathers beautifully”
Gentle on skin Sometimes Noted
- “very gentle”
- “calming effect”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells divine”
- “love the herbal scent”
- “smells like a spa”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “scent is too strong”
- “perfume gave me a headache”
- “smells like old lady perfume”
Drying effect Rarely Noted
- “left my face tight”
- “dried out my skin”
- “not hydrating as claimed”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “stings if it gets in eyes”
- “eyes watered”
- “irritated my eyes”
Formula change Rarely Noted
- “miss the old formula”
- “new version isn't as good”
- “changed the scent”
High price Rarely Noted
- “too expensive for a wash”
- “pricey for the amount”
- “luxury price tag”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, clarinsusa.com, sephora.com, johnlewis.com, escentual.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser work for combination skin?
Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser works moderately well for combination skin because it cleans gently without stripping and adds light moisture, though other products fit this skin type better. A cleanser for combination skin needs ingredients that effectively balance oil production, maintain hydration for oily shine, and deeply soothe both oily and dry areas without causing irritation.
Polymers, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for combination skin?
Sodium cocoyl isethionate and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate make this cleanser a good fit because they clean without stripping, while squalane and glycerin add hydration. Aloe vera and moringa seed extract help by soothing and purifying the skin.
Polymers, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Aloe Vera Extract do for combination skin?
Aloe vera extract helps hydrate combination skin by increasing the water content in the outer skin layers without making it oily. It is unlikely to block pores or disrupt the skin barrier, making it a refreshing addition to your daily routine.
What do Alpine Herbs do for combination skin?
Alpine Herbs help balance combination skin by providing soothing care without adding unwanted shine to oily areas or drying out dry patches. They have a strong safety profile with no apparent toxicity, making them gentle for daily use.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning routine before a hydrating toner, and in your evening routine after a makeup remover. Combination skin of this type needs a cleanser with ingredients that balance oil production and purify the skin while maintaining hydration.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by washing your face with it before applying your retinol product. It is unlikely to cause irritation, but combination skin needs a cleanser with strong oil-balancing ingredients to fully manage shine.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routine, as its mild cleansing agents wash your face without stripping moisture. A regular daily routine using a gentle cleanser helps keep skin clean and comfortable while supporting overall hydration.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for combination skin, as its mild cleansing agents wash away dirt safely without harshness. To better manage oil and shine, combination skin needs a cleanser that also includes strong oil-controlling ingredients.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this gentle cleanser on your body, but you should take extra care around the eyes because that skin is much thinner and more sensitive. The mild ingredients and safe profile make it unlikely to cause irritation, though a cleanser for this skin needs balancing ingredients to manage oily shine while keeping dry areas hydrated.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
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, 2017Sodium cocoyl isethionate micelles are too large to penetrate stratum corneum aqueous pores, resulting in significant steric hindrance that prevents skin barrier perturbation and explains its skin mildness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007Emulgels containing Perilla frutescens seed oil, Moringa oleifera seed oil, and mixed seed oil microemulsions exhibit good stability, lack of cytotoxicity in PBMC, and no skin irritation or allergic reactions in human subjects.
Polymers, 2022A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Aqueous standardized leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera showed the highest human dermal fibroblast and human keratinocyte proliferation and migration properties, leading to the development of an alginate-pectin film dressing with optimal physicochemical properties.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2018Topical administration of Moringa oleifera seed extract on excision wounds in male albino rabbits significantly increased the wound healing rate, elevated TGF-β1, VEGF, and Type I collagen relative expression, and reduced inflammatory markers like IL-1β and TNF-α compared to untreated and MEBO-treated groups.
Antioxidants, 2022Moringa oleifera leaf extracts provided significant UV protection with an SPF of 2 at 2% to 4% concentrations and showed no significant irritant potential in cosmetic formulations.
Molecules, 2018Topical application of a cream containing the NHE1 activator rosmarinic acid decreased skin surface pH and transepidermal water loss while increasing skin hydration in 50-60-year-old adult females compared to vehicle cream and no treatment.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Topical treatment with a lemon balm leaf extract formulation reduced eye-corner wrinkles in 20 healthy women compared to placebo by promoting Endo180 production and inhibiting the decline in collagen levels.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2025Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025
Why other cleansers fit combination 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, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Squalane, Propanediol, Glycol Distearate, Coconut Acid, Glyceryl Behenate, C14-22 Alcohols, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Isethionate, Parfum, Sodium Citrate, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Disodium Edta, Maltodextrin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Gentiana Lutea Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
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
How does it fit your skin?
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